Full list of conditions treated with acupuncture

See below for the following lists of conditions treated with acupuncture:

World Health Organization's: Indications for Acupuncture

California Department of Consumer Affairs - Acupuncture Board: Conditions treated with acupuncture

You may also view a list of medical diagnoses that I have personally treated in my clinical practice.

The World Health Organization commissioned a review of the evidence basis for acupuncture treatment from the University of Birmingham (UK) in 2006, and offers the following conclusions:

Table 1: World Health Organization indications "for which acupuncture has been proved through clinical trials to be an effective treatment:"

  • Respiratory: allergic rhinitis
  • Gastrointestinal: biliary colic, dysentery, epigastralgia (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis and gastrospasm), morning sickness, nausea and vomiting
  • Pain: facial pain, headache, knee pain, low back pain, neck pain, dental and temporomandibular pain, periarthritis of the shoulder, postoperative pain, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, sprain, tennis elbow
  • Gynaecological/renal: colic, primary dysmenorrhoea, induction of labour, correction of malposition of fetus
  • Cardiovascular: hypertension, hypotension, strokePsychiatric: depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
  • General: adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, leukopenia

Table 2. WHO list of indications for which "a therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown, but further evidence is needed:"

  • Respiratory: asthma, post-extubation in children, whooping cough
  • Ear, nose, and throat, eye and mouth: eye pain, epistaxis (nose bleeds), herpes zoster, Menier's disease, sore throat, Sjogren syndrome
  • Gastrointestinal: cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, gastrokinetic disturbance,
    hepatitis B carrier status, ulcerative colitis
  • Neurolo-psychiatric: anxiety, Bell's palsy, depression, facial spasm, neuralgia, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, dementia, schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome
  • Pain: abdominal pain, cancer pain, earache, fibromyalgia, gouty arthritis, osteoarthritis, radicular pain, spinal pain, pain due to endoscopic examination, stiff neck, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, Tietze syndrome
  • Skin: acne vulgaris, neurodermatitis, pruritus
  • Gynaecological/renal: female infertility, female urethral syndrome, hypoovarianism, labour pain, overactive bladder, polycystic ovary syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, urinary tract infections
  • Male sexual dysfunction: prostatitis, , bladder infections, recurrent lower urinary tract infection, urolithiasis, retention of urine
  • Cardiovascular: cardiac neurosis, hyperlipaemia, pain in thromboangiitis, Raynaud's syndrome
  • General: alcohol dependence, competition stress syndrome, craniocerebral injury, diabetes (non-insulin dependent), haemorrhagic fever, obesity,  insomnia, lactation deficiency, opium, cocaine and heroin, dependence, post operative convalescence, tobacco dependence

The California Acupuncture Board of the Department of Consumer Affairs offers the following advice regarding "conditions treated with acupuncture:"

How effective the treatment is depends on the severity and nature of the condition being treated. Acupuncturists are trained to identify conditions that may require referral to a specialist, so it is important for you to provide detailed information about your condition so that important medical problems are not overlooked.

If you are under the simultaneous care of different health practitioners, it is important to keep all of them informed about your treatments to ensure there are no adverse interactions.

The following is a list of health conditions commonly treated by licensed acupuncturists:

  1. allergies/asthma
  2. anxiety/depression
  3. arthritis/joint problems
  4. back pain
  5. bladder/kidney problems
  6. constipation/diarrhea
  7. colds/influenza
  8. cough/bronchitis
  9. dizziness
  10. drug/alcohol/smoking
  11. addiction
  12. fatigue
  13. gastrointestinal disorders
  14. gynecological disorders
  15. headache/migraine
  16. >heart problems/palpitations
  17. high blood pressure
  18. immune system deficiency
  19. knee pain
  20. menopausal discomfort
  21. musculoskeletal injuries
  22. pre-menstrual syndrome
  23. paralysis/numbness
  24. rhinitis
  25. sciatica
  26. sexual dysfunction
  27. side effects of chemotherapy
  28. sinusitis
  29. skin problems
  30. stress/tension
  31. stroke rehabilitation
  32. tendonitis"

Don't see your condition listed above? Please contact us for a free phone consultation to discuss your diagnosis and whether acupuncture may be appropriate for you.

Acupuncture has been used for over 3,000 years in China to treat a wide spectrum of injuries and illnesses. Acupuncture efficacy has not yet been studied for all conditions. Acupuncture's safety and low cost make it a reasonable option for most conditions even when efficacy has not yet been researched through clinical trials.

Acupuncture can also be performed even when a standard modern medical diagnosis is unknown or has not yet been established. However, a prior diagnosis is preferred to identify conditions which may require additional treatment beyond acupuncture.

For more information, you may Contact us, or use our Request Appointment form.