Research progress of acupuncture analgesia based on autonomic nerve regulation pathway

Abstract

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) includes the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric nervous systems, and its senior regulatory center includes the brainstem, cingulate gyrus, and hypothalamus. Acupuncture can affect visceral, vascular, and glandular functions via the autonomic nervous regulatory pathway. In this paper, the relationship between pain and autonomic nervous function, the application of acupuncture guided by the autonomic nervous system, and the basis and clinical research on acupuncture analgesia are reviewed.

Keywords

Acupuncture / Autonomic nervous system / Pain / Progress

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Funding

This research was funded by the Surface Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82274658); Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (No. 2022J01347); and Medical Innovation Project of Fujian Provincial Health Commission (No. 2022CXA053).

Author contributions

Lina Pang conceived and wrote the manuscript. Xiaomei Chen helped with the figure and drafted the manuscript. Yanyan Lan, Qiuling Huang, Xiangmei Yu, Lu Qi, and Zhifu Wang revised the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethical approval of studies and informed consent

Not applicable.

Acknowledgments

None.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this manuscript.

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