"A series of acupuncture can regulate water metabolism for the whole body to help suppress the appetite," Kim says. Mintsis says that two points on the ear (the "hunger point" and the "stomach point"), can be stimulated, AKA needled (my words), to help get cravings and feelings of hunger under control. Certain points on your body -- just above the ankle bone on the inside of your leg, for one -- can also be stimulated to help improve metabolism.

Don't expect it to be magic, however -- Mintsis notes that this isn't any substitute for exercising and maintaining a healthy diet (so don't toss that kale and gym membership just yet), but it is an effective tool to have in your arsenal to help you reach your goals. Twelve sessions seems to be the magic number; that's how many are recommended to assist with a weight-loss plan.

If you're chronically stressed (see above), you're probably pretty familiar with tension headaches. While headache pains occur in the head, Mintsis says the culprit is usually somewhere else. "Poor posture, heavy bags and long hours at work in front of a computer create a lot of tension in our neck and upper back muscles," she says. "In addition, a lot of people carry their stress in their neck and upper back, and feel increased pain and tension every time they are exposed to a stressful situation." (Which is most of the time, for many of us).

To relieve this, Mintsis explains that, in Chinese medicine, you place the needle where the tension is to balance the qi and increase blood flow to the area. "That is the 'calming point,' and if you place needles at many of these, then you open the channels of chi, to ease pain in the body," she explains.