New research reveals the effects of acupuncture on the brain and could potentially provide an understanding of the complex mechanisms involved. Neuroscientists at the University of York and the Hull York Medical School in Great Britain showed acupuncture works by stimulating nerve structures in a study published in Brain Research. The study may help acupuncture gain wider acceptability in the West, where medical professionals have been slow to adopt it into modern health care.
Investigators used magnetic resonance imaging technology to compare brain scans of the subjects participating. Findings indicate pressure points can change the activity of specific neural structures. When a patient receives acupuncture treatment, tradition holds that a sensation called “deqi” can result. Scientific analysis shows “deqi” is associated with a deactivation of painlinked brain areas, according to the authors of the study.
