New Study Sheds Light On Why Acupuncture Works

Acupuncture is a traditional form of Chinese medicine that many turn to in an effort to cure hundreds of different ailments. Western medicine doctors often scorn the practice because there has not been any scientific proof to its benefits. The therapy involves hundreds of tiny needles inserted into the skin in various places throughout the body. Acupuncturists are trained in the art of placing the needles in the correct places to cure things like infertility, migraines, and chronic pain conditions.  A new study provides the physical evidence needed to prove the effectiveness of the treatment.

Dr. Maiken Nedergaard of the University of Rochester Medical University has published a study that provides the proof many skeptics need. Nedergaard and her team of researchers studied the effects of acupuncture in mice with paw discomfort. The researchers administered thirty minutes of acupuncture to those afflicted with the painful paws. Researchers noted the immediate area surrounding the needle puncture had 24 times the level of adenosine than the rest of the body and the mice experienced a reduction in paw pain. Adenosine is a natural chemical a body produces that acts as a numbing agent to nerves.

The researchers furthered their research by adding deoxycoformycin to the treatment regimen. Deoxycoformycin is a drug often prescribed to cancer patients that increases the body’s production of adenosine. The combination of the two treatment methods provided an extended amount of pain relief and nearly three times the normal amount of adenosine around the puncture mark. The study has been published in the Nature Neuroscience journal.