Do you suffer from chronic pain ? Maybe acupuncture is just what the doctor ordered. Millions of people say that acupuncture has alleviated their suffering and boosted their bodies, but others insist that it's more rooted in belief than scientific fact. Is acupuncture really the cure for what ails you, or does it only turn you into a human pincushion ?
In spite of a great deal of excellent research designed to answer this question, as yet there are no good, clear, simple answers available. There are, however, a variety of theories that attempt to explain the mechanism of acupuncture. Pain is the area in which most research has been completed, and therefore most of the theories about the mechanism of acupuncture are related to the use of acupuncture in diseases of pain.
The growing level of drug addiction in the West has provided a great stimulus for research into the mechanism of morphine action and addiction. Morphine like substances have recently been discovered in the central nervous system. These substances are called endorphins, or naturally-occurring morphines, and they have been found to be very effective in blocking pain. Endorphins are released into the nervous system by the action of acupuncture and the effects of acupuncture anaesthesia can be reversed by the use of anti morphine drugs.
