Study Suggests That Both Traditional and Simulated Acupuncture Relieve Pain but by Different Mechanisms

Although acupuncture has long been used to treat pain, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. The process appears to involve the brain’s ability to produce opioids (pain-reducing chemicals) that bind to neurons in distinct regions of the brain, and the ability of neurons to produce receptors for these endogenous opioids—specifically, mu-opioid receptors (MORs). Recent clinical trials have indicated that both traditional (actual) and simulated (sham/placebo) acupuncture decrease pain, but other studies have suggested that the neural mechanisms involved may be different.