Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medical practice, involves stimulating specific points on the body, primarily with the insertion of very thin needles through the skin. While acupuncture has been widely studied for its ability to manage pain, particularly for headache, neck, back, knee, and osteoarthritis pain, its effectiveness for other health issues, such as weight loss, has been less explored. This article delves into the existing research and evidence surrounding acupuncture for weight loss, examining its potential benefits, limitations, and safety considerations.
The Theory Behind Acupuncture and Weight Loss
Advocates of acupuncture for weight loss believe that it can stimulate the body’s energy flow ("chi") to impact factors that can reverse obesity. These factors include:
- Increasing metabolism
- Reducing appetite
- Lowering stress
- Affecting the part of the brain that feels hunger
Traditional Chinese medicine posits that weight gain is caused by body imbalance, stemming from a malfunctioning liver, spleen, kidney, thyroid gland, or endocrine system. Consequently, acupuncture treatments for weight loss commonly target these areas of the body.
Ear Acupuncture for Weight Loss
The ear is another area that acupuncture practitioners target for weight loss. It’s believed that food cravings can be controlled by manipulating points on the ear. This approach is similar to treatments used to help smokers and drug users end their addictions.
Existing Research and Meta-Analyses
While anecdotal evidence and traditional beliefs suggest that acupuncture may aid weight loss, the scientific evidence is mixed. There aren’t many quality studies about acupuncture and weight loss. However, some find it very helpful, and it’s safe for most people to try.
Read also: Explore the holistic wellness of facial acupuncture
Several studies suggest that acupuncture is likely effective for weight loss. However, a review of those studies suggested that these results weren’t totally convincing because of problems with the way the studies had been carried out. Sometimes the results of small studies can be combined to improve their statistical relevance. In this case, the studies featuring acupuncture often have too many variables to combine, including differences in technique, number of acupuncture points, number of sessions, length of sessions, use of placebos, and sham intervention. Also, acupuncture study results are often heavily influenced by each participant’s personal beliefs, expectations, and relationship with the practitioner. These influences can alter the impact of the actual acupuncture treatment and skew the data for the study.
A meta-analysis published in 2017 investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture in obesity. The researchers searched six databases from the inception to April 2017 without language restriction. Eligible studies consisted of acupuncture with comparative controls ((1) sham acupuncture, (2) no treatment, (3) diet and exercise, and (4) conventional medicine). The primary outcomes consisted of BMI, body weight reduction, and incidence of cardiovascular events (CVD). Secondary outcomes included waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body fat mass percent, body fat mass (kg), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), glucose, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) reduction, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) increase, and adverse effects.
The meta-analysis included 21 studies with 1389 participants. The study concluded that acupuncture is an effective treatment for obesity and inferred that neuroendocrine regulation might be involved.
- Compared with sham acupuncture, significant reductions in BMI, weight, body fat mass, and total cholesterol were found.
- Compared with no treatment, significant reductions of BMI, WHR, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were found.
- Compared with diet and exercise, significant reductions in BMI and weight were found.
Another 2020 review comparing the effects of acupuncture with so-called “sham acupuncture” for simple obesity showed that acupuncture significantly reduced body weight and BMI compared to sham acupuncture. This appears to counter claims that the effects of acupuncture are merely a placebo effect. Another 2017 meta-analysis reported that acupuncture, whether alone or with lifestyle interventions, significantly reduced BMI.
A 2019 review and meta-analysis on acupuncture for weight loss in Asians found that acupuncture effectively reduced waist circumference and BMI, but only reduced weight when combined with diet and exercise.
Read also: Is facial acupuncture right for you?
A small 2015 study studied the effects of massage and manual acupuncture on 50 participants and found that both manual acupuncture and massage can reduce body weight and body mass index (BMI) significantly. Another small 2015 study from Japan found that acupuncture on the ear area effectively caused changes in active levels of ghrelin, a hormone produced in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that can increase hunger levels. Study participants in the acupuncture group experienced a reduction in body weight compared to the control group.
