Acupuncture for Pain Relief: What the Latest Research Says

If you live with ongoing pain; whether it’s backache, arthritis, headaches, or fibromyalgia, you’ll know how much it can affect daily life. Many people are looking for safe, effective options beyond medication, and acupuncture continues to stand out as one of the most researched natural therapies for pain relief.

Recently, an important review article was published in the Medical Research Archives, the journal of the European Society of Medicine. Written by Dr John McDonald, a leading researcher in the field, this paper pulled together the latest findings on how acupuncture and electroacupuncture work for pain. Best of all, it’s open access. Meaning anyone can read it!

So, what does the science really say?

Key Findings in Simple Term

• It works for a wide range of pain conditions. Strong evidence supports acupuncture for low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, knee arthritis, migraines, tension headaches, and fibromyalgia.

• The relief lasts. Patients reported that even a year after their treatment course, they still felt around 85–90% of the pain relief they had when treatment ended.

• It’s safe. Side effects are rare and usually very mild (such as slight bruising). This makes acupuncture one of the safest options for pain management.

• It can reduce the need for medication. One study in hospital emergency departments found acupuncture provided faster pain relief than IV morphine, with fewer side effects.

• It works in the body and the brain. Acupuncture triggers the release of natural pain-relieving chemicals (like endorphins), calms inflammation, improves nerve function, and even helps “reset” how the brain processes pain.

• It helps prevent pain becoming chronic. By improving sleep and reducing stress hormones, acupuncture may stop acute pain from developing into long-term pain problems.

• It’s recognised in guidelines. Health bodies in the UK (including NICE) and internationally recommend acupuncture for several pain conditions.

Why This Matters

For patients, this means that acupuncture isn’t just a “complementary” add-on, it’s a clinically proven, safe, and effective therapy for many types of pain. For healthcare professionals, it highlights acupuncture as a valuable tool that can work alongside conventional care, potentially reducing the need for long-term medication or invasive procedures.

Acupuncture at Health Point Clinic

At Health Point Clinic, we see every day how acupuncture helps people get back to doing what they love, whether that’s moving freely again after years of back pain, finding relief from migraines, or managing arthritis without relying solely on medication.

If pain is holding you back, acupuncture could be a safe and effective option to explore.

📅 Appointments are available now. You can book online through our website or call the clinic to speak with our team.

👉 If you’d like to read the full research paper, you can access it here!