DEBUNKING 3 MYTHS ABOUT MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE: DOES IT REALLY WORK?

Since its invention in ancient China more than 2,000 years ago1, acupuncture has been used to treat pain and promote healing. It has evolved over the centuries and is now widely used in modern medicine. Despite it’s increasing popularity, many myths and misconceptions still surround it with a misunderstanding of the differences between traditional Chinese acupuncture and medical acupuncture. In this post, we will discuss three common myths that people believe about acupuncture that could be preventing them from accessing the treatment that they need. 

TRADITIONAL VS MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture dates back over 2000 years to ancient China and is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It was used for a wide range of conditions and was originally believed to balance the body’s energy, known as Qi (pronounced "chee"), by stimulating points along energy pathways with fine needles. 

Traditional acupuncture is based on the principles of TCM. Practitioners aim to restore balance through the insertion of needles. This is a practice that is still widely practiced today, including among some healthcare professionals.

Medical acupuncture is an adaptation of traditional acupuncture and has grown in popularity since the 1970’s. It has a modern, evidence-based approach grounded in western medical knowledge and works on the principles of stimulating the nervous system, muscles and tissues to promote healing. Where traditional acupuncture focuses on energy, medical acupuncture is more closely tied to anatomy and physiology. 

MYTH 1 - "ACUPUNCTURE IS PURELY A TRADITIONAL CHINESE SPIRITUAL PRACTICE"

Many people believe acupuncture is solely a spiritual or mystical practice based on ancient beliefs with little or no grounding in science and modern medicine.

While acupuncture did originate in ancient China, its modern practice, especially medical acupuncture, is rooted in scientific principles. As scientific discoveries have occurred in recent years, such as the discovery of neurotransmitters (chemicals which carry messages between neurons) and neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to change and adapt), a new understanding of the mechanisms of acupuncture has developed under the term Medical Acupuncture2. So rather than talking about energy balances, a medical acupuncturist will explain the benefits of acupuncture at a physiological and anatomical level and use acupuncture for pain relief, muscle recovery, and various other health concerns, separating it from its ancient spiritual roots.

Some people may still say that because it has origins in a spiritual practice, it has no place in modern medicine; however, there are many other treatments that are widely used today in western medicine that have origins and beliefs far from our current scientific understanding. We know for example that stretching is good for our muscles and joints and is frequently used to treat injuries and pain, such as lower back pain, even though many popular stretching methods initially came from yoga, which also has a spiritual origin that dates back 5000 years to northern India. Another example would be deep breathing exercises to reduce stress and anxiety, they have been proven to effect the autonomic nervous system3  (the bodies automatic control system, including breathing, heart rate and digestion); however, the origins of this come from ancient Hindu, Buddhist and Yoga practices. 

MYTH 2 - "THERE IS NO EVIDENCE FOR ACUPUNCTURE"

Some people hold the misunderstanding that acupuncture lacks significant scientific evidence however since the 1970’s there has been a growing body of evidence supporting acupuncture's efficacy. Studies have shown it can be effective for pain management, headaches, and stress relief. Organisations like the World Health Organisation (WHO)4 and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)5  recognise acupuncture as a treatment option for certain conditions. The evidence base is growing fast every year, with the quality of the evidence improving6. To have a more thorough look into research about acupuncture, click here. At Choose Health, we are committed to only providing treatment that is evidence-based, so if you have any treatment with us, you can be confident that it is based on scientific research.

MYTH 3 - "IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD"

Some people believe that any benefits from acupuncture are purely psychological (from the mind), suggesting it’s a placebo effect.

Science has demonstrated that acupuncture stimulates physiological changes in the body. When needles are inserted, they activate the nervous system, which can release endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers), improve circulation, and reduce inflammation7. These real, measurable responses show that the benefits of acupuncture go beyond psychological effects. Many studies show that acupuncture has a beneficial effect when compared to placebo or sham acupuncture treatments.

CONCLUSION

If you are asking these questions about acupuncture, we believe you are asking the right ones. By understanding the differences between the two forms of acupuncture and debunking common myths and misconceptions, people can make more informed decisions about their health and treatment options. If you’re curious about acupuncture or would like to discuss if it would be an appropriate treatment option for you please contact us or book an appointment here. At Choose Health all of our acupuncturists are trained in medical acupuncture by an accredited training provider and base their approach on the latest scientific research. 

Acupuncture, whether traditional or medical, has advanced significantly since its inception in ancient China. While I believe it is crucial to read up on and understand the science and research behind acupuncture, I also think that traditional acupuncturists should be respected and valued. Even though their approaches may differ, I recognise that many traditional practitioners achieve excellent results for their patients and make a big impact in the lives of those they help. It’s clear that without traditional acupuncturists, we wouldn’t have the understanding, research base, or widespread acceptance that acupuncture enjoys today.

REFERENCES

1. Edward S. Yang, Pei-Wen Li, Bernd Nilius, and Geng Li (2011)Ancient Chinese medicine and mechanistic evidence of acupuncture physiology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3192271/ 

2. Adrian White and Editorial Board of Acupuncture in Medicine (2009) Western medical acupuncture: a definition Vol 27 No 1 pg 33 https://www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk/Portals/0/BMAS%20files/MD%20files/Acupunct%20Med-2009-White-33-5.pdf?ver=2021-06-23-153734-817 

3. Tanya G. K. Bentley, Gina D’Andrea-Penna, Marina Rakic, Nick Arce, Michelle LaFaille, Rachel Berman, Katie Cooley, and Preston Sprimont (2023) Breathing Practices for Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Conceptual Framework of Implementation Guidelines Based on a Systematic Review of the Published Literature. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10741869/# 

4. World Health Organisation (2003) Acupuncture review and analysis of reports on controlled clinical trials https://iama.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/acupuncture_WHO_full_report.pdf 

5. National Institute for Health and Care and Excellence (NICE) (2021) Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s: assessment of all chronic pain and management of chronic primary pain https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193/chapter/Recommendations#assessing-all-types-of-chronic-pain-chronic-primary-pain-chronic-secondary-pain-or-both NICE

6. Evidence-based acupuncture https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/ 

7. Ningcen Li, Yi Guo, Yinan Gong, Yue Zhang, Wen Fan, Kaifang Yao, Zhihan Chen, Baomin Dou, Xiaowei Lin, Bo Chen, Zelin Chen, Zhifang Xu, and Zhongxi Lyu (2021) The Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Mechanisms of Acupuncture from Acupoint to Target Organs via Neuro-Immune Regulation. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8710088/