Acupuncture is a therapeutic method based on Chinese medicine, with a history that begins 4,000 years ago in China and 160 years ago in Europe.
The expansion of its use as an alternative form of treatment for managing chronic pain in recent years is mainly due to scientific progress, which clarified its mechanism of action, freed it from religious superstitions and beliefs, and partially confirmed its effectiveness.
In acupuncture, single-use stainless-steel needles are used. They are inserted into specific points of the body with the aim of stimulating the so-called meridians.
How does acupuncture work?
It is considered that the insertion of the needle into the skin causes a small, short-duration local inflammatory reaction. This reaction in turn triggers activation of the body’s endogenous analgesic mechanisms.
This response, however, may be able to cover an area larger than that of the needle’s entry point, thereby relieving pain caused by dysfunction of tissues or organs adjacent to the entry point.
Finally, it has been confirmed that the insertion of the needle into the skin triggers the release of the so-called endorphins by the body—substances with strong analgesic action produced by the brain and spinal cord whenever the body experiences a painful stimulus, and which have a more general effect on the perception of pain.
The effectiveness of acupuncture is also confirmed by the fact that major universities and research centers around the world invest in studies regarding the full elucidation of its mechanism of action, as well as by the fact that it is the only alternative therapy method applied even in public hospitals in many countries.
This fact, combined with its overall safety regarding the likelihood of complications or side effects and the possibility of combining this alternative form of therapy with more widely accepted medical techniques and pain-management methods, makes acupuncture a now-accepted method, in contrast to other less scientifically documented methods such as chiropractic, herbal medicine/aromatherapy, and Reiki.
In any case, whichever alternative method the patient chooses, it is important that it be carried out with the knowledge of the treating doctor and that no important information is concealed that may jeopardize the effectiveness of conventional treatments or even the patient’s health. For example, some of the herbs used in herbal therapy may interact with or interfere with the action of prescribed medications.
