How Acupuncture Works From the Perspective of Western Medicine

Releasing natural painkillers
One theory is that acupuncture stimulates the release of the body's own painkillers, such as endorphins.

Putting up a roadblock
The "gate control theory" posits that acupuncture may activate peripheral nerves to shut the "gate" on pain signals traveling through the spinal cord. The idea of interrupting pain signals is also the basis for another alternative therapy—transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

"The gate control theory of pain is one of the predominant theories of pain right now," says John Lefebvre, PhD, a professor of psychology at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. "If you can shut the gates down, you can eliminate the pain. Acupuncture seems to close the gates most of the way."

Helping the brain take control
For other scientists, acupuncture's effects may be, at least in part, connected to patients' beliefs. Some research has indicated that patients' expectations of the benefits plays a role in their experience. "This is at some level getting at the placebo response," says Sean Mackey, MD, chief of the pain management division at Stanford University School of Medicine, in Palo Alto, Calif. "I don't want to suggest that we view acupuncture as a kind of voodoo magic. There's clearly something going on, we're still trying to understand it. I believe there is a large central—i.e., brain-related—component to this, and for some people it can be very effective."

Lead writer: Suzanne Levy
Last Updated: April 19, 2008