What Does Acupuncture Treat?

In 2003, the World Health Organization published "Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials". This report (here is a summary and the full report in PDF form), often cited on acupuncturist's websites, lists the following:

Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved-through controlled trials-to be an effective treatment:

• Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
• Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
• Biliary colic
• Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
• Dysentery, acute bacillary
• Dysmenorrhoea, primary
• Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
• Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
• Headache
• Hypertension, essential
• Hypotension, primary
• Induction of labour
• Knee pain
• Leukopenia
• Low back pain
• Malposition of fetus, correction of
• Morning sickness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Neck pain
• Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
• Periarthritis of shoulder
• Postoperative pain
• Renal colic
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sciatica
• Sprain
• Stroke
• Tennis elbow

Your acupuncturist can tell you that this list is far from complete. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complete medical system in and of itself, which can effectively treat nearly any condition. As research progresses, traditional medicine and bacteriological medicine are becoming partners in delivering the best health to people the world over.

As a patient, you should look for health care practitioners who have a broad-minded approach to medicine. Ideally you'll want not only an M.D. who is open to Chinese medicine, but a Chinese medicine practitioner who knows about your condition from both Western and Eastern perspectives. Tell your doctor about your acupuncturist! Tell them how much it helps you. If you have a serious condition like cancer, your doctor and your acupuncturist must coordinate your care for the best results.