A Suggestion on the Action Mechanisms of Acupuncture Treatment for Controlling Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

A randomised, pragmatic clinical trial of ACUpuncture plus standard care versus standard care alone FOr Chemotherapy Induced peripheral Neuropathy (ACUFOCIN)

“…This may be why acupuncture can reduce perception of pain and increase sensation in the case of ‘numbness’ – two key problematic manifestations of peripheral neuropathy. Reviews of the literature have proposed that acupuncture reduces central sensitization or hyper-reactivity, through mechanisms such as segmental inhibition and the release of endogenous opioids ( Lai et al, 2019 ; Seo et al, 2020 ). Research points to the involvement of a variety of endogenous ligands as biochemical mediators in the acupuncture response to not only opioids (e.g., β-endorphin), but neurotransmitters (e.g., GABA, glutamate), neuropeptides (e.g., oxytocin) and neurotrophins (e.g., nerve growth factor) ( Armstrong et al, 2020 ; Li et al, 2013 ), suggesting acupuncture may cause the release of biochemical mediators that work directly on the nervous system.…”