Acupuncture Boosts Happy Brain Chemicals
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to address emotional disorders and practitioners from ancient times have recorded this clinical experience in ancient texts. In TCM we often refer to emotional disorders as “disharmonies” or “disturbances.” Practitioners of TCM use a holistic approach to understand the health of a person and consider aspects of the body, mind and soul - often relating an emotional disharmony to the energetic function of an organ. In order to properly treat a person’s “disharmony” or “disturbance” a proper TCM diagnosis must be made in order to prescribe the appropriate point prescription.
Modern science is interested in understanding how this medicine works from a western framework. To this end, there is modern evidence that acupuncture can stimulate the release of various neurotransmitters, such as endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine.
Endorphins are naturally occurring chemicals in the body that can help to reduce pain and promote feelings of well-being. Several studies have shown that acupuncture can stimulate the release of endorphins, which may contribute to its pain-relieving effects.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep. Research has shown that acupuncture can increase serotonin levels in the brain, which may help to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in motivation, reward, and pleasure. Some studies have found that acupuncture can increase dopamine release, which may contribute to its ability to reduce pain and improve mood.
Here are a few examples of the modern research:
A study published in the journal "Neuroscience Letters" in 2010 found that electroacupuncture stimulation increased the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region associated with reward and pleasure.
A 2017 review article published in the journal "Frontiers in Neuroscience" summarized several studies that showed acupuncture can modulate the levels of serotonin in the brain and increase its release.
Another study published in the journal "Neuroscience Letters" in 2013 found that acupuncture treatment increased the expression of serotonin receptors in the brainstem of rats.
A 2018 study published in the journal "Acupuncture in Medicine" found that acupuncture treatment increased the levels of both dopamine and serotonin in the serum of patients with depression.