Acupuncture
What is acupuncture and how does it work?
Acupuncture is a key part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has been used for thousands of years. Today, it is also widely integrated into Western healthcare systems all around the world. In Australia, acupuncture has been a registered health profession with AHPRA since 2012, with practitioners required to hold at least a Bachelor degree including extensive supervised experience. At Yin, our focus is also on continued professional development and we have regular team training both internally and externally.
Acupuncture involves the gentle insertion of very fine, sterile, single-use needles at specific points on the body. We often refer to acupuncture needles as “pins” as they are quite different from the needles many people associate with injections and blood tests. Acupuncture pins are extremely thin (typically around 0.16 to 0.18 mm) and most people do not consider acupuncture painful. Some people may notice a brief sensation as the needle is inserted, which usually lasts only a second or two, and many people feel little to no discomfort at all.
Once the needles are in place, most people experience a sense of deep relaxation, calm, or a subtle feeling of heaviness or warmth. It’s common for patients to feel their nervous system “switch off”, and many drift into a light sleep during treatment.
From a traditional perspective, acupuncture works by regulating Qi (energy) and supporting balance within the body through a network of meridians. From a modern biomedical viewpoint, research suggests acupuncture has measurable effects on the central nervous system, hormones, circulation, and the body’s stress response. (1)
Studies show acupuncture can influence the central nervous system, helping to reduce activity in stress-related brain regions while supporting regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis – a key system involved in hormonal balance and stress. Acupuncture has also been shown to support parasympathetic nervous system activity, helping the body shift out of “fight or flight” and into a state associated with rest, digestion, and tissue repair. (2)
Is acupuncture safe?
When performed by a registered, degree-qualified acupuncturist, acupuncture is considered a safe and well-tolerated therapy. All needles used are single-use and sterile, and treatments are tailored to each individual’s health history, presentation, and stage of life. (3)
Is there research behind acupuncture?
Yes! There are now more than 22,000 controlled clinical trials on acupuncture listed in the Cochrane Database. Large-scale reviews, including The Acupuncture Evidence Project (4) and Hempen & Hummelsberger (5), have found evidence supporting acupuncture for a wide range of conditions and have assessed it as safe and cost-effective when delivered by a well-trained practitioner.
What do other health professionals say about acupuncture?
Many of our patients find their way to Yin through recommendations from GP’s, obstetricians, midwives, fertility clinics and other healthcare providers, reflecting the growing recognition of acupuncture as a supportive, complementary therapy.
We love that acupuncture is increasingly recognised and supported by a wide range of health professionals and welcome being part of your extended health team.
References
1. Lund I, Lundeberg T. Mechanisms of Acupuncture. Acupuncture and Related Therapies Published Online First: 2016. doi:10.1016/j.arthe.2016.12.
2. Cho ZH, Hwang SC, Wong EK, et al. Neural substrates, experimental evidences and functional hypothesis of acupuncture mechanisms. Acta Neurol Scand 2006;113:370–7. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0404.2006.
3. Park, J., Sohn, Y., White, A. R., & Lee, H. (2014). The safety of acupuncture during pregnancy: a systematic review. Acupunct Med, 32(3), 257-266. doi:10.1136/acupmed-2013-
4. McDonald J, Janz S. The Acupuncture Evidence Project: A Comparative Literature Review (Revised Edition). Brisbane: Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd; 2017. http://www.acupuncture.org.au/
5. Hempen M, Hummelsberger J. The state of evidence in acupuncture: A review of metaanalyses and systematic reviews of acupuncture evidence (update 2017–2022). Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2025
https://www.sciencedirect.com/
