Acupuncture Deserves a Better Explanation
Acupuncture has been practiced for centuries, but the way it is described in English often does more harm than good. It is presented either as ancient mysticism or as a treatment that only counts when Western science can account for every mechanism.
Annalisa Brown, L.Ac., a licensed acupuncturist in New York City, argues that both framings miss what the practice actually does. Her work combines traditional acupuncture with orthopedic technique, neurological training, and Pain Reprocessing Therapy. She is not against conventional medicine; she is pushing against the modern notion that something is only of value when we can explain it fully. AB Acupuncture NYC is where she puts that view into practice.
The problem begins with language. Many of the terms used to describe Chinese medicine were translated in the 19th century, before the microscope was invented and before the nervous system was understood.
The words carried over, but the concepts behind them did not. The Chinese term qi is the clearest example. In English, it is usually rendered as ‘energy’, which makes it sound mystical. Brown points out that the translation is a simplification. Qi has many meanings, and one of them is gas, in the same sense that the body produces signaling molecules such as nitric oxide that trigger physiological reactions.
“The Chinese language and Western languages are organized so differently,” Brown says. “There’s not a one-to-one translation.”
The result is that Chinese medicine often sounds unscientific even when its clinical observations are sound. Brown’s position is that the tradition should not be dismissed because it has been poorly explained.
“It’s explained so poorly using outdated language and not taking into account what we understand about the body now,” she says.
That gap between explanation and reality is where modern neuroscience becomes useful. Brown’s central argument is that acupuncture works by helping the body communicate with the brain. That is not a metaphor. It is a description of the nervous system’s role in how pain is produced and regulated.
“We’ve actually figured out how to get your body to talk to your brain,” she says. “The brain signals to the body. The brain controls things in the body. Acupuncture helps the body talk back.”
Neuroscience supports the framing. Pain is real, but it does not always correspond directly to tissue damage. The National Institutes of Health reports that in a controlled trial of chronic back pain with no identifiable physical cause, 66% of participants who received Pain Reprocessing Therapy (a talk therapy technique) reported being pain-free or nearly pain-free after four weeks, compared with 20% who received placebo injections and 10% who received usual care.
Brown, who is certified in Pain Reprocessing Therapy, draws on this understanding to help patients better understand how the brain processes pain. She integrates the approach into her acupuncture practice, alongside neurological techniques used in stroke rehabilitation and Parkinson’s disease care, as well as guided imagery and breathing exercises to support patients in managing their symptoms.
“We don’t think in terms of facts and diagrams; we think in stories,” she says. “Our brains are so unbelievably capable of creating change in our bodies, much more than we know.”
Understanding the brain-body connection also explains why Brown believes treatment must focus on the individual rather than matching a symptom to a standard solution.
“They pair remedies and solutions with symptoms instead of people,” she says. “For example, I can get a headache patient, an insomnia patient, or an anxiety patient, and all of them will require an approach focusing on their digestive system.”
(AB Acupuncture NYC, source: AB Acupuncture NYC)
Her approach combines traditional acupuncture with orthopedic technique. She uses motor points, trigger points, and electrical stimulation that contracts the muscles, a set of techniques that PubMed research documents as effective for myofascial pain. She also trained through Memorial Sloan Kettering’s acupuncture program, which certifies practitioners in their style and lists her among their referred providers.
She also wants to defend the role of clinical judgment. Research matters, but the room with the patient is where the work happens. Both have a place.
“Healing is an art,” she says.
That individualized approach reflects Brown’s wider philosophy. Chinese medicine does not need to compete with conventional healthcare to have a meaningful place in it. Brown is not arguing against conventional medicine. She has made a career inside it and alongside it. She also has concerns within the wellness space and the misinformation that circulates through it.
“I’m very disturbed by the wellness space right now,” she says. “A lot of people are getting information from social media without talking to licensed professionals. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all remedy, so it’s important to consult with a properly trained practitioner.”
Her closing point is simple. The brain and body are more interconnected than most people realize, and that connection can be used to help people. A better understanding of it does not require anyone to abandon conventional care but to make room for both.
