The needles are tiny, but ask Susan Troccolo and she'll tell you their benefits are enormous. Last year Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“You’re hit with a two ton truck and you find everything you can find,” said Susan.

She went through four months of chemotherapy, suffering most of the side-effects breast cancer patients do but Susan says her symptoms were not nearly as severe as many others. She believes the side-affects were reduced with the help of acupuncture.

Susan says after getting acupuncture she experienced a definite decrease in nausea *and neuropathy, a side effect to cancer treatment that causes numbing in the hands and feet. But she says the biggest benefit was reduced fatigue! “Fatigue that’s like an understatement because its like running a marathon every day!” exclaimed Susan.

She says one acupuncture session every other week gave her the energy she needed to get through every day. She explains it as a rush of energy unblocking energy channels.

New research is showing that acupuncture also reduces hot flashes, one of the most debilitating side effects associated with breast cancer treatment.

In a recent study, researchers compared acupuncture with a common anti-depressant used to reduce hot flashes. The study showed that women treated with acupuncture suffered none of the common side-effects like nausea, headache or constipation.

And many of those who received acupuncture reported having more energy and an improved sense of well-being.

“They're sleeping better, their mood is a little bit more stable and brighter... they're able to do more exercise, explained Doctor Cindy Reuter, a licensed acupuncturist with Providence Health Center.

So how does the ancient Chinese practice work? Some theorize the needles trigger a chemical release. “Certain parts of the brain light up and secreting neurotransmitters or endorphins which are chemicals that help us feel better,” said Reuter.

It’s our own chemicals helping our body to heal without drugs. It's an alternative to conventional medicine that research is showing can really work.