A large body of evidence of clinical and experimental outcomes showed that acupuncture and moxibustion can effectively treat disorders of small intestinal motility.The present article collected related literatures and made an analysis on the correlation between the effect of acupuncture-moxibustion intervention and needle-manipulation techniques

stimulating quantities

acupoint recipes

and the body functional states

as well as the corresponding mechanisms.Results indicate that acupuncture stimulation of acupoints of the limbs mainly enhance the motility of the small intestine

while acupuncture stimulation of acupoints in the abdominal region predominately suppress it

which may be closely associated with its effects on activities of the autonomic nervous system.This conclusion tells us that in clinical treatment of small intestinal hypodynamia

acupoints of the limbs should be selected first while in treating intestinal hyperdynamia

those acupoints in the abdominal region should be taken preferably.In addition

at present

non-invaded detection techniques of the small intestinal motility are definitely and urgently needed and will greatly promote the progress of researches of acu-moxibustion on the mechanism underlying modulation of small intestinal motility.