Researchers from the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences report new findings on Mar. 24 regarding the biological basis of acupoint sensitization, as published in a May 2025 review in Acupuncture Research. The study examines how diseases can cause functional and structural changes at specific body-surface sites, known as acupoints, turning them into sensitive indicators for diagnosis and responsive targets for therapy.
The topic is significant because it addresses longstanding debates over the static versus dynamic nature of acupoints within both traditional acupuncture theory and modern medical research. Understanding how disease alters sensory processing on the body surface may improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic outcomes in acupuncture practice.
The review systematically analyzes clinical and animal studies that show acupoint sensitization arises from neural connections between internal organs (viscera) and corresponding regions on the skin. Visceral pathology can activate shared spinal segments, leading to neurogenic inflammation characterized by mast cell accumulation, neuropeptide release, and microcirculatory changes. These processes create localized areas—referred to as "sensitization pools"—that present with pain hypersensitivity or temperature changes.
Large-scale clinical investigations involving more than 12,000 patients demonstrate consistent patterns linking certain diseases—including coronary heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and pulmonary dysfunction—to reversible distributions of sensitized acupoints. Experimental data also suggest that stimulating these sensitized points produces stronger biological effects than non-sensitized sites.
Mechanistically, the authors describe pathways such as dorsal root ganglia sympathetic-sensory coupling, axonal reflexes, dorsal root reflexes, and spinal dorsal horn neuronal sensitization that contribute to this phenomenon. Techniques like in vivo calcium imaging have shown that visceral inflammation increases neural responsiveness in related somatic regions. The author clarifies that while conventional point selection rules remain valid regardless of whether an acupoint is sensitized or not, recognizing which points are currently sensitive may help refine treatment decisions by identifying where therapeutic signals will be most effective.
"Acupoint sensitization represents a shift from viewing acupoints as static landmarks to understanding them as dynamic biological interfaces," the author notes. "These sites respond adaptively to pathological changes within the body, providing both diagnostic clues and optimized somatic sites for intervention." According to the review's conclusion, integrating knowledge about acupoint sensitization could enhance clinical research design by distinguishing true therapeutic effects from non-specific responses while improving precision medicine approaches across a range of visceral disorders.
