How does acupuncture work?
There are many theories that suggest how acupuncture might work. Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests that acupuncture promotes the free-flow of Qi, or energy, which creates a balancing and harmonizing effect within the body-mind complex. Modern scientific research has shown acupuncture to have specific biological effects:
- Acupuncture promotes the release of endorphins, which are pain-blocking biochemicals
- Acupuncture influences the cellular matrix of connective tissue
- Functional MRI studies have shown acupuncture to stimulate regions of the brain that correlate to the treated acupoints
- Acupuncture activates the parasympathetic nervous system to move the body into a balanced state known as homeostasis
In my mind, none of the leading theories adequately explain why acupuncture works as effectively as it does for such a wide range of conditions. Hopefully, further research will shed more light on the biological mechanism behind acupuncture’s success.
