Chinese acupoint therapies in cancer pain management: research advances and future perspectives.

Abstract

Cancer pain management (CPM) is crucial in oncology care, with current approaches including pharmacotherapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, nerve blocks, and psychological support. However, long-term drug use risks adverse effects and addiction, while physiotherapies often lack sustained efficacy. Therefore, identifying safer adjuvant analgesic therapies has become an urgent issue. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupoint therapies (acupuncture, moxibustion, and acupoint injection) offer safer adjuvant analgesia with growing clinical validation. This narrative review aims to introduce the research progress of acupoint therapy in alleviating cancer pain and the role of emerging technologies in advancing acupoint therapy. All literature selections were sourced exclusively from PubMed and CNKI databases. First, we briefly introduce the mechanisms of cancer pain, outline relevant evaluation methods, and summarize the limitations of existing CPM strategies. Additionally, we discuss the therapeutic effects, underlying mechanisms, and potential improvements of acupoint therapies in CPM. Notably, recent advancements in information technology, artificial intelligence, and materials science, along with the development of noninvasive stimulation methods and innovative devices, have significantly advanced the understanding of acupoint treatment mechanisms and expanded their clinical applications. Finally, we highlight the challenges and future directions for TCM acupoint therapies. This study provides clinical insights and recommendations for CPM.