We have completed maintenance on DiscoverMagazine.com and action may be required on your account. Learn More

Does Acupuncture Really Work?

Here’s what science does (and doesn’t say) about how the ancient technique works to alleviate pain and other ailments.

By Jeanne Erdmann
Dec 21, 2020 10:00 PMDec 22, 2020 4:58 PM
acupuncture needles forehead - shutterstock
(Credit: Peakstock/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

When Helene Langevin was practicing medicine, many of her patients came to her for pain relief, and she had little to offer them. Curiosity led her to a nearby school for training in acupuncture.

A few years later, Langevin transitioned to full-time research and began to study how acupuncture needles react to connective tissue.

“I could feel with my hands that something was happening. I felt a resistance to the needle manipulation, and there was no explanation,” says Langevin, who’s now director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the National Institutes of Health.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.