Margaux Loyer
Diploma in Beauty and Massage Therapy, Certificates in Deep Tissue and Myofascial Release, RYT 200 Yoga Teacher, Bachelor of Health Science in Acupuncture
In the previous article we discussed how acupuncture can assist with pain relief and emotional regulation. In this article, we will talk more about how acupuncture can
- improve sleep quality
- assist with hormonal balance (especially in women)
- regulate immune function and response
- support gut health
Sleep Quality
By regulating the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, acupuncture decreases stress hormone levels such as cortisol, enabling both faster sleep onset and improved sleep maintenance.
Acupuncture helps balance neurotransmitters like serotonin, which supports steady sleep and emotional calm.[1,2] It can also increase nighttime melatonin, the hormone that signals the body it’s time to sleep.
A study by D. Warren Spence et al. investigated 18 people who had suffered from insomnia for at least two years and received acupuncture twice a week for five weeks. The researchers found an increase in nocturnal melatonin secretion.[3]
Acupuncture decreases levels of cortisol
A 2017 report improved sleep quality in participants receiving acupuncture over four weeks compared to a control group.
Similarly, another study found that acupuncture improved both sleep quality and quality of life in postmenopausal women with insomnia. After five weeks of treatment, sleep efficiency showed a greater increase in the acupuncture groups (see table below).[4]
RELATED — Menopause: Guide to Signs and Symptoms
Furthermore, a 2024 study looked at how acupuncture affects the brains of people with chronic insomnia disorder (CID), focusing on the hypothalamus, a key brain region that regulates sleep, hormones, and stress.
The study compared 42 patients with CID to 23 healthy sleepers (HCs) at baseline using resting-state fMRI. CID patients showed overactive connections in brain regions, keeping their sleep and emotional circuits stuck in a “hyper-alert” state.[5]
After four weeks of real acupuncture, these abnormal connections began to normalise, suggesting that acupuncture can help “reset” overactive sleep-regulating networks in the brain and support healthier sleep.[5,6]
Women’s Health and Hormonal Balance
Acupuncture helps balance the nervous system and lower stress hormones, which supports healthy sex hormone levels. It has been shown to
- relieve endometriosis-related pain and menstrual discomfort (dysmenorrhea)
- shorten pelvic pain duration
- improve emotional wellbeing, quality of life, and overall patient satisfaction.
Serum CA-125 levels, often used to monitor endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cancer treatment, and pelvic pain, also dropped significantly in the acupuncture group by week 12.[7,8]
Acupuncture has been shown to reduce labor pain and lower the rate of instrumental deliveries compared with standard care.[7]
Acupuncture can reduce labor pain
Research also shows it can ease painful periods and improve quality of life.[8] In women with uterine fibroids, three months of acupuncture led to greater reductions in hormone levels (E2, FSH and LH ) than control treatment.[9]
Immune Function and Inflammation
Acupuncture’s mechanical stimulation on the skin sends signals through nerves to the central nervous system, which activate key regulatory pathways that
- help calm inflammation
- balance stress responses
- regulate the nervous system
- support digestion[10]
These pathways help bring the immune system back into balance. Acupuncture supports the body’s first line of defense (innate immunity) by
It also supports the more specialised immune system (adaptive immunity) by helping T cells develop and stay in balance, which keeps immune activity under control and lowers inflammation.
Studies show acupuncture can benefit allergies like asthma.[12] A randomised trial found that TCM-based acupuncture improved well-being and boosted immune markers, such as helpful T-cells, lymphocyte activity, and reduced inflammation, more than placebo.
Notably, 79% of patients improved with acupuncture compared with 47% in the control group.[13]
Beyond symptom relief, acupuncture also produced measurable immune changes, such as
- the number of helpful T-cells (CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ lymphocytes) increased
- lymphocyte proliferation (the rate at which immune cells multiply)
improved by 83%.
These findings suggest that acupuncture may help restore immune balance by reducing inflammation and supporting the body’s natural defense mechanisms.
An experimental study tested electroacupuncture (EA) in mice whose paws were made swollen and painful using a standard inflammatory agent called CFA.
Four groups were compared, and after five days, the mice receiving EA after CFA showed reduced pain and swelling. Analysis revealed higher levels of the body’s natural anti-inflammatory signal (IL-10) and lower levels of inflammation-promoting signals (IL-1β and TNF-α), suggesting EA can help calm the immune system and reduce inflammation.[14]
These clinical and experimental findings provide promising evidence that acupuncture may help the immune system function more efficiently, reduce inflammation, and restore balance to the body’s natural defenses.
Digestive Health
Because acupuncture regulates the nervous system, promotes relaxation, and reduces both pain and inflammation, it shows great promise for supporting digestive health.
Many digestive disorders, such as
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
are strongly influenced by stress and the gut-brain connection.
Acupuncture has been shown to lower stress, reduce cortisol levels, and increase serotonin, which helps explain its positive effect on digestion.[15]
Acupuncture has been shown to lower inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with mild to moderate active Crohn’s disease, leading to a reduced Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and improved quality of life (see figure below).
