A meta-analysis of neuroimaging evidence for acupuncture-mediated modulation of altered central pain processing in patients with chronic pain - Takeaways - MDSpire

A meta-analysis of neuroimaging evidence for acupuncture-mediated modulation of altered central pain processing in patients with chronic pain

  • By

  • Xin Ma

  • XingXin Wang

  • WenHui Zhang

  • YuanXiang Liu

  • Jiguo Yang

  • Zhen Wang

  • May 1, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Acupuncture significantly improves neuroimaging indicators in brain regions associated with chronic pain processing.

  • 2

    The systematic review included 17 high-quality RCTs with 750 patients, primarily focusing on osteoarticular pain and migraine.

  • 3

    Acupuncture reduced Visual Analogue Scale scores and increased pain relief rates, demonstrating clinical efficacy.

  • 4

    The evidence for acupuncture's effectiveness in pain relief was rated as high, with only mild adverse events reported.

  • 5

    Further research is needed, including larger RCTs and multimodal neuroimaging studies, to validate acupuncture's effects.

Original Source(s)

A meta-analysis of neuroimaging evidence for acupuncture-mediated modulation of altered central pain processing in patients with chronic pain

  • by Xin Ma, XingXin Wang, WenHui Zhang, YuanXiang Liu, Jiguo Yang, Zhen Wang

  • May 1, 2026

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