Bee acupuncture could be fatal, even if you’re not allergic to bees

Acupuncture, a practice that involves pricking the skin with needles, is one of the oldest healing treatments in the world. With origins in ancient China, the alternative medicine has been shown to be effective in treating a range of ailments from migraines and back pain to anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. In recent decades, the needle-based practice of acupuncture has been embraced by doctors and celebrities alike, who tout its ability to mitigate pain and reduce stress. But while acupuncture, with the use of sterilized needles, is considered safe, spinoffs of it are not. One, which relies on the stingers of bees as the needle, can even be deadly. For a 55-year-old woman in Spain, it was.