Wang Shu-Ming, Kain Zeev N, White Paul
Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
Anesth Analg. 2008 Feb;106(2):602-10. doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000277493.42335.7b.
Acupuncture has been used in China and other Asian countries for the past 3000 yr. Recently, this technique has been gaining increased popularity among physicians and patients in the United States. Even though acupuncture-induced analgesia is being used in many pain management programs in the United States, the mechanism of action remains unclear. Studies suggest that acupuncture and related techniques trigger a sequence of events that include the release of neurotransmitters, endogenous opioid-like substances, and activation of c-fos within the central nervous system. Recent developments in central nervous system imaging techniques allow scientists to better evaluate the chain of events that occur after acupuncture-induced stimulation. In this review article we examine current biophysiological and imaging studies that explore the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia.
在过去的3000年里，针灸在中国及其他亚洲国家一直被使用。最近，这种技术在美国的医生和患者中越来越受欢迎。尽管针刺镇痛在美国的许多疼痛管理项目中得到应用，但其作用机制仍不清楚。研究表明，针灸及相关技术引发了一系列事件，包括神经递质、内源性阿片样物质的释放以及中枢神经系统内c-fos的激活。中枢神经系统成像技术的最新进展使科学家能够更好地评估针刺刺激后发生的一系列事件。在这篇综述文章中，我们研究了探索针刺镇痛机制的当前生物生理学和成像研究。
