How does acupuncture works?

Within conventional medicine, there is no explanation for how acupuncture works. Some of the prevalent hypotheses include: counter-irritation, endorphin release, gate theory, and placebo.

The Chinese medicine hypothesis behind acupuncture working is based on the dynamic balance of yin and yang. Imbalance equals illness, while balance equals health. All negative and positive health symptoms experienced in life are the work outcome of the balanced, or imbalanced, yin-yang energies.

In effect, acupuncture insertions are thought to be like turning Yin and Yang switches on or off throughout the body to illicit a net physiological change.

William quotes, incorrectly I might add, numbers from a recent German study of acupuncture. What he leaves out is that both "sham" and "real" acupuncture worked almost 2x's better than conventional treatment.

He also completely fails to mention the ongoing debate of developing a true placebo for manual therapies. In order to develop a true placebo one must first know the active agent/mechanism behind the changes that are occurring. In truth, we do not know what the "active ingredient" is in acupuncture. Without this we cannot know what is truly "sham" and what is "real" acupuncture. They might both be triggering the active agent.

Acupuncture (from Lat. acus, "needle", and pungere, "prick") or in Standard Mandarin, zhe-n bia-n (a related word, zhe-n jiu, refers to acupuncture together with moxibustion) is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine filiform needles into specific points on the body with the aim of relieving pain and for therapeutic purposes. According to acupuncture theory, these acupuncture points lie along meridians along which qi, a kind of vital energy, is said to flow. There is no generally-accepted anatomical or histological basis for these concepts, and modern acupuncturists tend to view them in functional rather than structural terms, (viz. as a useful metaphor in guiding evaluation and care of patients). Acupuncture is thought to have originated in China and is most commonly associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Different types of acupuncture (Classical Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Korean acupuncture) are practiced and taught throughout the world.

While acupuncture has been a subject of active scientific research since the late 20th century, its effects are not well-understood, and it remains controversial among researchers and clinicians. The body of evidence remains inconclusive but is active and growing, and a 2007 review by Edzard Ernst and colleagues finds that the "emerging clinical evidence seems to imply that acupuncture is effective for some but not all conditions".

As far as observable effects, acupuncture doesn't work at all. In a recent test done in Germany 42 percent of patients reported relief of back pain with "real" acupuncture, however 43 percent of patients reported relief of back pain with fake acupuncture (inserting needles in the back randomly.) This means that it is only a placebo.

The body has many 'meridians' which are channels of energy or 'CHI'. ....In Ayurveda they are called 'Nadi' which is also the word for 'river' in most of India. They become blocked due to improper care of the body and this causes illnesses.
In ancient tomes it was discovered in India and then brought to China that pressure and puncture could unblock the channels and help to establish health again. The discoverers were wise. You can read a book or website for more.

Hello Nagarajan,

Vivin's answer above is a great definition of acupuncture in response to your question. Acupuncture is very effective at times. However, if you find types alternative healing such as acupuncture fascinating, then you might like other alternative medicine solutions as well. I would highly recommend http://www.doingverywell.com if you indeed to have an interest in alternative medicine.