Study maps effects of acupuncture on brain

Important new research about the effects of #acupuncture on the brain may provide an understanding of the complex mechanisms of acupuncture and could lead to a wider acceptability of the treatment.

The study, by researchers at the University of York and the Hull York Medical School, published in Brain Research, indicates that acupuncture has a significant effect on specific neural structures. When a patient receives acupuncture treatment, a sensation called "deqi" can be obtained. Scientific analysis shows that this deactivates areas within the brain that are associated with the processing of pain. These results provide objective scientific evidence that acupuncture has specific effects within the brain (source: Brain Research, Health Canal).