What Does Acupuncture Treat?

World Health Organization List of Conditions That Can be Treated by Acupuncture

The World Health Organization (WHO) published an official report listing the symptoms, conditions, and diseases that have been shown in controlled trials to be treated effectively by acupuncture. These include:

Cardiovascular Disorders

• Essential hypertension

Neurological Disorders

• Essential hypertension
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Facial palsy (early stage, within three to six months)
• Paresis following stroke
• Peripheral neuropathies
• Meniere’s Disease
• Nocturnal enuresis
• Cervicobrachial syndrome
• Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
• Intercostal neuralgia
• Disc problems

Musculoskeletal Disorders

• Muscle pain, swelling, stiffness, and weakness
• Localized traumatic injuries, sprains, strains, tendonitis, contractures
• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Low back pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Frozen shoulder
• Tennis elbow
• Sciatica

Respiratory System Disorders

• Acute sinusitis
• Acute rhinitis
• Common cold
• Acute tonsillitis
• Acute bronchitis
• Bronchial asthma

Disorders of the Eye, Ear, Nose, and Mouth

• Acute conjunctivitis
• Central retinitis
• Myopia (in children)
• Cataract (without complications)
• Toothaches, post-extraction pain
• Gingivitis
• Acute and chronic pharyngitis

Gastrointestinal Disorders

• Spasms of esophagus and cardia
• Irritable bowel and colitis
• Hiccough
• Gastroptosis
• Acute and chronic gastritis
• Gastric hyperacidity
• Chronic duodenal ulcer (pain relief)
• Acute duodenal ulcer (without complication)
• Acute and chronic colitis
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Acute bacillary dysentery
• Paralytic ileus

Gynecological Disorders

• Infertility
• PMS
• Dysmenorrhea
• Menopause syndrome
• Benign irregular menstruation
• Benign amenorrhea

Psychological Disorders

• Depression
• Anxiety
• OCD
• PTSD
• Somatization disorder
• Hypersomnia
• Insomnia

Other Disorders

• Withdrawal from street and pharmacological drugs
• Appetite