A team of scientists in the US have made progress in understanding exactly why acupuncture can help to ease pain. The team from the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New York has identified the molecule adenosine as a contributing factor to some of the effects of acupuncture in the body. Adenosine is a natural compound which regulates sleep and has anti-inflammatory properties. The compound also acts as a natural painkiller which inhibits nerve signals after an injury and eases pain. This latest study found that the chemical is active in the deeper tissues of the skin where acupuncture works. The findings complement other studies which have shown that acupuncture helps the central nervous system to send signals to the brain to release natural pain-killing endorphins. “Acupuncture has been a mainstay of medical treatment in certain parts of the world for 4,000 years, but because it has not been understood completely, many people have remained sceptical,” said Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the University’s Centre for Translational Neuromedicine. “In this work, we provide information about one physical mechanism through which acupuncture reduces pain in the body,” she added. Source: Agencies