Acupuncture is one of the world’s most ancient forms of treatment. These treatments have been successfully used to treat arthritis, anxiety, inflammation, and a wide variety of other conditions. Today, acupuncture is still used to relieve pain and improve health. The science behind acupuncture supports what world cultures have believed about acupuncture for thousands of years before this: it works! Modern research supports the theories behind acupuncture as an effective way of reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and improving health. How does acupuncture work, and why does it have so many health benefits? Here’s what you should know about the science behind acupuncture.

The Science Behind Acupuncture: How It Works to Relieve Pain and Improve Health

An Introduction to Acupuncture

Acupuncture is based on pressure points. Thin needles are introduced safely and painlessly into these pressure points. The use of these acupuncture points can:

• Improve blood flow
• Relax direct muscle tension
• Reduce inflammation and pain conditions
• Promote the body’s nerve responses

Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine. However, modern science increasingly aligns with what these traditional masters have thought acupuncture to do.

Modern studies show that acupuncture can have profound health benefits and that acupuncture is an effective way to treat chronic conditions along with relieving acute conditions as well.

Finding an Acupuncture Professional

Acupuncture requires formal training, certification from a registered institution, and usually registration as a qualified professional to perform acupuncture treatment.

If you are looking for an acupuncture professional, ensure they match all your state’s requirements. This way, you know you’re dealing with a trained professional. An inexperienced or untrained practitioner could do more harm than good, like in any medical field.

The Science Behind Acupuncture

Science supports the claimed benefits of acupuncture. This includes its treatment for inflammation and pain and its long-term health and immune system benefits.

Acupuncture improves blood flow and works on direct pressure points to relieve pain. About eighty percent of acupuncture points correspond to the location of connective tissue.

When an acupuncturist inserts needles, it signals to the connective tissue. The signal converts into a chemical reaction. This is done by working on muscle pressures and internal nerve points.

A couple hundred years ago, acupuncture entered the public eye. Today, many people are familiar with the benefits of acupuncture, and there has been more time to study and analyze how it works.

Why Acupuncture Works for Pain Relief and Muscle Tension

A massage can release trapped salts and other chemicals in the muscles, which cause pain and inflammation over time as they build up in the tissues. Pain relief and muscle tension are common concerns for people who book acupuncture sessions — and acupuncture works for similar reasons.

Acupuncture is effective because it applies direct, targeted pressure to nerves and muscles. This can help to relieve some of what’s trapped in a tense muscle and directly impacts the nerve to:

• Reduce pain
• Inflammation
• Swelling

How Acupuncture Uses Pressure Points

Acupuncture uses pressure points to impact the body’s response to inflammation and pain. The body’s pressure points can impact nerve responses, immune reactions, and current tension and inflammation.

Explore the Science Behind Acupuncture

Acupuncture can effectively promote blood flow. The pressure points that might affect blood flow to specific body areas are targeted when receiving acupuncture. Adequate blood flow reduces pain, lightens inflammation, and supports better overall health. Regular acupuncture sessions can carry this benefit to your long-term health.

Like muscle tension, inadequate blood flow can significantly impact inflammation and pain in specific body areas. Acupuncture treatments can reduce the amount of pain and inflammation that the patient has to deal with.

Releasing the Brain’s “Happy Chemicals”

Acupuncture can also be used in successful treatment for anxiety-based conditions or insomnia, often because there’s a direct link between pressure relief and pain.

An acupuncture session can also help the brain release dopamine and serotonin, the chemicals that promote happiness and better sleep. You can enjoy the benefits of acupuncture without the side effects you may experience with medication.

There’s a good reason why people feel better after an acupuncture session.

About Farrah Hamraie

Farrah Hamraie, L.Ac, MOM, Dipl.OM (NCCAOM), is licensed and board-certified in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in the State of Texas with a Master of Oriental Medicine from the Dallas College of Oriental Medicine.

She is also a Diplomat of NCCAOM (the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), a Board Certified Acupuncturist, a Chinese Herbalist, and a member of the American Association of Oriental Medicine.