Acupuncture is part of a broad system of medicine conceived of in China, where it still features in mainstream healthcare, both as a stand-alone therapy and in combination with conventional western medicine. It takes a holistic view of the body, equating health with internal balance rather than simply the absence of disease.
While two people may both suffer from the same symptom, migraine for example, the underlying imbalance causing this expression of illness is unique to the individual. Consequently, diagnosis and treatments must take into account the whole person, treating not just the symptoms, but also their root cause.
Fundamental to this state of balance is to have highly oxygenated, nutrient rich blood, circulating unimpeded throughout the body. Where the flow is impeded or restricted, ill health will occur. This can take the form of musculoskeletal pain, internal issues such as digestive and menstrual problems and emotional disorders such as irritability and stress.
Acupuncture works to relieve pain, promote tissue repair, regulate nerves and hormones, and restore healthy blood flow throughout the body. In addition, needling of motor points (where the motor nerve joins the muscle) and trigger points (knots in the muscle) can restore muscles strength and correct length and function.
As interest in its therapeutic effects grows, more and more acupuncture research is being conducted, finding out how it works and which conditions it is most effective for treating. Please see the Acupuncture Research section below to find out more.
Acupuncture Research
- A 2025 review of acupuncture research “The state of evidence in acupuncture: A review of metaanalyses and systematic reviews of acupuncture evidence (update 2017–2022)” concluded that on examining all up to date research they explored evidence for 184 medical conditions. Of these, 10 supported evidence of positive effect: chronic pain, low-back pain, knee osteoarthritis, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), migraine, tension-type headache, cancer-related fatigue, menopausal symptoms, female infertility (additional to medical reproductive treatment), chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome in men. Another 82 medical conditions supported evidence of potential positive effect, while another 86 medical conditions SR/MA revealed unclear/insufficient evidence, and in another six medical conditions no evidence of effect/evidence of no effect was found. Compared with previous reviews until the year 2017, the number of medical conditions with higher quality evidence levels has increased, namely evidence of positive effect and evidence of potential positive effect.
- The Acupuncture Now Foundation provides comprehensive information about the current state of acupuncture research with supporting studies for its clinical effectiveness
- For more information on motor inhibition and it’s role in causing pain, dysfunction and preventing recovery from injury click here
- Dr Richard Teh-Fu Tan’s Balance Method is a style of acupuncture which is becoming increasingly popular due to its profound and instantaneous results with a variety of painful conditions. Click here for more details of this approach.
- The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) website contains a comprehensive summary of research into the use of acupuncture for a wide variety of conditions: BAcC Acupuncture Research