Acupuncture involves the gentle insertion of thin, sterile needles into specific points on the body. The treatment is very safe and well tolerated. Most people find the treatment very relaxing.
While acupuncture has roots in traditional Chinese culture (and thousands of years of history), you do not have to believe in Qi (or the concept of vital energy) for acupuncture to work. Acupuncture practice has expanded over time as scientific findings have amassed, and modern practice incorporates modalities such as electrical stimulation and laser acupuncture.
Research has begun to elucidate how acupuncture may work as well as its efficacy for different conditions. Acupuncture regulates the autonomic nervous system and the stress regulation system. It also promotes circulation, stimulates endorphin production–one of the body’s pain-modulating chemicals–to name a few of acupuncture’s known effects. Studies show positive response for various conditions including, but not limited to, acute and chronic pain, headaches, respiratory issues, digestive problems, fertility, and anxiety.
Research
Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis. “Our results from individual patient data meta-analyses of nearly 18 000 randomized patients in high-quality RCTs provide the most robust evidence to date that acupuncture is a reasonable referral option for patients with chronic pain.” Archives of Internal Medicine. 2012.
Understandings of acupuncture application and mechanisms. “Available evidence showed that acupuncture alleviates acute pain in conditions such as postoperative pain, acute back pain, labour pain, primary dysmenorrhea, tension-type headaches and migraines. In addition, acupuncture relieves chronic pain, for example, low back pain (LBP), knee osteoarthritis (KOA), headache, shoulder pain, and neck pain.”
“Studies have found that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels are involved in the stimulation of acupuncture at the acupoint area. In the central nervous system (CNS), neurotransmissions including opioids, serotonin, norepinephrine, orexin and endocannabinoid are modulated by acupuncture to induce analgesia. Moreover, acupuncture reduces cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels on the peripheral level by acting on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, mediating peripheral opioid release. Acupuncture helps to treat insomnia by inhibiting sympathetic activity and down-regulating the HPA axis. Additionally, acupuncture reduces the effects of positive and negative reinforcements by modulating dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.” American Journal of Translational Research. 2022.
The Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Mechanisms of Acupuncture from Acupoint to Target Organs via Neuro-Immune Regulation. “Acupuncture is an effective therapy that is used worldwide for the treatment of multiple inflammatory diseases. Through an extensive review of the relevant literature, we have established that the anti-inflammatory action of acupuncture combating multi-system diseases involves the regulation of infiltrating immune cells, along with their associated cellular signaling and cytokines.” The Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Mechanisms of Acupuncture from Acupoint to Target Organs via Neuro-Immune Regulation. Journal of Inflammation Research, 2021.