The inflammatory response plays an important role in the onset

development and prognosis of inflammatory diseases and a variety of chronic diseases. Long-term uncontrolled inflammatory response may lead to dysfunction or loss of organ tissue function. Clinical practice and evidence-based medicine suggest that acupuncture can effectively alleviate the inflammatory status of various inflammatory diseases and chronic diseases. Stimulation of acupoints related to internal organs and target organs can initiate neuromodulation by modulating the microenvironment of acupoints. After integration of acupuncture stimulus information in the central nervous system

neurotransmitters

hormones

etc. are released and ultimately act on immune cells through neuro-endocrine-immune pathways

such as the vagus-mediated cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway

vagus nerve-adrenal medullary-dopamine pathway

somatic sympathetic nerve pathway

and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

etc. Ultimately

the intracellular signaling pathways and polarization balance of monocytes/macrophages and T cell subsets are regulated and the immune homeo-stasis of target organs of the body realizes. Therefore

we proposed that the anti-inflammatory action of acupuncture may be one of the universal therapeutic strategies for multiple diseases

and a powerful interpretation of acupuncture in regulating the balance of yin and yang. The elucidation of its anti-inflammatory action rules and mechanism may better realize the clinical transformation of acupuncture and moxibustion precision treatment.