Objective To explore the relieving effect of electroacupuncture on the anxiety behaviors of pain- aversion rats and its effects on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Methods Healthy rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group ( NS group), model group (C-CPA group), normal electroacupuncture group (EA1 group), and pre-electroacupuncture group (EA2 group). The rats of the C-CPA, EA1, and EA2 groups were established pain-aversion models that were injected subcutaneously in the hind paw with complete Freund’ s adjuvant (CFA) and were acclimatized to one side of the cage apparatus to induce conditioned place avoidance (CPA) responses. The rats in the EA1 group underwent intervention with electroacupuncture after modeling, while those in the EA2 group underwent intervention 3 days before modeling. The paw withdrawal thresholds ( PWTs) and anxiety behaviors of rats were observed. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of GABA receptor ( GABAAR, GABABR) and NMDA receptor ( NR2A, NR2B) in the ACC. Results Compared with the NS group, the CPA scores of the C-CPA, EA1, and EA2 groups were decreased (P< 0. 01), and there was no significant difference among the groups, which indicated that the establishment of the pain aversion rat model was successful. Moreover, there was no significant changes in PWTs before modeling. After modeling, rats in the C-CPA group showed hyperalgesia (P< 0. 01) and pain-related anxiety behaviors (P< 0. 01). PWTs and pain-related anxiety behaviors of the rats in the EA1 and EA2 groups were significantly relieved (P< 0. 01 and P< 0. 05, respectively), and there were no significant differences between the two groups (P> 0. 05). Compared with the NS group, GABAAR protein expression in the ipsilateral ACC of the C-CPA, EA1, and EA2 groups was significantly increased (P< 0. 05). There was no significant difference in GABAAR expression in the ipsilateral ACC between the C-CPA and EA1 groups (P> 0. 05), but GABAAR expression in the ipsilateral ACC of the EA2 group was decreased compared with that of the C-CPA group (P< 0. 05). There was no significant difference between the EA1 and EA2 groups (P> 0. 05). GABABR, NR2A, and NR2B expression in the ipsilateral ACC exhibited no differences among the NS, C-CPA, EA1, and EA2 groups (P> 0. 05). Conclusions Both normal- and pre-electroacupuncture intervention could relieve the pain and pain-related anxiety behaviors of C-CPA pain aversion models. The efficacy of pre-electroacupuncture intervention may be related to inhibition of GABAAR expression in the ipsilateral ACC.