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Research Advances in Acupuncture Treatment for Chronic Pain
Zhaoyue Chen1, Chuchu Lu1, Linqi Yang2
1Department of Acupuncture and Massage College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
Objective:
This study employs bibliometric methods to systematically analyze the current state and developmental trajectory of acupuncture research in chronic pain treatment over the past decade, aiming to identify key research areas and emerging frontiers.
Methods:
This study collected animal experiment publications related to acupuncture for chronic pain from the Web of Science Core Collection database and utilized CiteSpace 6.3.R1 to perform a visual analysis, thereby constructing a corresponding knowledge map.
Results:
China leads in total publication volume, while the USA excels in international collaboration networks. Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University and author Fang Jianqiao rank first among institutions and authors, respectively. As a highly cited scholar, Han JS's research demonstrates that electrical stimulation at different frequencies can promote the release of specific neuropeptides to exert analgesic effects. Neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain, and hyperalgesia represent current research hotspots. Highly cited literature primarily focuses on investigating inflammatory mechanisms.
Conclusions:
Research indicates that the mechanism of acupuncture involves regulation of the neuroendocrine-immune network, with improvement of peripheral sensitization and central sensitization serving as the core mechanisms for acupuncture treatment of chronic pain. Emerging mechanism research focuses on deeper molecular mechanisms, such as phosphorylation, signaling pathways, and epigenetics. However, research into molecular-level mechanisms such as epigenetic regulation remains in its infancy, and the interactions between molecules are still unclear. Furthermore, the dose-response relationship of different acupuncture parameters in chronic pain treatment has yet to be elucidated. These issues demand further in-depth research in the future. These mechanisms will better enable nurses to provide more scientifically sound explanations during patient education and make more effective intervention decisions in comprehensive pain management.
