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For the Western mind, acupuncture is understood as a neurophysiological process rather than an energy-based one, where thin needles stimulate sensory nerves, connective tissue, and muscles . This stimulation triggers the central nervous system to release endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, which reduce pain, decrease inflammation, and balance hormones.

Key scientific mechanisms include:

• Neurotransmitter Release: Needles signal the brain to release natural painkillers (endorphins) and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, improving mood and reducing stress.
• Nervous System Modulation: Acupuncture can activate the vagus nerve and regulate the autonomic nervous system, influencing both sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (rest) responses.
• Reduced Inflammation: It helps decrease proinflammatory cytokines and increases anti-inflammatory factors, which assists in managing chronic pain and conditions like arthritis.
• Connective Tissue Stimulation: Insertion into specific points sends signals through connective tissues, potentially inducing structural changes in the body.
• Brain Chemistry & Blood Flow: It impacts the limbic system and can enhance blood circulation, helping to manage pain and improve function.

Essentially, Western medicine views acupuncture as a method to trigger the body's self-healing mechanisms through neural pathways. (Johns Hopkins Medicine)

The FDA regulates acupuncture needles just as it does other medical devices.

Sometimes other forms of stimulation are used over the acupuncture points instead of needles. These include:

• Heat (moxibustion)
• Pressure (acupressure)
• Friction
• Suction (cupping)
• Electromagnetic energy impulses