Acupuncture may be used for its segmental, local and central effects on pain management. It is also used for the management of several other disorders that are not necessarily pain related, such as anxiety and insomnia. Several studies have shown that acupuncture stimulates one or more of the body’s signalling systems, which can increase the rate of healing. This may be sufficient to cure a disease, or it may alleviate some symptoms.
The main system in the body that is affected is the nervous system. The nervous system transmits signals and is connected to the hormonal system via the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis. Therefore, it can make connections to every cell and system of the body. Certain areas in the brain regulate the perception, transmission, and inhibition of pain. Using strong acupuncture points (found in the hands, face and feet) aimed at stimulating these areas can have a long lasting analgesic effect throughout the entire body.
The skin acts as a battery where outside is negative and inside is positive. Acupuncture points are more positive than the surrounding skin, therefore the insertion of a needle would short circuit this battery and generate a current of injury lasting for several days. Further electrical activity occurs due to ionic reactivity between the metal needle and body fluids and due to low-frequency pulses of electricity from twirling the needle.
Acupoints act as amplifiers of a current travelling along the perineural cells, which wrap around each and every nerve in the body. This generated electrical energy would flow along the nervous system to the brain and would be analogous to the QI described by classical acupuncture.
References:
Becker, R.O., Spadaro, J.A., Marino, A.A. (1977). Clinical experience with low intensity direct current stimulation of bone growth. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 124: 75 – 83
Bailey, S., (2018) Dry needling and traditional Chinese acupuncture.