How are pain, stress, and sleep connected?

Pain, psychological stress, and poor sleep often reinforce one another. Pain increases stress, stress disrupts sleep, and inadequate sleep can heighten pain sensitivity.

疼痛、心理壓力與睡眠品質常彼此影響。 疼痛會增加壓力，壓力干擾睡眠，而睡眠不足又可能放大疼痛感受。

Where may acupuncture help?

In appropriate situations, acupuncture may help support pain relief, promote relaxation, and improve sleep quality, especially when used alongside standard care.

在合適情況下，針灸可能有助於支持疼痛緩解、 促進放鬆，並改善睡眠品質，特別是與常規醫療並行時。

What acupuncture cannot do

Acupuncture does not eliminate the underlying cause of all pain or stress-related disorders and should not replace medical or psychological treatment.

針灸無法消除所有疼痛或壓力相關問題的根本原因， 也不應取代醫療或心理治療。

Pain, stress, and sleep as an interconnected system

Pain perception, stress response, and sleep regulation share overlapping neural pathways, involving cortical, limbic, and brainstem structures. Dysregulation in one domain may exacerbate disturbances in the others.

疼痛感知、壓力反應與睡眠調控涉及重疊的神經網絡， 包括大腦皮質、邊緣系統與腦幹結構。 任一環節失衡，都可能加重其他面向的問題。

Acupuncture and supportive symptom regulation

Clinical studies suggest acupuncture may influence pain modulation, stress-related arousal, and sleep quality through central and peripheral mechanisms. Effects are generally modest and vary by condition and individual.

臨床研究顯示，針灸可能透過中樞與周邊機制， 影響疼痛調節、壓力相關的喚醒狀態與睡眠品質。 其效果多為中等，且因疾病類型與個體差異而異。

Role within integrative care

Within an integrative care framework, acupuncture is best positioned as a supportive intervention aimed at improving comfort, resilience, and participation in daily life and rehabilitation.

在整合照護架構中，針灸較適合被定位為 提升舒適度、復原力與日常生活／復健參與度的支持性介入。

References are provided for educational purposes.

PubMed search: acupuncture AND pain AND sleep
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=acupuncture+pain+sleep+systematic+review

PubMed search: acupuncture AND stress
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=acupuncture+stress+review