What Does Acupuncture Treat?
Acupuncture: Facts on Benefits & Conditions Treated
The World Health Organisation endorses acupuncture for approximately 40 conditions and states the evidence is suggestive for several dozen more.
Additionally, the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and various government reports have studied and commented on the efficacy of acupuncture. There is general agreement that acupuncture is safe when administered by well-trained practitioners using sterile needles, and that further research is appropriate.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) | NHS
What Does Acupuncture Treat? – The NHS view on acupuncture conditions treated is: There are numerous complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) available in the UK. Some of these therapies have been known to help alleviate the symptoms of certain illnesses, in cases where orthodox medicine does not seem to have offered a complete solution. The government is committed to developing an NHS which is responsive to the needs and wishes of patients and which enables patients to play an active role in managing their health conditions. Complementary therapies are clearly attractive to a number of patients and may feature in a range of services that local NHS organisations provide.
A number of NHS hospitals already use various CAM therapies. For example, acupuncture is sometimes used to assist in childbirth and for other purposes in pain clinics.
Conditions Listed for Acupuncture Treatment
Autism,
Rheumatoid Arthritis,
Chronic asthma,
Bell’s palsy,
Bladder issues,
Breast enhancement,
Respiratory disease,
Cocaine dependence,
Bowel problems,
Dermatology – Skin problems,
Acne
Chemotherapy Side Effects Treatment
Depression,
Dizziness
Substance abuse,
Epilepsy,
Fatigue (Chronic-MS),
Fibromyalgia,
Flu,
Glaucoma,
Gynecologic conditions,
Severe headaches,
Elevated blood pressure,
Epilepsy,
Hot flashes,
IBS (irritable bowel),
Migraine headaches,
Nausea or vomiting,
Nocturnal enuresis ( bedwetting),
Pain (Back, legs, arms etc),
Paralysis,
Post-traumatic stress disorder,
PMS,
Shoulder pain,
Erectile dysfunction,
Sinus complications,
Smoking(quitting),
Stress,
Acute stroke and stroke rehabilitation,
Tendonitis,
Chinese acupuncturists list many other ailments where acupuncture has been shown to be effective and so it is always worth consulting a trained and qualified acupuncturist.
Scientists Seek Clues for Acupuncture’s Success
We thought you might like a second opinion on acupuncture conditions treated; and so here is an article published by the respected WebMD website that has become one of the leading authority websites on all things medical because of their unbiased reporting.
In what was hailed as “the largest, longest, and most rigorous study of acupuncture” ever conducted, acupuncture was found to reduce pain and improve function and movement among patients with osteoarthritis of the knee when used with other treatments.
That study paves the way for more and better research of acupuncture conditions treated, Wayne tells WebMD. “This was a landmark study not only in its finding for osteoarthritis. It shows that if we put resources into a carefully designed trial, we’re likely to see something definitive … we may be able to say with more certainty that other [applications of acupuncture] are effective.”
Cancer Side Effects: Nausea and vomiting — the distressing side effects of chemotherapy — respond well to acupuncture. A study published a few years ago showed that acupuncture plus antinausea medication worked better than just medication alone. The NIH “has given us two thumbs up,” Wayne says.
Depression: A study in the late 1990s from the University of Arizona showed that clinically depressed women responded well to a course of acupuncture. Other preliminary studies of anxiety and depression show that anxiety related to medical procedures can be resolved with some acupuncture at treatment time, Wayne adds.
Stroke: Results from a study of acupuncture in treating stroke patients are just coming in. “We’ve seen responses, even among people who suffered their strokes many years ago,” Wayne reports. “Their chronic paralysis and spasticity are responding well.” However, results from other stroke studies have not always shown an effect. More research is needed, he notes.
Pelvic Pain: A study currently underway involves endometriosis-related pelvic pain in young women. “It’s a very serious condition in which the standard course of [drug treatment] doesn’t always work,” says Wayne. “They can’t go to school or do sports. The last resort is to induce menopause in 15-year-old girls. But there’s some evidence acupuncture may help.”
Infertility: Acupuncture also boosts the effectiveness of high-tech reproductive medicine procedures. Small studies have found that adding acupuncture to traditional in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments increased pregnancy success. There is also evidence that acupuncture stimulates blood flow and egg production in women who can’t — or don’t want to — use fertility medications to help them get pregnant.
The treatment “has a calming, restorative effect that increases a sense of well-being and ultimately helps the body to accept the creation of life,” said acupuncturist Ifeoma Okoronkwo, MD, a professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, in an earlier interview. Studies have shown a clear link between acupuncture conditions treated and the body’s natural “feel good” brain chemicals.
Acupuncture also appears to affect three areas critical to egg production and ovulation: two areas of the brain that control hormone production (the hypothalamus and pituitary glands) as well as the ovaries. “My guess is that acupuncture is changing the blood supply to the ovaries, possibly dilating the arteries and increasing blood flow, so that ultimately, the ovaries are receiving greater amounts of hormonal stimulation,” Sandra Emmons, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Oregon Health Sciences University, told WebMD in a previous interview.
Acupuncture may also “boost” the uterine lining when it is too weak to sustain a pregnancy, a problem known to increase the risk of miscarriage.
To read the full article click here
A few words of comment on the above article.
In my almost 30 years of practising Chinese medicine I am happy to say I have treated all the conditions mentioned above and achieved successful positive results for 100% of my patients. I thank all who have put their trust in me and hope I may be allowed to help you to a stress-free life of better health.
Dr Chen
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