Acupuncture Treatment of Autonomic Nervous Dysfunction in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Narrative Review

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting middle-age and elderly people. Its clinical manifestations include a series of progressive motor and nonmotor symptoms (NMS). Autonomic nervous dysfunction is a kind of NMS that includes constipation, hyperhidrosis, seborrheic dermatitis (sebaceous surface), salivation, sexual dysfunction, voiding dysfunction, and orthostatic hypotension. The incidence of autonomic nervous dysfunction is high, and the clinical manifestations are complex and changeable. It can occur before motor symptoms emerge, is closely related to the prognosis of PD, and affects quality of life seriously. Routine anti-PD drugs have little effect on improving autonomic nervous dysfunctions. Acupuncture for autonomic nervous dysfunction in PD induces a certain effect without adverse reactions, with potential advantages and broad prospects for application. This article summarizes and discusses the pathogenesis of autonomic nerve dysfunction in PD and acupuncture therapy for the condition to serve as a reference for clinical research.