Additionally, other studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neuro-hormones thus affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person’s blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.
The physiologic mechanisms found in this study included: Neurochemical gate theory, autonomic regulation, activation of the descending anti-nociceptive pathway to release endogenous opioids (beta-endorphins, enkephalins, dynorphins, serotonin) to deactivate the ascending nociceptive pain pathway.
None of the studies reviewed proposed that the neurochemical effects are dependent on point selection or stimulation methods. This suggests that acupuncture simply stimulates self-regulatory processes, which may explain acupuncture’s reported benefits in so many disparate pathologic conditions.
