Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a therapeutic practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine in which fine needles are inserted into defined points on the body to influence physiological function and relieve symptoms. In its traditional framework, acupuncture points lie along channels, or meridians, through which a vital energy is …

Curated from this journal's research 📚 6 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 6× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 3070-3360 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Acupuncture is a therapeutic practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine in which fine needles are inserted into defined points on the body to influence physiological function and relieve symptoms. In its traditional framework, acupuncture points lie along channels, or meridians, through which a vital energy is held to flow, and stimulation aims to restore balance in that flow. Contemporary investigation has proposed physiological mechanisms, including modulation of peripheral and central nervous activity, release of endogenous neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, effects on pain-processing pathways, and influences on autonomic and inflammatory responses. Variants and related techniques include manual needling, electroacupuncture, and stimulation at the ear and other sites, and the practice is applied to conditions such as chronic pain, headache, nausea, and a range of functional complaints. Within integrative and complementary medicine, acupuncture is frequently studied alongside other non-pharmacological and traditional therapies, and rigorous evaluation emphasizes controlled trial design and attention to placebo and contextual effects. The literature in this area encompasses clinical reports of needle-based techniques, broader perspectives on holistic and complementary approaches, and the evaluation of traditional and alternative treatments. Within this context, acupuncture is examined both as a clinical intervention and as a subject of mechanistic and methodological inquiry into its effects, appropriate indications, and place among complementary therapeutic modalities.

Research published in this journal

6 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 6 articles above have been cited 6 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Acupuncture, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in International Journal of Complementary Medicine (ISSN 3070-3360).

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.