Many of my patients often ask me "how" acupuncture works.  I tell them we simply do not know but there are many deep physical, chemical and hormonal changes that are prompted by acupuncture that are very difficult to study in a linear fashion.  Another aspect of "how" acupuncture works is how did our anscestors find the points to begin with?  What was it that drew them to these very specific spots and how on earth did they know what to use them for.  Even though Chinese Medicine is quite old it's not old enough for it to be in such a useful state as it is now if it was sheer chance and trial and error.  There seems to be something that people were able to pick up on that we may or may not be able to do in modern times.

Researchers from the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine recently conducted a study using infrared radiation spectrum analysis at a specific acupuncture point to see if they could see differences between healthy and imbalanced people at that point.  Researchers used the acupuncture point LU 9 which has many uses but can be effective in asthma and other lung related issues.  They recruited a number of healthy volunteers and those with asthma and then checked the wavelengths at those spots.  

They found significant differences between the healthy volunteers and those with asthma both in right and left differences and differences between the two groups.  They concluded that these observable changes in the infrared spectrum at this point may illustrate patients with internal issues. In their words "certain acupuncture points may be related to specific organs."