While acupuncture has been demonstrated to be useful in pain management, there is no single unifying explanation for how it works, according to an Atlantic report.
Some possible explanations of the success of acupuncture include:
- Pain is transmitted through small nerve fibers from the skin through the spinal cord on up to the brain, and acupuncture essentially "gates" a pain signal from being set off.
- Acupuncture stimulates production of endorphins that reduce pain.
- The needles stimulate the skin's connection to internal organs through the viscero-cutaneous reflex.
- The simple presence of human touch may have a lot to do with its success.
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