Scientists Trace How Acupuncture's Mechanical Force Becomes Pain

Scientists Trace How Acupuncture's Mechanical Force Becomes Pain

Acupuncture has been practiced for centuries, but the question of how a needle’s physical push becomes a biochemical signal that dulls pain has remained stubbornly open. A new study in mice, published in the journal Chinese Medicine, now maps a complete molecular chain from mechanical force to pain relief, identifying the stretch-activated ion channel Piezo1 in muscle cells at the ST36 acupoint as the critical first link. According to the resear…