In 1979, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed the following conditions that lend themselves to acupuncture treatment as shown in the table below. This same list was referenced in Michigan Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (MAAOM)-Table 1.
In 1996, the World Health Organization released an official report in which they update the report from 1979. This report gives 4 categories of diseases/disorders in which acupuncture therapy was tested in controlled clinical trials: Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials (starts on page 29 -32).
| Upper Respiratory Tract | Disorders of the Mouth | Additional Conditions Commonly Treated With Acupuncture cont’d |
| Acute rhinitis | Acute and chronic pharyngitis | Colitis |
| Acute sinusitis | Gingivitis | Constipation |
| Acute tonsillitis | Post-extraction pain | Depression |
| Common cold | Toothache | Digestive problems |
| Neurological and Muscle-Skeletal Disorders | Fatigue | |
| Disorders of the Eye | Headache | Flatulence (gas) |
| Acute conjunctivitis | Migraine | Functional Frigidity |
| Cataract | Trigeminal neuralgia | Functional Impotence |
| Central retinitis | Facial palsy(early stage within 3-6 months) | Gingivitis |
| Myopia (in children) | Pareses following a stroke | Hemorrhoids |
| Peripheral neurapothies | High Blood Pressure | |
| Gastrointestinal Disorders | Sequelae of poliomyelitis(early stages within 3 months) | Insomnia |
| Spasms of esophagus & cardia | Meniere’s disease | Intercostal Neuralgia |
| Hiccough | Neurogenic bladder dysfunction | Mastitis |
| Gastro ptosis | Nocturnal enuresis | Menstrual Disorders (PMS) |
| Acute and chronic gastritis | Intercostal neuralgia | Nocturnal Emission |
| Gastric hyperacidity | Cervicobrachial syndrome | Osteoarthritis |
| Chronic duodenal ulcer(pain relief) | “Frozen shoulder” | Osteoporosis |
| Acute duodenal ulcer | “Tennis Elbow” | Paralytic Ileus |
| Acute and chronic colitis | Osteoarthritis | Prolapsed, Rectal or Uterine |
| Acute bacillary dysentery | Sciatica | Prostatitis |
| Constipation | Additional Conditions Commonly Treated With Acupuncture: | Smoking2 |
| Diarrhea | Acute/Chronic pain | Sports injuries |
| Paralytic Ileus | Acute/Chronic Pharyngitis (sore throat) | Stress |
| Alcohol1 | Substance abuse 1 | |
| Respiratory System | Allergies | Tinnitus |
| Acute bronchitis | Candida | Trauma recovery |
| Bronchial asthma | Cervicobrachial syndrome‘ | Vertigo |
See the links below for more information on Alcohol , Substance Abuse, and Smoking.
1 Michigan NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association)-download the PDF here
2 Stop Smoking Brochure-download the PDF here