Acupuncture

Think of it as two maps describing the same territory.

The traditional map sees your body as a network of energy pathways. Placing needles at particular points helps qi flow freely again, restoring balance between body, mind and emotions.

The modern map looks at the nervous system. Researchers are exploring how needling may influence the way the body processes stress and pain signals, and how it may help the body shift into a calmer, more settled state.

Neither map is complete yet. And part of what helps may be the experience itself: lying still, being listened to and cared for, with nowhere else to be.

For a practice this old, acupuncture has a surprisingly large body of modern research, and some of the most interesting findings are recent.

For anxiety, a 2025 review of 20 trials found acupuncture eased anxiety more than both sham (fake) needling and usual care in the short term. Compared with sham needling, the benefit was still there at follow-up [1].

For trauma, a 2024 trial with combat veterans living with PTSD found real acupuncture helped more than a convincing fake version. Researchers also saw changes in the body’s startle response, a sign that something was shifting in the nervous system [2].

For depression, an Australian-led review of 29 studies found acupuncture improved symptoms, especially when used alongside other treatment [3]. In a large trial across UK general practices, acupuncture helped about as much as counselling, with some benefit still there a year later [4].

The quality of studies varies, and many are small, so researchers are still working out exactly how acupuncture helps and who it helps most. But the picture so far is encouraging.