Acupuncture creates balance in the body while promoting optimal functioning amongst systems. It stimulates the body’s natural and innate ability to heal itself. The action of needling works to recalibrate the primary Central Nervous System (CNS), helping the body to get back into regulation.
Regular acupuncture leads to better health through this regulation of the nervous system. When the nervous system is in balance, it helps reduce pain and inflammation as well as improves sleep, digestion, stress response, and mental wellness.
The anatomical regions where acupuncture points and meridians are located are also areas where there are groupings of mast cells – which play a key role in a healthy immune system, networks of nerves, and the channels of the lymphatic system. These overlapping grids and patterns contain complex neurochemical triggers that affect the nervous system, the immune system, the endocrine system, and the inflammatory process. Acupuncture helps to improve circulation in all of these systems and pathways.
Throughout the body, there are roughly 85 billion to 17 trillion synapses firing per second. This means the body is in constant communication with itself, with tons of information and stimuli moving through the body in a short amount of time. Signals can get lost and biological pathways disrupted.
Acupuncture redirects and focuses the brain’s activity by giving it specific and coordinated signals dependent on what needs to be addressed. It has been shown to change functional connectivity. Ultimately the goal is to train the brain to regulate on its own allowing for a dynamic form of healing.
Needling these various landmarks and points activates self healing mechanisms such as restoring homeostasis, anti-inflammatory reactions, and tissue regeneration. If there is a problem of blood flow to an area, then disease will ensue. The action of needling causes blood vessels to dilate which explains some of the mechanisms of circulation enhancement. One theory is that the promotion of circulation influences the immune system through stimulation of T cells. This encourages the production of red blood cells and white blood cells which helps protect individuals from colds, flus, and other viruses. In cases of fertility and gynecological situations, acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterus, reduces stress hormones, and releases neurotransmitters that rebalance hormone levels.