Based on dozens of peer-reviewed studies, this article explores the mechanisms by which acupuncture promotes healing in injured peripheral nerves. There are a lot! The bottom line:
We have found that after peripheral nerve injury… the entire nervous system is altered accordingly. Acupuncture not only reverses the poor remodeling of the nervous system but also activates the central opioid system and the innate immunological effector cells in the nervous system to ameliorate pain. Acupuncture can promote the proliferation and migration of Schwann cells and the release of neurotrophic substances such as nerve growth factors, accelerating the regeneration and repair of nerve fibers… Overall, this review of studies provides strong evidence for the usefulness of acupuncture in the treatment of PNI.
Front Cell Neurosci. 2023;17:1253438. Published 2023 Oct 24. doi:10.3389/fncel.2023.1253438
