Acupuncture and the Endorphins

Abstract

Reviews research conducted in the Eastern and Western countries on acupuncture. Experiments concerning the effects of electroacupuncture hypalgesia (EAH) are examined to determine the effectiveness and the mechanisms of EAH. It was found that true acupuncture produces EAH and that it is not a placebo effect. It is proposed that needling stimulates peripheral nerves that send messages to the brain to release endorphins, which block nociception. Two separate endorphinergic pathways are proposed for EAH, one using endorphin as a hormone from the pituitary and another using endorphin as a neurotransmitter in the midbrain. Evidence for this hypothesis and the neural pathways are discussed. It is concluded that while endorphins may explain the pain-relieving features of acupuncture, additional studies are needed to explore other affects attributed to acupuncture. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)