Although practitioners know that acupuncture can treat a huge number of conditions, research is still ‘proving’ its effects. A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001 reviewed many clinical trials into the effects of
acupuncture. Although it didn’t cover every illness that acupuncture can treat, it did list 28 conditions that acupuncture has been proven to treat effectively and 63 where acupuncture has been shown to be effective but further proof is needed.
The 28 conditions with the most compelling evidence in the WHO report were: adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, allergic rhinitis, biliary colic, depression, dysentery, dysmenorrhea (period pains), acute epigastric pain, facial pain, headaches, hypertension, induction of labor, knee pain, low back pain, malposition of the fetus in pregnancy, morning sickness, nausea and vomiting, neck pain, pain in dentistry, postoperative pain, renal colic, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, arthritis of the shoulder, sprains, stroke and tennis elbow.
Some of the 63 conditions in the report where acupuncture has been shown to be effective but further proof is needed are: abdominal pain, acne vulgaris, alcohol dependence, bronchial asthma, cancer pain, cardiac neurosis, ‘competition stress’ syndrome, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, earache, eye pain, female infertility, facial spasm, fibro-myalgia, gallstones, gouty arthritis, herpes zoster (shingles), insomnia, labor pain, lactation deficiency, male sexual dysfunction, Meniere's disease (severe attacks of dizziness and ringing in the ears), neurodermatitis, nosebleeds, obesity, opium, cocaine and heroin dependence, osteo-arthritis, polycystic ovary syndrome, postoperative convalescence, pre-menstrual syndrome, prostatitis, Raynaud’s syndrome, recurrent lower urinary tract infection, retention of urine, schizophrenia, sore throat, spine pain, stiff neck, tobacco dependence, Tourette’s syndrome, ulcerative colitis (inflammation and ulceration in the large intestine) and whooping cough.8
The WHO report relied heavily on Chinese studies but Western scientists prefer to use their own research. They start from the standpoint of having to prove an unknown therapy, whereas the Chinese, who have been using acupuncture for over 2,000 years, already believe that it works. Unfortunately, Western methods have their drawbacks and have not always been the most appropriate for evaluating the benefits of acupuncture. Western scientists would recommend acupuncture for a much smaller list of conditions, mostly in the area of chronic pain, but additional research needs to be carried out as very few other illnesses have been thoroughly investigated so far.
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