Author: Gengqing Song1, Roberta Sclocco2,3, Amol Sharma4, Ingrid Guerrero-López5, Braden Kuo3
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA.
<sup>2</sup> Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
<sup>3</sup> Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
<sup>4</sup> Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
<sup>5</sup> Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, 08500 Vic, Spain.
Conference/Journal: Biomolecules
Date published: 2024 Jun 26
Other:
Volume ID: 14 , Issue ID: 7 , Pages: 760 , Special Notes: doi: 10.3390/biom14070760. , Word Count: 189
In the realm of gastroenterology, the inadequacy of current medical treatments for gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), coupled with their potential side effects, necessitates novel therapeutic approaches. Neuromodulation, targeting the nervous system's control of GI functions, emerges as a promising alternative. This review explores the promising effects of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS), magnetic neuromodulation, and acupuncture in managing these challenging conditions. VNS offers targeted modulation of GI motility and inflammation, presenting a potential solution for patients not fully relieved from traditional medications. Magnetic neuromodulation, through non-invasive means, aims to enhance neurophysiological processes, showing promise in improving GI function and reducing inflammation. Acupuncture and electroacupuncture, grounded in traditional medicine yet validated by modern science, exert comprehensive effects on GI physiology via neuro-immune-endocrine mechanisms, offering relief from motility and inflammatory symptoms. This review highlights the need for further research to refine these interventions, emphasizing their prospective role in advancing patient-specific management strategies for GI motility disorders and IBD, thus paving the way for a new therapeutic paradigm.
Keywords: acupuncture; electroacupuncture; gastrointestinal motility disorders; inflammatory bowel disease; magnetic neuromodulation; neuromodulation; vagal nerve stimulation.
PMID: 39062474 PMCID: PMC11275046 DOI: 10.3390/biom14070760