Acupuncture and Inflammation
Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation, and studies have explored the potential of acupuncture to modulate inflammatory markers. A randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 80 obese patients entered in our project at National Research Centre. They were divided into 3 groups according to their body mass index (BMI). In this study, overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to < 30 and a BMI of ≥30 were defined as obesity. They neither had received any other weight control measures nor had any medical and/or drug history within the last 3 months before their participation in the study. Only classical Chinese body acupuncture and auricular acupuncture were allowed to be used. Participants were informed about the study both verbally and by written information sheets. Controls were required to be placebo, no treatment, pharmacological or non pharmacological interventions (e.g. For all patients, body weight (BW), BMI, and body fat mass were measured by body composition analyzer BC-418 (TANITA, Japan) according to a standard protocol. Height and body weight were measured with the subjects dressed in light clothing after an overnight fasting. About 5 ml of venous blood samples were taken from each patient for analysis after a 12-hour fasting, 2 times during the study (at the beginning and 6 months later). Blood samples were collected into vacutainer tubes and centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 10 min. Hemolyzed samples were excluded from analysis.
The pre-acupuncture results showed significant difference between the three grades of obesity and the controls regarding TNFα, IL-6 and hsCRP. We found significant reduction in anthropometric measurement of adiposity after acupuncture. In comparing the pre &post acupuncture results of TNF-α, IL-6 and hsCRP showed high significant reduction after acupuncture. Body acupuncture in combination with diet restriction was found to be effective for weight loss and also reduction of the inflammatory reactions.
The Role of Lifestyle Changes
Acupuncture won’t directly cause you to lose weight, according to Johnson. “In my experience and to my knowledge, acupuncture isn’t going to be the magic bullet for weight loss,” he says. However, Johnson explains it can play a very significant role in weight loss through an indirect approach. He says that this is because acupuncture can improve metabolism, reduce cravings and mitigate stressors on the body that affect one’s appetite.
This positive attitude is something that Johnson stresses. “Acupuncture is only so strong,” he says. He explains that to see long-term changes in weight loss you need to commit to lifestyle changes. This includes changes in diet and exercise. If you're having trouble committing to these lifestyle changes, acupuncture may also help with that.
Read also: Acupuncture: Does it Help Weight Loss?
Safety and Side Effects
The safety and side effects of acupuncture depend on the training and experience of the practitioner and on the cleanliness of the needles. Make sure your acupuncturist is trained and licensed in your state. Otherwise, you could suffer serious side effects including:
- Infections
- Punctured organs
- Collapsed lungs
- Injury to the central nervous system
Acupuncture is generally safe when a qualified and licensed practitioner performs it. People may prefer it because they experience fewer side effects than they do taking medication.
Common side effects include:
- needle site pain or tenderness
- needle site bruising or bleeding
- feeling dizzy
- fainting
- drowsiness
Serious side effects are uncommon in acupuncture. Below are rare complications associated with the treatment:
- pneumothorax, or collapsed lung
- central nervous system injury
- peripheral nerve injury
- organ injury
- other tissue injuries
Most practitioners do not recommend people undergo acupuncture if they have:
- active infections
- severe neutropenia
- psychosis
- pacemakers
Treatment Duration and Expectations
Although different acupuncture practitioners recommend different levels and lengths of treatment, if you plan on losing 10 to 15 pounds, having several treatments a week for six to eight weeks is a common program. The number of visits each week might taper off as the program progresses. The number of visits recommended will also vary from one acupuncture practitioner to another.
Like other weight loss methods, a person typically needs several sessions to see changes. To eliminate 10-15 pounds, one would need frequent treatments over an extended period of time - up to 8 weeks with multiple visits per week. The program largely depends on the acupuncturist, but most will taper off visits as the program progresses.
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