How Acupuncture Works: It’s Science

Many people think acupuncture works by some strange combination of mysticism and the placebo effect. That’s simply not true. 

Even though acupuncture was developed long before modern medicine, in China five thousand years ago, it has been proven again and again to have real positive effects on physical and mental ailments.

The mysterious explanation

You may have heard the word “chi” or “qi” (which means “life force”) in connection with acupuncture. The more mystical way of explaining acupuncture’s ability to clear systemic health issues involves maximizing energy flow. Those who believe this say that insertion of needles along energy pathways clears blocked flow and reinvigorates the life force. 

But that theory was developed before it was possible to fully understand just what acupuncture does, scientifically.

How it really works

Put simply, acupuncture optimizes systems by leveraging the nervous system and local tissue response.  

By inserting needles in very specific points in the body, often where fascia and muscle tissue overlap, an acupuncturist accesses the underlying neurovascular structure, which can interrupt a pain signal. That interruption triggers a reset signal that can restore proper communication between the nervous system and the affected area. Acupuncture can also activate an endorphin release that soothes pain.

Because acupuncture is about regulation of nerve function, it can heal a wide variety of health issues, including lower back pain, anxiety, headaches, arthritis, and even many of the symptoms associated with perimenopause. 

We at Peninsula Acupuncture, the best alternative health care providers in the Mountain View, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale, CA, area, embrace the science behind acupuncture. 

Our work revolves around developing a full understanding of patients’ ailments, mapping the body to determine the best ways to alleviate their suffering, and treating them over a short series of sessions. Most clients find that their pain is significantly reduced or eliminated completely after we work together. The science sees to that.