The Science of Acupuncture

Saugerties Wellness Center

The Science of Acupuncture
by: Ravi Ramaswami, M.D., C.Ac. and Charles LaBarre, L.Ac
(Saugerties Wellness Center's Acupuncturists)
Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese art of inserting needles in the skin to effect change - mainly relief of symptoms. (See related acupuncture articles at our web site). Acupuncture is said to balance qi ( pronounced "chee") which is an energy force or life force that is believed to circulate in the body through channels called "meridians". By placing needles strategically, qi blockage is relieved and qi flows harmoniously. How does all of this bear out scientifically? Are there any valid explanations or is this all just metaphysical myth?

Indeed, studies have shown that there are changes that happen when acupuncture is performed and there are changes that could happen as well. Here are some scientific facts to support this notion of energy movement with acupuncture. Some of the following are theories and some are studies actually performed. Though they do not write facts in stone (and coming to think of it, no studies do) these theories/studies do make one take notice of the fact that acupuncture is more than just quackery.

Radioactive tracer studies have suggested that acupuncture channels are distinct channels separate from blood vessels and lymphvessels.
Acupuncture points have different electrical resistance compared to surrounding tissue.
Conduction of electricity through acupuncture channels are faster than through the rest of the body.
An electric charge "started" at one acupuncture point can be "received" at a distant point on the same meridian.
Current always passes between two dissimilar objects if they touch each other. When a needle is inserted, a galvanic current is recordable. This is because of passage of current (electrons) from the metallic needle to the body soft tissues which are immersed in electrically charged ions. (This is how an electrocardiogram (EKG) is recordable--electrical signals from the heart transmitted to the skin surface).
The needle can also act as an antenna and draw electromagnetic energy and pass it into the tissue.
Thermocoupling can occur when two objects with different temperatures are brought close to each other e.g. a warm body and a colder needle.This leads to transfer of electrons and energy. When a series of needles are laid across the body especially along an acupuncture meridian, all this electron energy is transmitted along the path of the needles moving energy.
Acupuncture has been shown to make the brain release neuropeptides such as endorphin, enkephalin and serotonin - all helpful in pain control.
Another theory is that acupuncture needles "jam" the neuronal pathways and thereby prevent pain signals from reaching the brain.
Acupuncture needles by causing microscopic trauma also cause a "current of injury". This signal of injury activates the body's healing system.

How can putting needles on one part of the body affect an unrelated distant part of the body?

To answer that question one has to philosophise regarding the term "unrelated".

Hologram Theory:
If one considers the notion that life in the womb began with a single cell, then is there not a part in the whole and a whole in the part ? This is the hologram theory of acupuncture. (If one takes apart a holographic image, a fragment shows a representation of the whole image albeit a less detailed image). Hence every cell in the human body is embryologically related to every other cell and thereby has a mutually influential role.

Fractal Theory:
Fractals are patterns that are similar at all sizes. For example, a snowflake has the same hexagonal structure microscopically as the whole snowflake does. In other words, the whole structure (of the object) is composed of thousands of miniature versions (of the object). It has been postulated that the reason stimulation of acupuncture points cause an effect in remote parts of the body, is due to a fractal resonance.

Chaos Theory:
This is based on the premise that systems that seem chaotic and random actually have a deeper dynamical order describable by complex mathematical formulae. Chaotic systems can be "tamed" by identifying the multiple patterns that combine to cause the appearance of chaos and then adjusting or modifying one or more of them which can be done with very small inputs. Translating that for acupuncture: Acupuncture can be considered a series of small inputs that can influence a seemingly chaotic system i.e. the human body.

Neuropeptides:
It has been shown that the brain produces substances such as serotonin, enkephalins and endorphins. These help in pain relief. In fact, it has been shown that the effects of endorphins can be blocked by using a morphine antagonist. So in a sense, acupuncture makes the brain send natural body produced morphine like substances for pain relief!

The science of acupuncture is evolving with scientists and thinkers taking a renewed interest in this art, once considered quackery, but now a highly respected and intriguing modality of healing.

Please see related articles on acupuncture at our web site.

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