The effect of acupuncture on functional gastrointestinal disorders: A review of the literature

(doi:10.24875/NGL.20000037)

Mengjiang Lu, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of the Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
Jianbin Zhang, Department of Acupuncture. Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, Beijing, China
Patrick J. Morgan, Department of Acupuncture. Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, Beijing, China
Xiucai Fang, Department of Gastroenterology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), including esophageal, gastroduodenal, intestinal, centrally mediated gastrointestinal pain, gallbladder, sphincter of Oddi and anorectal disorders, are now considered disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). At present, there are limitations in drug treatment. Moreover, many patients fail to respond to these therapies. Acupuncture may be a valuable complementary therapy in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. In this review, we collected data on the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of DGBI, including functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, functional constipation and anorectal disorders, and explored the main mechanisms of acupuncture, including the gut-brain interaction, neuroimmune crosstalk and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation, and have presented our clinical experience in the use of acupuncture in the treatment of DGBI. 

Keywords: Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Acupuncture. Functional Dyspepsia. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Functional Constipation.