You Don’t Have to Believe in Ancient Healing, Just Science
Does acupuncture work? This article isn’t going to argue either way, but merely inform you of the theory behind how acupuncture supposedly works. When most of us think of acupuncture, we tend to imagine an ancient art of healing in which individuals along the line of mystics either channel their powers or perform a ritual taught to them by their grandmother and so on. But really, there is a science behind acupuncture and a perfectly logical explanation for how acupuncture works, or should work. In fact, in order to understand why some say acupuncture will work, all you need to do is have a very, very basic understanding of a small section of human biology, which will be explained below.
How Does Acupuncture Work? Meet the Nerve Cell
Nerve cells lie beneath the skin, monitoring pain and damage. When we feel pain or tension, it is the nerve cell informing the brain of activity along the effected area. This will prompt the body to rapidly repair that damaged area of skin. However, a nerve cell will not inform the brain of a strained muscle, for it is not the a nerve cell’s responsibility to do so. So while this allows the nerve cell to stay focused on any pain which may occur directly around the skin, a strained muscle may only be vaguely noticed, and the body will not be quickly prompted to take care of the muscle.
This means an individual with a strained muscle may feel that something is wrong, but be unable to pinpoint the source. Furthermore, this strained muscle may effect the general well-being of the effected individual. Because of the phantom pain or tension, their mental health may decline, or their physical health may be effected in other ways. Basically, a strained muscle can effect someone in a number of different ways, and if that person does not even realize they have a strained muscle, they will be unaware of why any of those related effects are occurring.
How Acupuncture Will Work to Undermine the Nerve Cell
We know that is acupuncture is to work, needles must be inserted into the skin. While these needles do not hurt and acupuncture is not meant to work by inflicting pain (that would go against what acupuncture is said to do), nerve cells are nonetheless stimulated by the needles. Therefore, acupuncture works by forcing the nerve cell to alert the brain that there is an issue in the surrounding area, though the skin is really fine. Thus, the body send assistance to the area penetrated by the acupuncture, and because there is no real work necessary around the skin, the body uses those already exerted forces to mend the strained muscle. Acupuncture works by tricking your body into healing itself.
WORKS CITED
Biology: Concepts & Connections + Masteringbiology. Benjamin-Cummings Pub, 2010. Print.