Acupuncture Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List) Although there’s zero evidence to substantiate the existence of acupuncture points and meridians, it is understood that stimulation of the skin and peripheral nerves [as is induced by acupuncture], may significantly alter physiology and neurobiology.  The physiological and/or neurobiological alterations that occur following acupuncture are theorized to enhance health and/or alleviate symptomatic severity of medical conditions.  Whether a legitimate therapeutic effect can be attained from acupuncture is somewhat unclear. Data published in Chinese, Japanese, and Taiwanese journals report that acupuncture is an effective intervention for an array of medical conditions.  However, a critical look at these data reveals that they: were published in journals with an impact factor of zero, of low methodological quality, and subject to significant bias.  Conversely, data attained from reputable scientific journals (e.g. Cochran