Acupuncture motivates body’s regulatory system

Acupuncture is an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine that can be traced back to at least 2,500 years. It played a pivotal role in preventing and treating diseases.

By Dr Raman Kapur

Acupuncture is an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine that can be 

traced back to at least 2,500 years. It played a pivotal role in preventing and 

treating diseases. At present, acupuncture has seen a certain degree of application

in the world. As a nonspecific physical stimulation, acupuncture, unlike drugs, 

restores normal functions by motivating or inducing the inherent regulatory system

in the body, not directly acting on the pathogen. Thus, the effects of acupuncture

are not directly produced by acupuncture stimulation, but are mediated by various

regulatory systems in the body. This determines that the acupuncture effect 

regulates the body’s condition and has characteristics of whole regulation, 

dual directional regulation and more. 

Modern scientific researches have shown that the body’s inherent regulatory
system is neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) network, including the nervous system,
endocrine system and immune system, which is the biological basis to maintain
the body’s homeostasis. At present, some researches show acupuncture has a
certain modulatory effect on NEI network. The three systems coordinate with
each other, forming an organic network, which is the biological basis to maintain
the body’s homeostasis. In pathological conditions, the NEI network gets
remodelled and plays the role of self-regulation. The feeling during acupuncture
is de qi, a composite sensation of soreness, numbness, heaviness,
distension and aching, and a radiating sensation on and around the acupoints.
This is closely related to the nervous system. Studies have found that
acupuncture can activate the nervous system, causing changes of functional
activities and then play a modulatory role through the release of related
neurochemicals.

Acupuncture has an effect on neural activities too, with the main form
being electrical activities. Electrophysiological studies of neural activities
show that acupuncture stimulation can cause peripheral afferent nerve fibres to
be excited. On one hand, the excitement could be transmitted via spinal cord
to the brain, and after central integration, efferent nerves transfer information to
the target organs. On the other hand, the excitement could be transmitted
through axon reflex to target organs. 

In recent years, many studies of acupuncture effect on neural functional
activities have introduced advanced noninvasive neuroimaging technologies,
including positron emission tomography, single-proton emission computerised
tomography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. These make it
possible to visualise the anatomic and functional effects of acupuncture
stimulation in the brain. Studies have found that after inserting the needle
into the acupoint, traumatic inflammation occurs, activating the local
immunomodulation to the point. They also show that acupuncture gets
mast cells to gather in the acupoint, secreting bioactive substances.
These secretions caused vasodilatation and they increased local permeability
and local reaction.

As the body’s regulatory system, it manifests dual directional, divergent and 

polymerised characteristics during the progress of maintaining homeostasis.  

These are similar to the acupuncture’s features of whole regulation, and 

dual-directional regulation providing basis for the effect of acupuncture 

being achieved through its modulation of NEI network. This study was done

by SS Ding, SH Hong, C Wang, Y Guo, ZK Wang and Y Xu from the

College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin University of Traditional 

Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.

(The author is Head of the Department of Acupuncture, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, 
Delhi.)
Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2020/mar/29/acupuncture-motivates-bodys-regulatory-system-2121967.html