Conditions Treated with Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide variety of conditions. Modern research continues to validate the effectiveness of this ancient healing art for many health concerns.
Below is a comprehensive list of conditions for which acupuncture has shown effectiveness, based on clinical studies and traditional practice.
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Proven effective
Case-controlled clinical studies have shown that acupuncture has been an effective treatment for the following diseases, symptoms or conditions:
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Research-supported
The following diseases, symptoms or conditions have limited but probable evidence to support the therapeutic use of acupuncture:
↗ links to an in-depth guide
Pain & Musculoskeletal
Biliary colicFacial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)HeadacheKnee painLow back painNeck painPain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)Periarthritis of shoulderPostoperative painRenal colicRheumatoid arthritisSciaticaSprainTennis elbowCancer painFibromyalgia and fasciitisGouty arthritisNeuralgia, post-herpeticOsteoarthritisPain due to endoscopic examinationPain in thromboangiitis obliteransPost-extubation in childrenPostoperative convalescenceRadicular and pseudoradicular pain syndromeRaynaud syndrome, primaryReflex sympathetic dystrophySpine pain, acuteStiff neckTemporomandibular joint dysfunctionTietze syndrome
Women's Health & Pregnancy
Dysmenorrhoea, primaryInduction of laborMalposition of fetus, correctionMenstrual crampsMorning sicknessFemale infertilityFemale urethral syndromeHypo-ovarianLabour painLactation, deficiencyPolycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome)Premenstrual syndrome
Digestive Health
Dysentery, acute bacillaryEpigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)Nausea and vomitingAbdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm)Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbationCholelithiasisGastrokinetic disturbanceHepatitis B virus carrier statusUlcerative colitis, chronic
Neurological & Mental Health
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)StrokeAlcohol dependence and detoxificationBell's palsyCardiac neurosisCompetition stress syndromeCraniocerebral injury, closedFacial spasmInsomniaMénière diseaseOpium, cocaine and heroin dependenceSchizophreniaTobacco dependenceTourette syndromeVascular dementia
Respiratory, ENT & Skin
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)Acne vulgarisBronchial asthmaEaracheEpidemic hemorrhagic feverEpistaxis, simple (without generalized or local disease)Eye pain due to subconjunctival injectionHerpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3)NeurodermatitisPruritusSialism, drug-induced (excessive salivation)Sjögren syndromeSore throat (including tonsillitis)Whooping cough (pertussis)
Cardiovascular & Metabolic
Hypertension, essentialHypotension, primaryLeukopeniaDiabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependentHyperlipaemiaObesity
Urinary & Men's Health
Male sexual dysfunction, non-organicProstatitis, chronicRecurrent lower urinary-tract infectionRetention of urine, traumaticUrolithiasis