Acupuncture Side Effects

Scientific Researches on Acupunture

Scientific Validation :
There has been a lot of scientific research into acupuncture over the last 20 years. This is really contrary to the popular belief of acupuncture. The ancient principles which were hard to understand in those days have now been largely validated by scientific methods. Some of the scientific methods that validate acupuncture are Bio-energetic, Neurological, Chemical, Placebo effect. Bio-energetic is the method in which there is much evidence to show that the nature of Qi is electro-magnetic. Acupuncture points have a lower electro-magnetic potential, which can easily be demonstrated with a sensitive ohmmeter. Disturbances in bio-energy cause biochemical changes, which in turn cause anatomical changes in the body. Neurological method deals with nerves. Although meridians do not correlate with nerve or circulatory pathways, it has been shown that acupuncture has an inhibitory effect on nerve pain transmission. It also has a direct effect on parts of the brain by increasing the blood flow to the medulla, which relays pain message. Chemical method deals with various chemical reactions taking place inside the body. The body, in response to acupuncture stimulation, releases various chemical substances.

These include endorphins, bradykinins and prostaglandins. Endorphins are pain relieving and mood elevating and are probably responsible for the euphoria that is often experienced after a treatment. Bradykinins are also pain relieving, and prostaglandins have anti-inflammatory effects. Placebo effect is efficient method of scientific validation. Placebo effects are beneficial health outcomes not related to the relatively direct biological effects of an intervention and can be elicited by an agent that, by itself, is inert. Understanding these placebo effects will help to improve clinical trial design, especially for interventions such as surgery, CNS-active drugs and behavioral interventions which are often non-blinded. A literature review was performed to retrieve articles discussing placebo implications of clinical trials, the neurobiology of placebo effects and the implications of placebo effect for several disorders of neurological relevance. Recent research in placebo analgesia and other conditions has demonstrated that several neurotransmitter systems, such as opiate and dopamine, are involved with the placebo effect. Brain regions including anterior cingulated cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia have been activated following administration of placebo. A patient’s expectancy of improvement may influence outcomes as much as some active interventions and this effect may be greater for novel interventions and for procedures. Maximizing this expectancy effect is important for clinicians to optimize the health of their patient. There have been many relatively acute placebo studies that are now being extended into clinically relevant models of placebo effect. Proponents of acupuncture often argue that the benefits are all in the mind. The scientific term for this concept is the “placebo effect”. It is generally accepted that in any healing, the placebo or psychological effect accounts for about 30% of the benefit, and that one’s state of mind can affect the outcome of any treatment. Despite this benefit, one does not have to believe in acupuncture for it to work; notably, acupuncture works in children and animals, which are not subject to the preconceptions of the placebo effect. Acupuncture does not work any more effectively in one racial group compared to others, nor does it form part of any religion, Eastern or otherwise.