Research advances in the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in regulating gastrointestinal motility and related thinking

Gastrointestinal motility dysfunction is not only a pathogenic factor but also a pathological manifestation. The authors summarize the recent studies on the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in regulating gastrointestinal motility and analyze the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on the brain-vagus-enteric nervous system, interstitial cells of Cajal, gastrointestinal peptides, gastrointestinal smooth muscle, and signaling pathways. The authors also put forward some suggestions for future research, including the research centering on gastrointestinal motility to explore the role of acupuncture and moxibustion in regulating gastrointestinal motility for disease prevention and treatment, specificity of acupoints, and dual-directional regulation of acupuncture and moxibustion, and the research focusing on intestinal microflora and influential factors for excitability of enteric neurons to explore the potential mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in regulating gastrointestinal motility, in order to provide a reference for future research.