1. Acupuncture-Analgesia-Mediated Alleviation of Central Sensitization.
- Author
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Lai, Hsiang-Chun, Lin, Yi-Wen, and Hsieh, Ching-Liang
- Subjects
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CENTRAL nervous system physiology , *HEADACHE treatment , *IRRITABLE colon treatment , *NEURALGIA , *OSTEOARTHRITIS treatment , *LUMBAR pain , *PAIN management , *ACUPUNCTURE , *ANALGESIA , *ASPARTIC acid , *INFLAMMATORY mediators , *INFORMATION storage & retrieval systems , *MEDICAL databases , *MEDLINE , *NARCOTICS , *ONLINE information services , *PROPIONIC acid , *SEROTONIN , *SYSTEMATIC reviews , *THERAPEUTICS - Abstract
Pain can trigger central amplification called central sensitization, which ultimately results in hyperalgesia and/or allodynia. Many reports have showed acupuncture has an analgesic effect. We searched the related article on PubMed database and Cochrane database to discover central sensitization pathway in acupuncture analgesia. We summarized that acupuncture enhances the descending inhibitory effect and modulates the feeling of pain, thus modifying central sensitization. The possible mechanisms underlying the analgesic effects of acupuncture include segmental inhibition and the activation of the endogenous opioid, adrenergic, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid/kainate pathways. Moreover, acupuncture can locally reduce the levels of inflammatory mediators. In clinical settings, acupuncture can be used to treat headache, neuropathic pain, low back pain, osteoarthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. These mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia may be involved in the alleviation of central sensitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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