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Acupuncture is evidence based

Acupuncture is part of a medical system that has been developed over 5,000 years.

And it’s continually evolving and advancing.

Today’s research continues to prove the far-reaching benefits of this ancient technology. No longer considered alternative medicine, acupuncture is integrating into the Western medical system, including hospitals, the military, and the VA. It is now one of the most widely recommended treatments by medical experts.

Effective pain relief

Research proves that acupuncture is more effective than morphine for acute pain.

It’s also faster-acting and poses no risk for dependency.

There is abundant research demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating pain:

  • In a survey of 89,000 people, 93% of patients reported that acupuncture had been successful in treating their musculoskeletal pain

  • In a study of 454,920 patients with chronic pain, including low back pain, headache, and osteoarthritis, effectiveness was rated as marked or moderate in 76% of cases

  • Research widely concludes that:

    Acupuncture is effective, safe, and cost-effective for treating several chronic pain conditions when performed by well-trained healthcare professionals.

Back pain

Long-lasting results. Without drugs.

A meta-analysis of 17,922 patients with chronic pain treated with acupuncture found that approximately 90% of the benefit of acupuncture was sustained at 12 months.

Another trial found that acupuncture offered in a group setting was effective in reducing pain severity, pain interference, and depression in patients with chronic pain, and benefit persisted throughout the 24-week follow up period despite no additional treatment.

Additional benefits

A treatment to reduce pain can also:

  • reduce anxiety and depression

  • resolve nausea and vomiting

  • facilitate restful sleep

  • increase a patient’s sense of well-being and desire to participate in their own recovery.

Acupuncture involves patient participation and a commitment to self-care. Increased self-efficacy in managing pain correlates with improved mood and predicts improved outcomes in many chronic conditions, including pain.

Powerful aid in substance abuse recovery

Acupuncture:

  • decreases the severity of withdrawal symptoms

  • reduces opioid cravings

  • promotes sleep

  • mitigates anxiety and depression.

Research concludes that integrating acupuncture into comprehensive recovery services favorably impacted treatment retention and completion as well as exerting favorable influences on morbidity and mortality of individuals in recovery from Opioid Use Disorder.

Animal studies reveal consistent results that acupuncture suppresses relapse to drug-seeking behavior.

Holding hands

How does it work?

A recent study explored how acupuncture helps treat addiction by restoring balance in the central nervous system. The findings suggest that acupuncture prevents drug relapse by promoting homeostasis and regulating neurotransmitters that influence addictive behaviors.

The study showed that acupuncture: 

  • normalizes hyper-reactive or hypoactive states of the mesolimbic dopamine system

  • enables the function of the brain reward pathway to return to its normal operating level

  • reduces craving and influences parts of the brain involved in drug craving such as the cingulate cortex and insula

  • influences parts of the brain involved in drug-seeking behavior such as the amygdala and hippocampus

  • activates β-endorphinergic neurons, which can in turn activate opioid receptors

  • can contribute to recovery of homeostasis by activating the adaptive control of the central nervous system 

Brain

Still curious to learn more?