Research progress regarding endocannabinoid system involvement in pain modulation and electroacupuncture analgesia

Abstract

Pain is a subjective and unpleasant sensation that significantly impacts the daily lives of individuals. Chronic pain represents one of the most challenging public health issues, and ensuring effective pain management is a fundamental right of individuals and a sacred duty of healthcare providers. Cannabis, one of the earliest recognized medicinal plants, contains cannabinoids, which are non-opioid substances that modulate nociceptive responses. Electroacupuncture (EA), characterized by its low-risk and well-tolerated nature, is pivotal in pain management. The endocannabinoid system consists of endocannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors, and enzymes involved in endocannabinoid synthesis, degradation, and transport. Recently, the role of the endocannabinoid system in pain development and EA analgesia has attracted considerable research attention. Studies have highlighted the role of the endocannabinoid system in various types of pain, including inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain, and cancer-related pain, as well as in EA analgesia. This study aims to review the mechanisms of endocannabinoid system involvement in pain modulation and EA analgesia to provide insights to inform clinical approaches to pain management.

Keywords

Electroacupuncture / Endocannabinoid receptors / Inflammatory pain / Neuropathic pain

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

This work was supported by the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82130122) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81973949).

Author contributions

Renjie Qin, Yisong Wu, Nuo Jin, Xingzhi Xu, Yuye Lan contributed to performing the literature search and data analysis. Xianghong Jing and Man Li drafted the manuscript. Renjie Qin made all the tables and figures. All authors contributed to the revision of the 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 the published article.

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