Through controlled clinical trials studies, acupuncture is proven to be effective treatment for the following health conditions:
- 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
Below is a supplementary list of common health conditions whereby the “therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed”:
- Cancer Pain
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Insomnia
- Obesity
- Osteoarthritis
- Premenstrual Syndrome (and a host of other Women’s Health issues)
- Schizophrenia
- Tobacco Dependency
Source: Acupuncture : Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials Geneva: World Health Organization, 2003.