The WHO has compiled three categories of conditions for which acupuncture has been studied:

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1. Proven Effective Through Controlled Trials

 

These are conditions where controlled trials demonstrate significant therapeutic benefits:

• Pain and musculoskeletal issues: knee pain, low back pain, neck pain, tennis elbow, periarthritis of the shoulder, sprain, sciatica, pain in dentistry, postoperative pain.

• Digestive and gastrointestinal conditions: dysentery, acute epigastralgia (including peptic ulcer and gastritis), nausea and vomiting, morning sickness.

• Women’s health: dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, labor pain, induction of labor.

• Mental health: depression, depressive neurosis, depression after stroke.

• Other conditions: allergic rhinitis (hay fever), hypertension, hypotension, biliary colic, leukopenia, renal colic, stroke, malposition of fetus correction.

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These findings validate what Chinese medicine has long observed: acupuncture has broad applications across multiple systems in the body.

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2. Conditions With Promising Evidence

 

These conditions have strong evidence from clinical trials, though further research is still needed:

• Pain and musculoskeletal issues: fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, radicular pain syndromes, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, stiff neck.

• Neurological and psychiatric conditions: insomnia, neuralgia, schizophrenia, neurodermatitis.

• Women’s health and reproductive issues: female infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein–Leventhal syndrome), lactation deficiency.

• Metabolic and systemic issues: obesity, diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent), hyperlipemia.

• Other: hepatitis B virus carrier status, tinnitus, Meniere disease, postherpetic neuralgia, opium/cocaine/heroin dependence.

Even if research is still ongoing, clinical experience consistently shows benefits, and acupuncture often becomes a viable alternative when conventional treatments are limited or ineffective.

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3. Conditions With Individual Trial Evidence

 

For these conditions, acupuncture may provide relief when conventional therapy is difficult or unavailable:

• Pulmonary heart disease (chronic)

• Neuropathic bladder due to spinal cord injury

• Small airway obstruction

• Deafness, color blindness, chloasma

• Irritable colon syndrome

• Hypophrenia

 

Although the studies are limited, the results suggest acupuncture may still be a helpful tool in comprehensive treatment plans for these challenging conditions.

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Chinese Medicine Perspective: Patterns Over Labels

 

Chinese medicine does not treat “diseases” in the same way Western medicine does. Instead, it identifies patterns of disharmony, which represent underlying imbalances in energy, blood, fluids, and organ function.

For example:

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• Two people may both experience headaches, but the underlying patterns could be completely different:

  • Liver Yang rising, causing pressure headaches and irritability.

  • Blood deficiency, causing dull headaches and fatigue.

  • Wind invasion (external pathogens), causing sudden, sharp headaches.

 

The treatment for each pattern differs, even if the symptom appears the same. This is why asking “Which acupuncture point treats headaches?” is impossible without a full assessment.

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The Role of the Pattern Detective. 🕵️‍♀️

 

As a practitioner, I carefully examine multiple factors:

• Pulse diagnosis: reveals energy strength, balance, and circulation.

• Tongue examination: indicates heat, cold, dryness, or dampness in the body.

• Observation: posture, gait, complexion, skin condition.

• Patient history: diet, sleep, stress, emotional patterns, chronic illnesses.

• Symptoms clustering: emotional state, digestion, menstrual health, pain, fatigue.

 

By reading these clues, I can identify the root cause of the problem and develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique pattern, rather than simply matching symptoms to a standard protocol.

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