To explore current status, hot spots and development trends of acupuncture in the regulating of synaptic plasticity in the past 20 years based on bibliometrics. Methods: Experimental studies on the regulation of synaptic plasticity by acupuncture published in CNKI from 2002 to 2022 were cited as the literature source, CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to visually analyze authors, institutions and keywords. Results: A total of 169 studies were included. The studies came from 73 journals, and the number of articles published in Acupuncture Research was the highest. There were 421 authors involved, with Kong Lihong as the representative; 148 research institutions, represented by Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; 325 keywords, EA appeared most frequently. The clustering of keywords was significant, mainly including intervention methods, research diseases, targets and mechanisms of acupuncture in regulating synaptic plasticity. In recent years, emergent words have focused on the combination of acupuncture and medicine, cognitive function, and long-term potentiation, with significant persistence. Conclusion: In the past 20 years, the research field of acupuncture in regulating synaptic plasticity in China has developed rapidly, and a relatively stable research team and research direction have been formed.