Acupuncture-Analgesia-Mediated Alleviation of Central Sensitization

• Published in: Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine Vol. 2019; no. 2019; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Lai, Hsiang-Chun, Hsieh, Ching-Liang, Lin, Yi-Wen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2019; Hindawi; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Acupuncture; Analgesia; Analgesics; Arthritis; Aspartate; Aspartic acid; Backache; Brain research; Care and treatment; Cytokines; Gastroenterology; Glutamic acid receptors; Headache; Hyperalgesia; Inflammation; Integrative medicine; Intestine; Irritable bowel syndrome; Low back pain; Medicine; Methyl aspartate; N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid; Neuralgia; Opioids; Osteoarthritis; Pain; Pain perception; Review; Rodents; Serotonin; Spinal cord; Taiwan
• ISSN: 1741-427X; 1741-4288
• DOI: 10.1155/2019/6173412

Pain can trigger central amplification called central sensitization, which ultimately results in hyperalgesia and/or allodynia. Many reports have showed acupuncture has an analgesic effect. We searched the related article on PubMed database and Cochrane database to discover central sensitization pathway in acupuncture analgesia. We summarized that acupuncture enhances the descending inhibitory effect and modulates the feeling of pain, thus modifying central sensitization. The possible mechanisms underlying the analgesic effects of acupuncture include segmental inhibition and the activation of the endogenous opioid, adrenergic, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid/kainate pathways. Moreover, acupuncture can locally reduce the levels of inflammatory mediators. In clinical settings, acupuncture can be used to treat headache, neuropathic pain, low back pain, osteoarthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. These mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia may be involved in the alleviation of central sensitization.