Acupuncture Overview
Acupuncture is a treatment that uses very thin steel needles inserted into the skin to stimulate specific points in the body. The goal is to relieve a health condition or symptom, such as pain. It aims to balance the life forces known as Qi that are responsible for different health issues.
The practice comes from traditional Chinese medicine. Scientific studies have confirmed its effectiveness for some conditions.
Acupuncture can help relieve pain and treat a range of other complaints. However, the exact way in which it works remains unclear.
Some people believe it works by balancing vital energy, while others believe it has a neurological effect.
Acupuncture involves inserting needles into the body to stimulate sensory nerves in the skin and muscles. This may help treat chronic pain and other physical conditions. It has roots in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is now a common complementary treatment worldwide.
How does Acupuncture Work?
Chinese medicine calls the energy that flows through the body qi. Chinese medicine practitioners believe qi disruptions create imbalances in the body’s energy that lead to illness.
Some forms of acupuncture aim to rebalance qi with needles that touch acupuncture points (acupoints) throughout the body. There are hundreds of acupoints in the body along 14 major meridians, also called energy-carrying channels.
The needles stimulate the body’s existing systems to:
- React to an illness or symptom.
- Rebalance the body.
- Release natural chemicals, such as endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and neurotransmitters, chemicals that control nerve impulses.
TCM explains that health is the result of a harmonious balance of the complementary extremes of yin and yang of the life force known as Qi, pronounced “chi.” Advocates believe that illness is the consequence of an imbalance of these forces.
According to TCM, Qi flows through meridians, or pathways, in the human body. These meridians and energy flows are accessible through 361 acupuncture points in the body. Inserting needles into these points with appropriate combinations will bring the energy flow back into balance.
A 2017 review suggests that many acupuncture points are at sites where stimulation can affect the activity of multiple sensory neurons. These sites are also known as receptive fields.
The physical stimulation of needle insertion at these sites may affect pain processing in the central nervous system and muscles and increase blood flow to certain parts of the body.
A 2018 meta-analysis of acupuncture’s effect on chronic pain found that the practice can provide pain relief benefits distinguishable from placebo. However, the exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is not clear.
Benefits of Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a common complementary therapy that can help people manage many different conditions.
Benefits of acupuncture include the following:
- People can effectively combine acupuncture with other treatments.
- Effective acupuncture can help manage chronic pain, migraine and headaches.
- Acupuncture carries a low risk of side effects.
- It is a flexible form of treatment that can target numerous health concerns at once.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) advises people not to use acupuncture as a replacement for conventional medical help.
Types of Acupuncture
Acupuncturists who follow more traditional/ancient Chinese principles focus exclusively on directing the flow of qi (pronounced “chee”), or energy, through the body. Other practitioners apply Western medicine, using the needles to stimulate the body’s systems. Many acupuncturists use a combination of both approaches.
Another acupuncture approach treats myofascial pain. This common condition involves muscles and their connective tissue. When muscles are stressed, strained or injured, they often form trigger points, tight, painful knots. A trigger point in one muscle can create pain in a different area of the body (referred pain).
Acupuncturists can use trigger point therapy to ease myofascial pain. They stimulate certain points on the body to relieve the pain.
How does Acupuncture Feel Like?
Acupuncture is done using hair-thin needles. Most people report feeling minimal pain as the needle is inserted. The needle is inserted to a point that produces a sensation of pressure or ache.
Needles may be heated during the treatment or mild electric current may be applied to them. Some people report acupuncture makes them feel energized. Others say they feel relaxed.
Improper placement of the needle can cause pain during treatment. Needles must be sterilized to prevent infection. That is why it is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner. The FDA regulates acupuncture needles just as it does other medical devices under good manufacturing practices and single-use standards of sterility.
Instead of needles, other forms of stimulation are sometimes used over the acupuncture points, including:
- Friction
- Heat (moxibustion)
- Impulses of electromagnetic energy
- Pressure (acupressure)
- Suction (cupping)
Diseases Treated by Acupuncture
Acupuncture can treat many types of health issues. Most often, people use it to relieve chronic (long-term) pain, such as:
Other conditions acupuncture may help include:
Acupuncture Treatment
During the first appointment, the acupuncturist will talk to you about your condition. Then the provider will examine your body for areas that will react to acupuncture. An acupuncturist will examine a person and assess their condition, insert one or more thin, sterile needles, and offer advice.
The needles are sterile, disposable and as thin as a human hair. An acupuncturist inserts needles at various depths, from a fraction of an inch to a couple of inches. The needles stay in for a few minutes or as long as 20 minutes.
Individuals will typically sit or lie down during the procedure. The acupuncturist should use single-use, disposable, sterile needles. People may feel a very brief stinging or tingling sensation upon needle insertion.
They may then experience a dull ache at the base of the needle.
Typically, the needles will stay in place for 20–60 minutes, although this will vary depending on the procedure.
In some practices, the acupuncturist will sometimes heat needles after insertion.
The number of treatments a person will need depends on their individual case. Someone with a chronic condition may need one or two treatments per week over several months. An acute health issue typically improves after 8–12 sessions.
Acupuncture is a complementary therapy and should not take the place of doctor-recommended treatments.
Before undergoing acupuncture to treat chronic pain or other conditions, a person should seek advice from a primary care physician. In some U.S. states, acupuncturists themselves can be primary care physicians.
How Does Acupuncture Effects the Body
Acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous system. This, in turn, releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes may stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective treatment alone or in combination with conventional therapies to treat the following:
- Nausea caused by surgical anesthesia and cancer chemotherapy
- Dental pain after surgery
- Addiction
- Headaches
- Menstrual cramps
- Tennis elbow
- Fibromyalgia
- Myofascial pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Low back pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Asthma
It may also help with stroke rehabilitation.
Risks of Acupuncture
All therapies come with both risks and benefits. A person should always seek medical advice before undertaking any therapy.
Possible risks of acupuncture are the following:
- Bleeding, bruising, and soreness may occur at the insertion sites.
- Unsterilized needles may lead to infection.
- In rare cases, a needle may break and damage an internal organ.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates acupuncture needles as medical devices. Their manufacture and labeling need to meet certain standards. The needles must be sterile, nontoxic, and labeled “for one use only” by a licensed practitioner.
As with any complementary therapy, it is advisable to use acupuncture alongside conventional treatments in cases of chronic or severe conditions.
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