Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder that causes recurrent abdominal (
visceral) pain. Epidemiological data show that the incidence rate of IBS is as high as 25%. Most of the medications may lead to tolerance, addiction and toxic side effects.
Moxibustion is an important component of
traditional Chinese medicine and has been used to treat IBS-like
abdominal pain for several thousand years in China. As a mild treatment,
moxibustion has been widely applied in clinical treatment of
visceral pain in IBS. In recent years, it has played an irreplaceable role in
alternative medicine. Extensive clinical studies have demonstrated that
moxibustion for treatment of
visceral pain is simple, convenient, and inexpensive, and it is being accepted by an increasing number of patients. There have not been many studies investigating the
analgesic mechanisms of
moxibustion. Studies exploring the
analgesic mechanisms have mainly focused on visceral
hypersensitivity, brain-gut axis neuroendocrine system, and immune system. This paper reviews the latest developments in
moxibustion use for treatment of
visceral pain in IBS from these perspectives. It also evaluates potential problems in relevant studies on the mechanisms of
moxibustion therapy to promote the application of
moxibustion in the treatment of IBS.