Acupuncture biomechanics: From mechanical stimulation to biological effects

How acupuncture works is of significant scientific value and strategic importance in life sciences. The efficacy of acupuncture has been validated in clinic for millennia and has been widely recognized globally. The effects of acupuncture involve complex, multilevel, and multi target biological processes, including the regulation of neural reflex pathways, release of endogenous substances, and remodeling of immune regulatory networks. However, previous research has predominantly focused on the molecular basis of signal transduction, neural coding principles, and systemic effects on bodily homeostasis, while overlooking a core element of the mechanical signals generated by acupuncture. Accordingly, we propose establishing acupuncture bomechanics as a new interdisciplinary discipline. This paper aims to systematically elucidate how acupuncture-induced mechanical stimuli propagate through biological tissues, how distinct cell populations mechanotransduce these signals, and the resulting systemic biological effects. Focusing on the mechanical signals generated by acupuncture manipulation, we analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of mechanical parameters as the basis for investigation. To this end, we seek to establish a quantitative characterization system and a cross-scale integration model to rigorously analyze acupuncture mechanics. This mode of investigation includes the standardization of parameters for mechanical action, the modeling of acupuncture dose-effect relationships, and the mechanistic analysis of individual variability. By employing the characteristic spectrum of mechanical signals to predict therapeutic efficacy and refine manipulation strategies, the overarching goal is to establish acupuncture treatment protocols that are quantifiable, and verifiable. The development of acupuncture biomechanics as a discipline would offer a novel mechanical perspective on the mechanisms underlying acupuncture effects, catalyzing theoretical advancements that modernize acupuncture, and then pave the way for innovative theoretical frameworks in medicine and transformative shifts in clinical treatment paradigms. 针刺起效机制的研究是当代生命科学领域中兼具重大科学价值与战略意义的前沿命题.针刺疗法历经数千年临床实践的检验, 其疗效已获全球范围内的广泛认可.针刺效应涉及神经反射通路调控,内源性物质释放,免疫调节网络重塑等多层次,多靶点的复杂生物学过程.然而, 既往研究多聚焦于针刺信号转导的分子基础,神经编码规律及其对机体稳态的系统效应, 而相对忽视了贯穿针刺全过程的核心要素:针灸产生的力学信号.基于此, 本文倡导建立针刺生物力学这一新兴交叉学科理论体系, 旨在系统阐释针刺机械刺激在生物组织中的传导规律,不同细胞群体对力学微环境的感知与响应机制, 以及由此级联放大的系统性生物效应.该理论以针刺操作产生的力学信号为核心研究对象, 以力学参数的时空分布特征为分析起点, 旨在构建针刺力学信息的量化表征体系与跨尺度整合模型.其研究路径不仅包括力学作用参数的标准化,针刺剂量-效应关系的模型构建与个体化差异的机制解析, 更聚焦于基础机制向临床实践的转化路径.通过力学信号的特征谱系预测疗效类型,优化操作策略, 并最终实现针刺治疗方案的可量化,可模拟与可验证.倡导建立针刺生物力学学科, 旨在为针刺效应机制研究提供力学视角, 为针灸学的现代化发展注入新的理论动力, 进而推动医学理论体系的创新与临床治疗模式的变革.