[Research progress on vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain]

Chronic pain is a common clinical symptom that seriously affects patients' quality of life. Traditional pharmacological treatments often have limited efficacy and are accompanied by many adverse effects. A large number of clinical and basic studies have focused on exploring the pathogenesis and therapeutic approaches of chronic pain, making it a research hotspot in clinical medicine. Increasing evidence indicates that the vagus nerve participates in pain signal transmission through multiple pathways, and the underlying mechanisms may involve neuroinflammation, the brain-gut axis, and central regulatory systems. As an emerging neuromodulation technique, vagus nerve stimulation has attracted considerable attention because of its unique therapeutic mechanisms and promising clinical application prospects. A systematic overview of the anatomical basis of vagus nerve involvement in pain modulation, the analgesic mechanisms of vagus nerve stimulation, current clinical applications, technological optimization, and future development directions may provide references for better clinical application of vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain.