How Acupuncture Affects the Brain - fMRI Study Results
Author: University of York
Published: 2010/02/04 - Updated: 2026/02/14
Publication Type: Research, Study, Analysis
Category Topic: Chinese Medicine - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Brain Research, presents findings from a collaborative study led by the University of York and the Hull York Medical School examining how acupuncture affects specific neural structures. Using fMRI imaging, the researchers found that the deqi sensation produced during acupuncture treatment deactivates areas of the brain associated with pain processing, providing measurable scientific evidence for a mechanism behind acupuncture's therapeutic effects. The study is particularly relevant for individuals living with chronic pain conditions, including lower back pain, migraines, and osteoarthritis, as well as those managing depression or irritable bowel syndrome - conditions for which acupuncture is actively being trialed. For people with disabilities and seniors who often rely on diverse pain management strategies, this kind of neuroimaging evidence is valuable because it moves acupuncture beyond anecdotal support and into the realm of objective, reproducible science - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
Effects of Acupuncture on the Brain
Important new research about the effects of acupuncture on the brain may provide an understanding of the complex mechanisms of acupuncture and could lead to a wider acceptability of the treatment.
The study, by researchers at the University of York and the Hull York Medical School published in Brain Research, indicates that acupuncture has a significant effect on specific neural structures. When a patient receives acupuncture treatment, a sensation called deqi can be obtained; scientific analysis shows that this deactivates areas within the brain that are associated with the processing of pain.
Main Content
Dr Hugh MacPherson, of the Complementary Medicine Research Group in the University's Department of Health Sciences, says:
"These results provide objective scientific evidence that acupuncture has specific effects within the brain which hopefully will lead to a better understanding of how acupuncture works."
Neuroscientist Dr Aziz Asghar, of the York Neuroimaging Center and the Hull York Medical School, adds:
"The results are fascinating. Whether such brain deactivations constitute a mechanism which underlies or contributes to the therapeutic effect of acupuncture is an intriguing possibility which requires further research."
Last summer, following research conducted in York, acupuncture was recommended for the first time by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a treatment option for NHS patients with lower back pain. NICE guidelines now state that GPs should 'consider offering a course of acupuncture comprising a maximum of 10 sessions over a period of up to 12 weeks' for patients with this common condition.
Current clinical trials at the University of York are investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and for depression. Recent studies in the US have also shown that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for migraines and osteoarthritis of the knee.
The York team believe that the new research could help to clear the way for acupuncture to be more broadly accepted as a treatment option on the NHS for a number of medical conditions.
The paper 'Acupuncture needling sensation: The neural correlates of deqi using fMRI', Asghar, A.U.R., et al. The research also involved scientists at University College London and the University of Southampton.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: What makes this University of York study noteworthy is not simply that acupuncture appeared to do something in the brain - it is that researchers were able to pinpoint exactly where and how. By using fMRI to document the deactivation of pain-processing regions during the deqi response, the team provided one of the clearer scientific windows into a practice that has been used for thousands of years yet often dismissed by Western medicine for lack of hard evidence. The fact that NICE subsequently recommended acupuncture as a treatment option for NHS patients with lower back pain suggests the clinical world is paying attention. For the millions of people managing chronic pain, neurological conditions, or mobility-related disabilities, studies like this one matter because they bring a long-standing alternative therapy closer to mainstream medical credibility - and with it, broader access through public health systems - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by University of York and published on 2010/02/04, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.