Why choose acupuncture for pain treatment?

A large clinical studies published on JAMA involving 17,922 patients have conclude that ‘Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable referral option.’

How does Acupuncture work?

Mechanisms behind Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been studied from a number of different perspectives, and research suggests that its effects are unlikely to come from a single mechanism. Instead, acupuncture may influence several interconnected systems involved in pain perception, nervous-system regulation and the way the brain responds to pain.

Natural pain-relieving pathways.
Acupuncture stimulation may activate the body’s own pain-modulating systems. Research has shown changes involving naturally occurring chemicals such as endorphins and enkephalins, as well as neurotransmitters including serotonin. These substances are involved in how pain signals are processed and may help explain why acupuncture can provide relief for some people experiencing headaches and migraines.

Changes in brain activity and pain processing.
Neuro-imaging research provides another interesting perspective. Functional MRI (fMRI) studies have identified changes in activity within brain regions involved in pain perception and regulation following acupuncture. A 2023 meta-analysis examining people with migraine reported altered activity in several areas of the brain, including the angular gyrus and superior frontal regions. These findings suggest that acupuncture may influence the neurological networks involved in migraine and pain processing.

Cellular energy and metabolic changes.
More recent research is investigating acupuncture at a metabolic level. A 2025 metabolomics study reported differences in metabolic pathways following acupuncture at genuine acupuncture points, including pathways related to glycolysis and mitochondrial function. Changes were observed in metabolites such as pyruvic acid, lactic acid and citrate.

Although this is an emerging area of research, these findings raise the possibility that acupuncture may influence cellular energy metabolism associated with migraine. Further research is needed to establish the clinical significance of these changes.

Regulation of the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system controls many processes that occur automatically, including heart rate, digestion and vascular function. Its two major branches—the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems—continually work together to maintain physiological balance.

Research has explored whether acupuncture can influence this regulation. A 2022 review reported evidence that acupuncture may modulate autonomic nervous system activity. This is potentially relevant to migraine because autonomic dysfunction has been observed in some people with migraine and may interact with mechanisms involved in headache symptoms.

Bringing the Research Together

Current evidence suggests that acupuncture may influence pain through several overlapping biological pathways rather than one single mechanism. These include the body's natural pain-modulating chemicals, autonomic nervous-system activity, brain networks involved in pain processing and potentially cellular metabolic processes.

For people experiencing acute and or chronic pain, this provides a developing scientific framework for understanding how acupuncture may interact with the nervous system and the body's own mechanisms for regulating pain.

A very recent review published on European Society of Medicine 2026 have found acupuncture- ‘High to moderate certainty evidence supports acupuncture for a broad range of pain conditions’.

Research into the mechanisms of acupuncture is continuing, and individual responses to treatment vary.

Pain can affect your daily life, sleep, and overall wellbeing. Book a personalised session today!