ACUPUNCTURE: What, How, and Where?

What is Acupuncture?

Many people in the United States are aware of what acupuncture is on a basic level. At least they’ve heard of it. This post is aimed to clarify any lingering questions you may have.

Acupuncture is a modality of medical treatment in Chinese Medicine. The acupuncture needle is a tool that a licensed acupuncturist uses to treat, like a surgeon uses a scalpel. These needles are sterile and range in sizes of both width length (gauge) and length. Most are very thin, so thin that roughly 40 acupuncture needles fit into a single hypodermic needle (which of course has it’s own range of gauges). Despite being very thin, these needles still have an ability to affect therapeutic change in the body, which I will get into later.

Acupuncturists strategically place needles at certain points throughout the body to affect various tissue. This signals the body to produce the healing factors it needs.

How does Acupuncture work?

Interestingly enough, it’s been found that there is not only one way but a multitude of ways in which acupuncture works and the research only continues to build. I’ll list 4 different mechanisms to give you a better idea about what happens when an acupuncturist inserts a needle:

1.) Natural Pain Killers

Acupuncture has a strong analgesia, or pain relief, affect by telling the body to increase endogenous opioids ¹ . When we take opioid medication orally, we are externally or exogenously inputting opioids into our system. Because the body has a naturally occurring store of opioids and opioid receptors, acupuncture can help release our own stores to relieve pain.

2.) Release Muscle Contraction

Acupuncture needles inserted at locations where nerves insert into muscles has been shown to ‘reset’ the nerve if the muscle is pathologically contracted (too tight). These locations are called motor points. This is how acupuncture relieves muscle tightness and pain that ensues from that. The classical texts of acupuncture speak about these points which tend to be tender and sore. Interestingly, many motor points are in the same or similar locations as preexisting acupuncture points ² .

3.) Rest and Digest

There are also mechanisms that have the ability to relive more than pain; Acupuncture can engage the parasympathetic nervous system, other wise known as the ‘rest and digest’ nervous system. This allows our heart rate to slow, blood pressure regulate, the digestive system to properly function, and much more ³ .

4.) Acupuncture Points Are More Than Just Dots!

Tree roots — Like roots around a tree, acupuncture points have a complex network of vessels and nerves under them.

Acupuncture points, which have been mapped out for more than 2,000 years, have actually been found to have a richer density of nerves and blood vessels, which gives insight as to why and how all of these mechanisms work. The body communicates with it’s various parts by sending electrical and chemical signals through the nerves and blood!

What can Acupuncture treat?

The potential for what acupuncture can treat is high. Based solely on a review of numerous acupuncture studies, it can be conclusively stated that acupuncture has evidence of positive affect on: allergic rhinitis, knee osteoarthritis, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, migraine prevention, chronic low back pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, headache (tension type and chronic), and postoperative pain. There is about 38 conditions listed to have evidence of potential positive effect. These range from acute low back pain to anxiety to dry eyes to menopausal hot flashes ⁴ . If you are curious whether or not acupuncture can help your condition, I advise you to talk to a licensed acupuncturist and inquire.

Where To Find A Qualified Acupuncturist

All this sounds pretty good, right? So how do you go about finding an acupuncturist in your area? And how do you know if they treat what you’re experiencing? This guide will male it easy to find a qualified TCM doctor that can address all of your health-related needs.

Zhang, R., Lao, L., Ren, K., & Berman, B. M. (2014, February 1). Mechanisms of Acupuncture–Electroacupuncture on Persistent Pain. Retrieved from https://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/article.aspx?articleid=1917956
Callison, M. (2019). Sports Medicine Acupuncture.
Wong, M.C., Shen, H.J., (2010). Science-based Mechanisms to Explain the Mechanism of Acupuncture. Journal of the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 17(2).
Acupuncture: An Overview of Scientific Evidence. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/acupuncture-scientific-evidence/