Acupuncture & Religion

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Every once in a while we'll have a patient or prospective patient imply that acupuncture might not be in line with his or her religious beliefs. Acupuncture is simply a therapy within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), though, and TCM is a system of medicine, not faith. While Licensed Acupuncturists look at the body from a different perspective, they are still looking at the physical body and using medical logic to help their patients. 

In TCM, the body has a system of meridians through which Qi and Blood flow, and acupuncture is a treatment to make sure the meridians stay clear and the body's organ systems stay balanced. 

Most people can accept the analogy of the meridian being like a blood vessel in which blood flows. In Western medicine, if blood doesn't flow smoothly through the arteries, veins, and capillaries, a blockage can cause serious complications like heart attacks and strokes. Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis may not cause an emergency situation, but they can contribute to uncomfortable symptoms.

If a patient comes in with foot pain, a Licensed Acupuncturist will use needles to clear out the blocked meridians like a doctor will use a stent to clear a blocked blood vessel. If a patient comes in for anxiety, infertility, or any other issues that aren't directly related to the musculoskeletal system, the acupuncturist is still going to follow the same logic, choosing acupuncture points that direct blood flow to certain areas and bring the body back into harmony.

The goal of acupuncture is to wake up and support the body's innate healing capabilities, to work with the natural processes that are imbued in the body without considering whether they're there because of evolution, creationism, intelligent design, or any other reason.

The simplest explanation of Qi is that it's energy, and while some people use the word "energy" in a metaphysical sense, in science it's defined as the ability to do work. How is it possible to take a deep breath? Lung Qi supports breathing. How does Blood travel through the meridians? Qi moves it. Qi is part of the body's physiology, even if it's not something that comes up in a traditional anatomy textbook.

As with other aspects of science, the intricacies of energy may prompt some to question the validity of religion. On the other hand, the level of complexity involved can also be seen as proof that someone or something was behind it all. Either way, the body is a sophisticated combination of cells, electrical charges, matter, and energy, and in TCM energy is called Qi.

Besides acupuncture and other physical modalities like cupping, TCM also suggests getting back to a more natural way of life. While some of the ancient scholars in China were Taoists and intertwined nature with their philosophy, pursuing a wellness-minded lifestyle doesn't have to have any particular religious connotation.

TCM likens the body to nature as a whole, suggesting ways of eating or different activities as the seasons change or as the day progresses. One can view this as a divine Creator preparing certain foods throughout the year to make sure humans are their happiest and healthiest selves and designing their bodies in such an intelligent way that they can function on autopilot throughout the day. In the other extreme, a person can interpret these guidelines as making the most of the evolution that led to the human body running most optimally with specific environmental stimuli.

The point is that advice taken from TCM doesn't inherently contradict any religious beliefs, and research is continually proving that returning to a nature-based lifestyle is beneficial for health. Getting outside and earthing, staying active, consuming organic foods, and the other aspects of natural health are all pillars of wellness for everyone regardless of faith. 

Religion is not a part of a Licensed Acupuncturist's training and treatments are designed to work with the body's physiological processes, no matter how they came to be there. Of course, if a religion prohibits any type of medical intervention or penetration of the skin (e.g. inserting a needle even if it is very small and doesn't leave any mark), then obviously an acupuncture treatment may very well go against it. However, if a faith does not have any conflicts with medicine, then it shouldn't have any issues with acupuncture or TCM. 

*This post was originally published in August of 2017 and was updated in September of 2025.