Recent advances in acupuncture for pain relief

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Pain Management
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Acupuncture therapy is globally recognized for its role in health promotion and pain management.
• Growing evidence supports acupuncture's efficacy for both acute and chronic pain conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an updated review of the evidence base for acupuncture analgesia in research and clinical practice.
• To elaborate on the 2023 International Association for the Study of Pain's focus on acupuncture for pain relief.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing evidence and best practices for acupuncture analgesia.
• Elaboration on the 2023 International Association for the Study of Pain's "Factsheet Acupuncture for Pain Relief".

Main Results:

• Acupuncture analgesia involves local physiological responses, modulation of nociceptive signaling, and release of endogenous opioids.
• Neuroimaging studies show acupuncture modulates brain networks involved in sensory, affective, and cognitive pain processing.
• Acupuncture may target pain sources like inflammation by modulating autonomic pathways, and its effectiveness is influenced by technique and provider expertise.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture is a safe and effective complementary therapy for various pain disorders.
• Despite heterogeneous evidence quality, acupuncture's cost-effectiveness and low risk profile support its consideration as a non-pharmacological pain therapy.