Acupuncture has been shown to lower C-reactive protein (CRP)
Animal studies further demonstrate that acupuncture inhibits macrophage activation and decreases inflammatory markers like IL-6 after surgery, pointing to its anti-inflammatory effects on the gut.[16]
A study on mice with chemotherapy-induced chronic fatigue found that acupuncture helped restore gut barrier function and reduce inflammation. It strengthened the gut lining, making it less ‘leaky,’ while also lowering harmful inflammation in both the gut and the brain.[17]
Furthermore, by activating vagal tone and acting on both the nervous and immune systems, as well as gut microflora, acupuncture helps restore the brain-gut axis, making it a valuable complementary therapy for common digestive issues that are on the rise today.[18,19]
References
(1) Zhao, Z.-Q. (2008). Neural mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia. Progress in Neurobiology, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2008.05.004
(2) Yin X, Gou M, Xu J, Dong B, Yin P, Masquelin F, Wu J, Lao L, Xu S. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment on primary insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. Sleep Medicine. 2017;37:193–200. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2017.02.009.
(3) Spence, D. W., Kayumov, L., Chen, A., Lowe, A., Jain, U., Katzman, M. A., Shen, J., Perelman, B., & Shapiro, C. M. (2004). Acupuncture increases nocturnal melatonin secretion and reduces insomnia and anxiety: A preliminary report. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 16(1), 19–28. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1176/jnp.16.1.19
(4) Hachul, H., Garcia, T. K. P., Maciel, A. L., Yagihara, F., Tufik, S., & Bittencourt, L. (2012). Acupuncture improves sleep in postmenopause in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Climacteric, 16(1), 36–40. https://doi.org/10.3109/13697137.2012.698432
(5) Peng W, Xu H, Zhang C, Hu Y, Yu S. The altered hypothalamic network functional connectivity in chronic insomnia disorder and regulation effect of acupuncture: a randomized controlled neuroimaging study. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2024 Nov 14;24(1):396. doi: 10.1186/s12906-024-04703-y.
(6) Jiang TF, Chen ZY, Liu J, Yin XJ, Tan ZJ, Wang GL, Li B, Guo J. Acupuncture modulates emotional network resting-state functional connectivity in patients with insomnia disorder: a randomized controlled trial and fMRI study. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2024 Aug 21;24(1):311. doi: 10.1186/s12906-024-04612-0.
(7) Smith CA, Collins CT, Crowther CA, Levett KM. Acupuncture or acupressure for pain management in labour. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD009232. Doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009232.
(8) Li, P. S., Peng, X. M., Niu, X. X., Xu, L., Ng, E. H. Y., Wang, C. C., Dai, J. F., Lu, J., & Liang, R. N. (2022). Efficacy of acupuncture for endometriosis-associated pain: A multicenter randomized single-blind placebo-controlled trial. Fertility and Sterility, 118(4), 702–711.
(9) Yao L, Liu G, Li T, Wang L, Lun Y, Wang X, Xu H, Bai Z. Acupuncture combined with mifepristone improves sex hormones and inflammatory factors in patients with uterine fibroids. Am J Transl Res. 2023 Aug 15;15(8):5519-5527.
(10) Li, N., Guo, Y., Gong, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2021). The anti-inflammatory actions and mechanisms of acupuncture from acupoint to target organs via neuro-immune regulation. Journal of Inflammation Research, 14, 7191–7224. https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S341581
(11) Qu, Y., Gu, Y., Zhang, X., Wang, Y., & Xing, X. (2023). Acupuncture’s immunomodulatory effects on macrophages in allergic disorders: A systematic review. Journal of Asthma and Allergy, 16, 1607–1623.
(12) Wang M, Liu W, Ge J, Liu S. The immunomodulatory mechanisms for acupuncture practice. Front Immunol. 2023 Apr 6;14:1147718. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.
(13) Joos, S., Schott, C., Zou, H., Daniel, V., & Martin, E. (2000). Immunomodulatory effects of acupuncture in the treatment of allergic asthma: A randomized controlled study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 6(6), 519–525.
(14) Yu, Mei-ling; Wei, Rui-de; Zhang, Tao; Wang, Jun-meng; Cheng, Yu; Qin, Fen-fen; Fu, Shu-ping; Lu, Zhi-gang; Lu, Sheng-feng . (2020). Electroacupuncture Relieves Pain and Attenuates Inflammation Progression Through Inducing IL-10 Production in CFA-Induced Mice. Inflammation, (), –. doi:10.1007/s10753-020-01203-2
(15) Bao, C., Wu, L., Wang, D., Chen, L., Jin, X., Shi, Y., Li, G., Zhang, J., Zeng, X., Chen, J., Liu, H., & Wu, H. (2022). Acupuncture improves the symptoms, intestinal microbiota, and inflammation of patients with mild to moderate Crohn’s disease: A randomized controlled trial. eClinicalMedicine, Volume 45, 101300
(16) Deng, J., Yang, S., Yuan, Q., Chen, Y., Li, D., Sun, H., Tan, X., Zhang, F., & Zhou, D. (2017). Acupuncture Ameliorates Postoperative Ileus via IL-6–miR-19a–KIT Axis to Protect Interstitial Cells of Cajal. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 45(04), 737–755. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0192415x17500392
(17) Lv, Z., Liu, R., Su, K., Gu, Y., Fang, L., Fan, Y., Gao, J., Ruan, X., & Feng, X. (2022). Acupuncture ameliorates breast cancer‑related fatigue by regulating the gut microbiota‑gut‑brain axis. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13, 921119. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.921119
(18) Li, X., Liu, S., Liu, H., & Zhu, J.-j. (2022). Acupuncture for gastrointestinal diseases. The Anatomical Record, 305(5), 1487–1498. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.24871
(19) Yaklai, K., Pattanakuhar, S., Chattipakorn, N., & Chattipakorn, S. C. (2021). The role of acupuncture on the gut–brain–microbiota axis in irritable bowel syndrome. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 49(2), 371–389.
