Acupuncture-assisted anesthesia in surgical procedures: A comprehensive review of operational methods, technical details, ear and body acupoints application

Figure 2 Multilevel integrative mechanisms of acupuncture-assisted anesthesia. The multilayer integrative mechanisms of acupuncture-assisted anesthesia, including peripheral initiation, cerebral integration, and systemic effector outputs, are illustrated in this graphic. By activating local mast cells and A-fiber afferents at acupoints, needling stimulation transmits signals to the central nervous system. Endogenous opioid release (which naloxone reverses), oxytocin production, and regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis via corticotropin-releasing factor inhibition are all components of central integration. Sympathetic and vagal efferents carry out autonomic control, which permits bidirectional regulation of visceral processes like Oddi sphincter activity and the reduction of postoperative ileus. Myocardial protection, anti-inflammatory, neuroinhibitory, and mitochondrial preservation are examples of downstream effects. The neuroendocrine-immune network that these processes collectively form is what gives acupuncture its sedative, analgesic, and organ-protective effects. CRF: Corticotropin-releasing factor.