Research Progress on the Efficacy and Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Chronic Gastritis

Chronic gastritis (CG) is a prevalent digestive disorder. It progresses through multiple stages, has an insidious onset, and can lead to severe complications if untreated. Modern treatments primarily aim to eradicate Helicobacter pylori and relieve symptoms. However, drug resistance and adverse effects often limit their effectiveness. As a primary traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy, acupuncture treats CG through multi-target mechanisms. This review systematically outlines the classification and pathology of CG. It also comprehensively analyzes animal and clinical studies on acupuncture for CG from the past decade. The study summarizes the mechanisms of acupuncture and related therapies for CG, covering gastric mucosal function, metabolism, intestinal flora, gastrointestinal hormones, apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. It further explores the relationships among diseases, interventions, acupoints, and molecular pathways. Additionally, it compares the therapeutic profiles of different external therapies. The review also examines the current state of clinical research, including the selection of acupoints, treatment duration, and outcome assessment. The results demonstrate that external therapies effectively alleviate common CG symptoms such as abdominal distension, acid reflux, and stomach pain. These treatments also improve gastric mucosal health and modulate serum levels of inflammatory factors, oxidative stress markers, and gastrointestinal hormones. In vivo experiments using chronic non-atrophic gastritis (CNAG) and chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) models confirm these benefits, showing changes in key biomarkers and elucidating potential mechanisms. Nevertheless, future high-quality, large-sample clinical trials are still needed to firmly establish efficacy. Further mechanistic studies are also needed to validate the interconnections among relevant signaling pathways.