Conditions Treated


Acupuncture is particularly effective for pain relief and for post-surgery and chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting. In addition, both the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health recognize that acupuncture can be a helpful part of a treatment plan for many illnesses. A partial list includes: addiction (such as alcoholism), asthma, bronchitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, facial tics, fibromyalgia, headaches, irregular periods, low back pain, menopausal symptoms, menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis, sinusitis, spastic colon (often called irritable bowel syndrome), stroke rehabilitation, tendinitis, tennis elbow, and urinary problems such as incontinence. You can safely combine acupuncture with prescription drugs and other conventional treatments, but it is important for your primary-care physician (I always recommend that you have a western medical doctor, even if I am your primary care provider) to be aware of and monitor how your acupuncture treatment may be affecting your conventional therapies.


The WHO Report on the Efficacy of Acupuncture
(see Table 4 and Table 5 as well as Appedix 8.1 for Conditions Treated)



National Institute of Health:  Introduction to Acupuncture



The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture also lists a wide range of conditions for which acupuncture is appropriate. In addition to those listed above, they recommend acupuncture for sports injuries, sprains, strains, whiplash, neck pain, sciatica, nerve pain due to compression, overuse syndromes similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, pain resulting from spinal cord injuries, allergies, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), sore throat (called pharyngitis), high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux (felt as heartburn or indigestion), ulcers, chronic and recurrent bladder and kidney infections, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), infertility, endometriosis, memory problems, insomnia, multiple sclerosis, sensory disturbances, depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders.


Gastrointestinal Disorders:  Food allergies, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, peptic ulcer, gastritis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome.

Urogenital Disorders:  Urinary tract infections, incontinence, prostatitis, sexual dysfunction, infertility.

Gynecological Problems:  PMS, menstrual difficulties (irregular, heavy or painful menstruation), infertility, morning sickness, fibrocystic disease, menopause problems.

Muscle and Joint Pain:  Arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, whiplash, sciatica, TMJ problems.

Respiratory Problems:  Asthma, emphysema, allergies, chronic bronchitis, sinusitis.

Circulatory Disorders:  High blood pressure, angina, muscle cramps, anemia, palpitations, atherosclerosis.

Immune System Disorders:  Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, candidiasis, lupus, fibromyalgia.

Endocrine Disorders:  Diabetes, hyper/hypothyroidism.

Neurological Disorders:  Stroke, multiple sclerosis, trigeminal neuralgia, numbness, tingling, dizziness.

Headache:  Migraine, tension, sinus, cluster headaches.

Emotional Problems:  Stress, insomnia, depression, anxiety, phobias, bipolar personality disorder, compulsive behavior, poor self-esteem, eating disorders.

Addictions: Alcoholism, drug and nicotine addiction.