When the needle enters the body, what is triggered is not only sensation, but the tangible activation of mechanoreceptors.

Physical-to-biological conversion: By stimulating Aδ and C fibers, as well as TRP and Piezo ion channels on the cell membrane, a physical stimulus is converted into an electrochemical response.

Meaning: This indicates that pathways on the cell membrane are physically “opened,” initiating the first step of signal transmission.

Once nerves are activated, the signal does not only travel to the brain; it also performs a local “environmental cleanup” within tissues:

Autonomic rebalancing: It suppresses an overactive sympathetic state and engages the vagus nerve (Vagus Nerve), which supports repair and metabolism. Cells shift from an anxious “stress mode” back to a “repair mode.”

Neuro-immune regulation: Signals released from nerve endings promote macrophage polarization toward an anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotype and suppress inflammatory cytokines such as TNF−α. This creates a cleaner, lower-stress microenvironment for cells to survive and function.

In many cases, cellular dysfunction is not because cells are “broken,” but because they are forced to operate in an incorrect signaling environment. Through neural transmission, acupuncture helps recalibrate three key levels:

Ion balance: Restores membrane potential dynamics (Ca2+, Na+, K+), directly improving secretion and signal transduction.

Mitochondrial activation: Reduces oxidative stress (ROS) and increases ATP (energy) production, allowing cells to become “fully powered.”

Barrier repair: Stabilizes tight junctions between cells, enabling tissues to return to coordinated function.

Without Deqi, it suggests the stimulus intensity has not crossed the neural threshold.

Ineffective stimulation: If only the skin surface is reached, the deeper fascia-level neuro-immune interface may not be activated.

Physiological reset: “Deqi” represents a stimulation dose strong enough to induce a physiological reset (Physiological Reset), rather than merely producing pain sensation.

Acupuncture “Deqi” works by activating mechanoreceptors and reshaping the body-wide signaling environment, helping cells step out of chronic inflammation and return to a normal operating state with sufficient energy.

To examine how “Deqi” may translate from neural-level activation into cellular repair, two representative research directions are summarized below:

1. Chronic Inflammation & Vagus Nerve Modulation (Chronic Inflammation & Vagus Nerve)

In experiments published in top-tier journals such as Nature, researchers tested acupuncture interventions in the context of cytokine storm (Cytokine Storm).

Procedure: Deep needling at ST36 (Zusanli) was performed to elicit “Deqi.”

Mechanism: Needling activated PROKR2 sensory neurons and subsequently engaged the “vagus–adrenal axis.”

Result: Cellular-level measurements showed significant reductions in pro-inflammatory factors TNF and IL−6. This supports the idea that the strong signal associated with “Deqi” can regulate systemic immune balance at a distance, allowing cells caught in an inflammatory storm to regain physiological breathing room.

2. Diabetic Foot and Microcirculation Repair (Diabetic Microcirculation)

At its core, delayed healing in chronic wounds reflects disrupted “electrolyte balance and energy metabolism” within the microenvironment.

Observation: In acupuncture treatments for patients with diabetic neuropathy, when local soreness/distension (“Deqi”) could be elicited, an immediate increase in cutaneous blood perfusion could be observed.

Mechanism: Nerve endings release CGRP (calcitonin gene–related peptide), a potent vasodilator.

Result: Improved local oxygen delivery reduces mitochondrial ROS, enabling fibroblasts—previously “shut down” in a high-glucose environment—to resume collagen synthesis.