Angela is considering acupuncture to treat her shoulder pain.

Angela says she's been suffering with shoulder pain for a long time. She's seen doctors, had X-rays and tried massage, but nothing has worked. She's now considering acupuncture, but wants Dr. Oz to weigh in.

Just a few years ago, Dr. Oz says, many Western doctors would have written off acupuncture and other "alternative" medicines even though acupuncture could make sense for Angela. "Here's the irony—acupuncture has been around for 2,500 years in China," Dr. Oz says. "There are a billion people in another part of the world who use these therapies."

Dr. Oz introduces her to acupuncturist Daniel Hsu, who takes Angela backstage for a full acupuncture treatment on her pained shoulder. Will it work? Keep reading to find out!
Dr. Oz says science has increasingly come to understand alternative medicines.

While Angela's trying this ancient therapy, Dr. Oz explains the science behind acupuncture. Everyone knows that acupuncture involves sticking needles into your skin, but how might that cure what ails you? Dr. Oz says the needles stimulate endorphins and serotonin in your brain—natural chemicals that regulate pleasure and mood.

"But let's broaden the discussion, because it's not just about acupuncture," Dr. Oz says. "The reason I'm so excited and passionate about alternative medicine is … [because it is] the globalization of medicine."

Is "global medicine" right for your health needs?

Alternative medicines, Dr. Oz says, deal with the body's energy—something that traditional Western medicine generally does not. "We're beginning now to understand things that we know in our hearts are true but we could never measure," he says. "As we get better at understanding how little we know about the body, we begin to realize that the next big frontier … in medicine is energy medicine. It's not the mechanistic part of the joints moving. It's not the chemistry of our body. It's understanding for the first time how energy influences how we feel."
Oprah gets her first acupuncture treatment.

Oprah is ready to take a step toward the frontier of medicine…but she's a little scared of the whole needle part. Daniel was ready to ease her fears. "The needles that [Daniel] is going to use would actually fit through the hole in the needle that they use to take the blood from your arm," Dr. Oz says.

"Acupuncture treats any condition from allergies to, obviously, pain to gastrointestinal issues—a wide range of chronic diseases," Daniel says.

Oprah doesn't suffer from those particular ailments, so Daniel recommends a wellness acupuncture treatment, which will help boost Oprah's immune system. This normally requires about 10 needles, he says, and the positive effects will be felt anywhere from 20 minutes to days afterwards.

"It's really not bad," Oprah says. "It's not as bad as getting your ears pierced, I'll tell you that."
Angela received acupuncture from Daniel Hsu.

The results are in! After a dozen needles were put in targeted places, Angela returns to the stage to report on how she feels.

"I'm on cloud nine," she says. "I feel rejuvenated. The pain that I had was a constant radiating pain, and I don't feel it. Literally, I don't feel it. I feel wonderful."

Angela says she's ready for more acupuncture treatments, too. This is good because Daniel says she'll need a few more sessions to really cure her shoulder. "The key is to have a few treatments back-to-back-to-back so it builds up on itself," he says. "Eventually she'll have no pain at all."

Botox? Douche? Brazilian wax? Thousands have asked. Dr. Oz has answers.
As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.