Acupuncture (cont.)
Does Acupuncture work?
According to the NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, there have been many studies on
acupuncture's potential usefulness, but results have been mixed because of complexities with
study design and size, as well as difficulties with choosing and using placebos or sham
acupuncture. However, promising results have emerged, showing efficacy of acupuncture, for
example, in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative
dental pain. There are other situations--such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache,
menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low-back pain,
carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma--in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct
treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program.
A study recently showed that acupuncture provides pain relief, improves function for people with
osteoarthritis of the knee, and serves as an effective complement to standard care. Further
research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful.
NIH has funded a variety of research projects on acupuncture. These grants have been funded
by NCCAM, its predecessor the Office of Alternative Medicine, and other NIH institutes and
centers.
How might acupuncture work?
Acupuncture is one of the key components of the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and
inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang
represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that
health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an
internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital
energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and
8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human
body that connect with them.
Preclinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully
explain how acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine that is
commonly practiced in the United States. It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects
through regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such
as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have
shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters
and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to
sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate
a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature. Ongoing research in these areas
continues to inform us of exciting possibilities for healing.
According to the NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, there have been many studies on
acupuncture's potential usefulness, but results have been mixed because of complexities with
study design and size, as well as difficulties with choosing and using placebos or sham
acupuncture. However, promising results have emerged, showing efficacy of acupuncture, for
example, in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative
dental pain. There are other situations--such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache,
menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low-back pain,
carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma--in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct
treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program.
A study recently showed that acupuncture provides pain relief, improves function for people with
osteoarthritis of the knee, and serves as an effective complement to standard care. Further
research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful.
NIH has funded a variety of research projects on acupuncture. These grants have been funded
by NCCAM, its predecessor the Office of Alternative Medicine, and other NIH institutes and
centers.
- Visit the NCCAM Web site, or call the NCCAM Clearinghouse for more information on
scientific findings about acupuncture.
- Read the NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, to learn what scientific experts have
said about the use and effectiveness of acupuncture for a variety of conditions.
How might acupuncture work?
Acupuncture is one of the key components of the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and
inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang
represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that
health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an
internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital
energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and
8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human
body that connect with them.
Preclinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully
explain how acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine that is
commonly practiced in the United States. It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects
through regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such
as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have
shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters
and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to
sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate
a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature. Ongoing research in these areas
continues to inform us of exciting possibilities for healing.
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