Acupuncture Evidence

Acupuncture has a rapidly growing evidence base, and this base is one of the fastest growing of any healthcare system.

Over the last few decades the approach to understanding the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture has become increasingly more organised and scientific. For instance, we are now able to measure changes in brain activity during acupuncture by using fMRI scanning technology. Also, there have been a number of large scale acupuncture studies that have cast a positive light on acupuncture.

In April 2021, the National Institute for Health and care excellence (NICE) added acupuncture to its recommendations in the treatment of chronic pain. This decision by NICE shows the recognition within conventional medicine that only confirms the reality that we see in clinic on a daily basis.

Spod Dutton is a founding director of ACU-Track, an organisation striving to generate and disseminate increasingly more acupuncture research.