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Acupuncture Efficacy and Indications
Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for a
wide variety of medical conditions, according to both historical
clinical experience, patient satisfaction surveys, and modern
scientific research.
Acupuncture has been widely used for over 3,000
years in East Asia to treat the full spectrum of illnesses and
injuries known to humankind. Due to its history of safety and
efficacy, acupuncture has become the subject of over 1,000 published
clinical trials in the last 30 years.
In 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
issued a consensus report that concluded "The data in support of
acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western Medical
therapies…There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to
expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further
studies of its physiology and clinical value"
[1].
The World Health Organization has also issued an
extensive review of clinical trials of acupuncture[2].
The following conditions are identified in the NIH, WHO, and more
recent reports as those for which acupuncture efficacy has been
demonstrated through controlled trials.
What Can
Acupuncture Treat? Evidence from Modern Clinical Research
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General
neuro-musckuloskeletal
-
Sprains/strains
-
Muscle
pain and spasm
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Tendonitis, bursitis, capsulitis
-
Joint pain, arthritis
-
Fibromyalgia |
Neck and back
- Neck pain (including whiplash)
- Low back pain
- Disc herniation and degeneration
- Spinal nerve
pain & sciatica
- Sacroiliac sprain/strain
- Spondylosis and stenosis |
Head, Face & Dental
-
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
-
Sore throat and tonsillitis
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TMJ syndrome
-
Dental pain
- Tension and migraine headache |
|
Shoulder and arm
-
Carpal tunnel syndrome
-
Rotator cuff syndrome
- Shoulder impingement syndrome
-
Tennis and
Golfer’s elbow |
Hip, knee, leg,
and foot
- Hip and knee arthritis
- Knee ligament injuries
- Patello-femoral & IT band pain
- Achilles tendonitis
- Ankle sprain
- Plantar fasciitis |
Internal & endocrine
- Abdominal pain
- Asthma
- Diabetes mellitus
- Gallbladder stones, inflammation
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension and hypotension
- Stomach pain (reflux, gastritis)
- Ulcerative colitis |
|
Reproductive systems
-
Painful menses
-
Pre-menstrual syndrome
-
Urinary tract infection
-
Male sexual dysfunction
-
Prostatitis |
Psychiatry
-
Depression
-
Anxiety |
Infectious diseases
-
Colds, flus
-
Herpes zoster (shingles) |
[1] Acupuncture. NIH Consensus Statement 1997 Nov
3-5; 15(5): 1-34. This report may be downloaded for free on-line at
http://consensus.nih.gov
[2] "acupuncture_trials.pdf," World Health
Organization, 1996 (free download at:
www.who.int/medicines/library/trm/acupuncture/).
The NIH Report (1997) concludes: "Further
research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture
will be useful."
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