Visceral pain is the most common form of pain caused by varied diseases and a major reason for patients to seek medical\nconsultation. Despite much advances, the pathophysiological mechanism is still poorly understood comparing with its somatic\ncounterpart and, as a result, the therapeutic efficacy is usually unsatisfactory. Acupuncture has long been used for the management\nof numerous disorders in particular pain and visceral pain, characterized by the high therapeutic benefits and low adverse effects.\nPrevious findings suggest that acupuncture depresses pain via activation of a number of neurotransmitters or modulators including\nopioid peptides, serotonin, norepinephrine, and adenosine centrally and peripherally. It endows us, by advancing the understanding\nof the role of ion channels and gut microbiota in pain process, with novel perspectives to probe the mechanisms underlying\nacupuncture analgesia. In this review, after describing the visceral innervation and the relevant afferent pathways, in particular\nthe ion channels in visceral nociception, we propose three principal mechanisms responsible for acupuncture induced benefits on\nvisceral pain. Finally, potential topics are highlighted regarding the future studies in this field.
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