How does acupuncture actually work?

Acupuncture: The world’s oldest medical treatment.

Acupuncture, to anyone’s best knowledge, is about 3,500 years old. Yes, you read that right. It is one of, if not THE, oldest medical treatment still in use today. In the modern era we practice it very differently than anyone would have in ancient times, but its longevity and prolific use across many cultures cannot be denied. It works! If it didn’t, it’s hard to imagine that it would have lasted so long or spread to every corner of the globe.

Long before having access to modern testing and imaging, ancient Chinese doctors found inventive ways to identify imbalance happening in the body by observing the tongue (the only muscle not covered in skin!) and taking the pulses at the wrist on both sides. Along with patient’s reported signs and symptoms, different patterns of imbalance were codified in written records and passed down through generations of acupuncture and herbal medicine doctors - an early version of empirical data and case study research. The language used to describe different phenomena and patterns observed in the body may sound unscientific by today’s standards (“Qi” is not a concept familiar to our Westerrn culture), nonetheless using such language doesn’t make the work of those ancient doctors any less impactful, important, or relevant to today.

In the past 20 years, modern research has been able to start to help explain how acupuncture is affecting the systems of the body and also demonstrate its effectiveness for a wide range of conditions. For example, we now understand that acupuncture works by influencing three major areas:

1) Extracellular signaling - a widespread system that helps regulate cellular functions in all tissues and organ systems,

2) Spinal reflexes - stimulates muscle relaxation and affects the Central Nervous System (CNS),

3) Parasympathetic modulation - a branch of the nervous system associated with rest, relaxation, digestion and tissue healing.

Basically, acupuncture helps your body work better! And it helps tell the body to focus on healing certain areas. Pretty cool stuff! Whether it works for you and your condition depends on how well your body responds. You won’t know for sure unless you try it!