Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin and Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, USA.
Neuromodulation. 2011 Jan;14(1):8-12; discussion 12. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1403.2010.00295.x. Epub 2010 Oct 7.
Acupuncture has been used for treating various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. However, the mechanism of acupuncture remains unclear.
The aim of this article is to review the published literature on the mechanism of acupuncture on neuromodulation in the gut.
Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin and underlying muscle and the subsequent stimulation of the needles manually or electrically. Thus, acupuncture stimulates the somatic afferent nerves of the skin and muscles. The somatic sensory information from the body is carried to the cortex area of the brain. Somatic sensory fibers also project to the various nuclei at the brain stem and hypothalamus. Via somato-autonomic reflex, acupuncture modulates various biomechanical responses, such as prokinetic, antiemetic, and anti-nociceptive effects.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, "Acupuncture is believed to restore the balance of Yin and Yang." This can be translated into the Western medicine terminology that "Acupuncture modulates the imbalance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic activity." Acupuncture may be effective in patients with functional GI disorders because of its effects on GI motility and visceral pain.
针灸已被用于治疗各种胃肠道（GI）疾病。然而，针灸的机制仍不清楚。
本文旨在综述已发表的关于针灸对肠道神经调节作用机制的文献。
针灸治疗包括将细针插入皮肤和下面的肌肉，然后手动或电动刺激针。因此，针灸刺激皮肤和肌肉的躯体传入神经。来自身体的躯体感觉信息被传递到大脑皮层区域。躯体感觉纤维也投射到脑干和下丘脑的各种核。通过躯体自主反射，针灸调节各种生物力学反应，如促动力、止吐和抗痛觉作用。
根据中医理论，“针灸被认为可以恢复阴阳平衡”。这可以用西医术语翻译为“针灸调节副交感神经和交感神经活动之间的失衡”。由于针灸对胃肠道动力和内脏疼痛的影响，它可能对功能性胃肠道疾病患者有效。
