Chronic pain has emerged as a prevalent medical challenge in contemporary society. Patients suffering from chronic pain frequently develop comorbid psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and various psychiatric syndromes. These psychological complications not only affect patients’ pain perception and responses, but may also constitute critical obstacles during pain management interventions. Acupuncture is a long-established clinical practice that has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in alleviating diverse pain types and has shown favorable therapeutic outcomes in ameliorating emotional disturbances such as anxiety and depression. The precise mechanisms underlying acupuncture-induced analgesia and anxiolytic effects, however, remain to be fully elucidated. In this context, it is essential to establish suitable and stable animal models to allow in-depth investigations into the pathogenesis of pain-related emotional disorders and the mechanistic foundations of acupuncture. This article presents a comprehensive review of recent literature regarding the selection of experimental animals, model-establishment method ologies, and behavioral-assessment paradigms pertaining to animal model platforms of chronic pain with comorbid anxiety. We also provide an in-depth discussion of research advancements regarding acupuncture intervention parameters, including needling techniques, acupoint selection, treatment duration, and efficacy evaluation within these animal models. This review proposes comprehensive and reference strategies for constructing preclinical animal models to investigate the mechanisms of acupuncture in managing chronic pain with comorbid anxiety, thus supporting scientific advancements in related research fields.