Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

A Mechanical Construction to Enhance the Stability and Safety of Lifting and Thrusting Manipulation of Acupuncture

A Mechanical Construction to Enhance the Stability and Safety of Lifting and Thrusting Manipulation of Acupuncture

Published on: January 10, 2025

Acupuncture: what underlies needle administration?

¹Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, The 2nd Teaching Hospital, Jilin University, 218 Ziqiang Street, Changchun 130041, Jilin Province, P.R. China. cctaoliu@hotmail.com.

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : Ecam

|October 29, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

[A study on the relationship between glutathione S-transferases gene polymorphism and susceptibility response to hypoxia].

Zhongguo ying yong sheng li xue za zhi = Zhongguo yingyong shenglixue zazhi = Chinese journal of applied physiology·2010

Same author

Enhanced IMC design of load disturbance rejection for integrating and unstable processes with slow dynamics.

ISA transactions·2010

Same author

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new 4β-anilino-4'-O-demethyl-4-desoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives as potential antitumor agents.

European journal of medicinal chemistry·2010

Same author

Roles of reactive oxygen species and mitochondria in cadmium-induced injury of liver cells.

Toxicology and industrial health·2010

Same author

[Neuroprotective effects of emodin on primary rat cortical neurons apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide].

Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials·2010

Same author

[The protective effect of XD in ConA-induced liver injury].

Xi bao yu fen zi mian yi xue za zhi = Chinese journal of cellular and molecular immunology·2010

Acupuncture

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychology
Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

The precise mechanisms underlying acupuncture's effects remain unclear.
Current research often overlooks the significance of the psychosocial context in acupuncture therapy.
This oversight may contribute to inconclusive findings regarding acupuncture's efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a novel hypothesis explaining acupuncture's therapeutic effects.
To highlight the importance of psychological factors and the patient's context in acupuncture treatment.
To bridge the gap between traditional understanding and scientific investigation of acupuncture.

Main Methods:

Analysis of psychological factors inherent in clinical acupuncture provision.

Keywords:

acupoint acupuncture attention body schema expectation meridian opioid systems placebo

More Related Videos

Operation Procedure and Precautions of Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Therapy in Alzheimer

Operation Procedure and Precautions of Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Therapy in Alzheimer

Published on: May 10, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2026

A Mechanical Construction to Enhance the Stability and Safety of Lifting and Thrusting Manipulation of Acupuncture

A Mechanical Construction to Enhance the Stability and Safety of Lifting and Thrusting Manipulation of Acupuncture

Published on: January 10, 2025

Operation Procedure and Precautions of Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Therapy in Alzheimer

Operation Procedure and Precautions of Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Therapy in Alzheimer

Published on: May 10, 2024

Review of existing literature on the placebo effect and its relation to therapeutic outcomes.

Formulation of a hypothesis based on cognitive and affective processes.

Main Results:

The study hypothesizes that acupuncture's efficacy stems from the potentiation and modulation of endogenous opioid pathways.
This modulation is influenced by patient expectation, attention, and body schema within the therapeutic context.
The proposed mechanism involves a somatotopic network linking these psychological elements.

Conclusions:

The psychosocial context is a critical, yet underappreciated, component of acupuncture therapy.
Acupuncture may exert its effects by leveraging the brain's endogenous opioid system through contextual modulation.
This hypothesis offers a framework for future clinical and experimental research on acupuncture.