Chronic pain conditions, including:
- Arthritis
- Injuries – sprains or strains that aren’t healing well
- Repetitive use injuries – especially within the first year
- Headaches – migraines, tension, cluster
- Facial pain – trigeminal neuralgia, TMJ, Bell’s Palsy
- Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome – prostatitis; pelvic inflammatory disease; interstitial cystitis
- Tendonitis, bursitis
- Idiopathic (unexplained) pain syndromes
Sinusitis, allergic rhinitis
Infertility – male or female – also in combination with assisted reproductive technologies (e.g., IVF, IUI)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, colitis
Conditions that are clearly aggravated by stress
Conditions that are aggravated and alleviated predictably with the menstrual cycle
Women’s health issues, including:
- PMS
- Dysmenorrhea
- Hot flashes
- Post-partum fatigue or depression
- Health during pregnancy, including: morning sickness, pelvic or back pain, breech presentation, labor and delivery support
Ample clinical experience, supported by some research data, suggests that acupuncture may be a reasonable option for a number of clinical conditions. Examples are postoperative pain and myofascial and low back pain. Examples of disorders for which the research evidence is less convincing but for which there are some positive clinical trials include addiction, stroke rehabilitation, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis, and headache. Acupuncture treatment for many conditions such as asthma or addiction should be part of a comprehensive management program. Many other conditions have been treated by acupuncture; the World Health Organization, for example, has listed more than 40 for which the technique may be indicated.”
(Excerpted from the NIH Consensus Conference on Acupuncture, 1997)
“In the field of oncology, acupuncture appears to be of benefit for managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting; cancer-related pain; generalized symptoms that result from treatment, including fatigue, insomnia, diarrhea, and anorexia; radiotherapy-induced xerostomia; brachial plexopathy resulting from axillary lymphadenectomy for breast cancer; treatment -related vasomotor symptoms; radiotherapy-induced rectitis; dysphagia due to carcinomatous obstruction; and end-of-life symptoms such as dyspnea. Studies further suggest that acupuncture enhances immune function and is effective for treatment of chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-induced myelosuppresion.”
(Excerpted from “Acupuncture and the Cancer Patient,” Kenneth Conklin, MD; Medical Acupuncture, Vol. 14, No. 1.)