Scientists have no real answer to this; as you know many of the workings of the body are still a mystery. There are a few prevailing theories: By some unknown process, Acupuncture raises levels of triglycerides, specific hormones, prostaglandins, white blood counts, gamma globulins, opsonins, and over-all antibody levels. This is called the "Augmentation of Immunity Theory".
The "Endorphin Theory" states that Acupuncture stimulates the secretion of endorphins in the body (specifically enkaphalins).
The "Neurotransmitter Theory" states that certain Neurotransmitter levels (such as serotonin and noradrenaline) are effected by Acupuncture.
The "Circulatory Theory" states that Acupuncture has the effect of constricting or dilating blood vessels.
And if all of that is far too scientific for you, let us give you the Oriental Medicine point of view:
Acupuncture takes away blockages and balances out deficiencies or excesses of the energy flow in the body which should be in balance to get the body and mind into a state of health, and to keep it there! Where there is balance, there is no pain and no dis-ease. Simple. Proven for at least 2500 years. That is when they started writing books about Acupuncture in China. After using it for possibly thousands of years before that.
Would it have survived until today if it didn't help? Would there still be Acupuncture clinics all over the Asian nations if there was no benefit?
It is still "controversial" to some people in the West. It is very hard to do scientific research and "proving" Acupuncture by them. The same is true for SURGERIES! Procedures that are being performed by MDs. It is very difficult to have conclusive scientific research for surgeries, since it depends so much on the level of skill and how the surgeon is performing the drudgery that day. Still millions of surgeries are taking place every day around the world. The scientific community has a hard time that "sham acupuncture" and "real acupuncture" have not strong enough different outcomes in studies. ACM believes that any time someone inserts a needle into a person something changes. It doesn't make such a difference if the exact acupuncture point has been hit, or a "sham" point. Any place on the body is an acupuncture point. It has been around for thousands of years. People (and animals, who do not believe in a placebo effect!) have been helped and rely on acupuncture for their medical care.
There are things that western medicine is much better at than any complementary medicine. We are trained in discerning when a patient should be referred to a Western Medical Dr., and we have been known to suspend treatment until the patient has been seen by an MD. And there are conditions that western medicine has not been very successful with. see the list of the WHO (World Health Organisation):
"3. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which there are only individual controlled trials reporting some therapeutic effects, but for which acupuncture is worth trying because treatment by conventional and other therapies is difficult:
Chloasma
Choroidopathy, central serous
Colour blindness
Deafness
Hypophrenia
Irritable colon syndrome
Neuropathic bladder in spinal cord injury
Pulmonary heart disease, chronic
Small airway obstruction"
This list only gives a short introduction to areas where the Western Medicine is stumped and acknowledge that trying acupuncture might be more helpful. I believe this list will get longer in the coming years, since acupuncture helps in many areas where Western Medicine is lacking by treating symptoms instead of looking for the source of the problem.
