What Can Acupuncture Treat?
While many folks are aware that acupuncture excels in the treatment of Pain & Stress (clicking on those links will take you to our blog entries focused on those topics), and some are aware that a lot of professional athletes use acupuncture to improve performance, prevent and recover from injury, not many people are familiar with the various other conditions acupuncture can help them with.
Below you will find a listing of the various conditions treated with acupuncture, with those listed in red having links to our blog focusing more in-depth on the treatment of that particular condition with acupuncture and/or chinese herbs.
For those who aren't big fans of lists, or want to get a glimpse into how acupuncture works and it's impact on the body, we've made a little video entitled What Can Acupuncture Treat?
Conditions Treated With Acupuncture
The World Health Organization, National Institute of Health and American Academy of Medical Acupuncture recognize that acupuncture can be a helpful part of a treatment plan for many illnesses. The following is just a partial list of those conditions, keeping in mind that Stress can play a huge role in the vast majority of these conditions & fortunately, for all of us, acupuncture excels in the treatment of stress!
Addiction Recovery Support: Alcohol, Cocaine, Heroin, Nicotine and other drugs
Cancer Support: Side effects of radiation and chemotherapy treatments including Anxiety, Depression, Dry Mouth, Fatigue, Hot Flashes, Muscle Tension, Nausea, Neuropathy, Pain, Shortness of Breath, Sleep Disturbances, and Vomiting.
Circulatory Disorders: Hypotension, Hypertension, Stroke Rehabilitation and other heart conditions
Emotional & Psychological Disorders: Anxiety, Depression, Excessive Anger, Headaches (including Tension and Migraine) Irritability, Frustration, Insomnia, Lack of Joy, Sadness, Grief, Fear or Timidity*, Mental Focus (burnout)*, Poor Memory, PTSD
Digestive System Disorders: Acid Reflux, Constipation, Diarrhea, Indigestion, Gastritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Liver & Gallbladder disorders, Morning Sickness, Nausea, Ulcers, Ulcerative Colitis, Vomiting
Gynecological Disorders: Breached (Malpositioned) Fetus, Endometriosis, Fibroids*, Infertility, Labor Induction, Lactation Disorders, Morning Sickness, Menopausal Symptoms, Menstrual Irregularities (Heavy, Painful, Irregular, Early, Late or Absent Menses), Morning Sickness, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Muscle, Joint, Bone & Nervous System Disorders: Arthritis (Gouty, Osteo & Rheumatoid), Athletic Injuries, Bell’s Palsy, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Chronic Pain syndromes, Dizziness, Fibromyalgia, Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis), Headaches (incl Migraines), Herpes Zoster (Shingles), Insomnia, Muscle Sprains, Cramps & Strains, Neuralgia, Pain (including Back, Knee, Neck & Shoulders), Post-Herpatic Neuralgia, Sciatica, Stroke Complications (including hemiplegia & dysphagia), Tendonitis, Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis), Temporomandibular Joint Pain (TMJ), Trigeminal Neuralgia
Respiratory, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat Disorders: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Common Cold, Earaches, Emphysema, Eye Pain, Eye conditions (various)*, Flu*, Sinusitis, Sore Throat, Tinnitus, Vision problems
Urogenital Disorders: Kidney Disorders, Incontinence, Sexual Dysfunction, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Other (including Immune System & Skin Disorders): Acne, Autoimmune Diseases (such as Raynaud’s Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Diabetes (Type II), Insomnia, Itchiness, Libido (reduced or excess)*, Pharmaceutical Side Effects (incl. Nausea & Vomiting), Prostatitis, Seasonal Affective Disorder*, Skin Conditions (boils, dryness, pimples, hives, rashes etc.)*, Stress.
* Designates conditions that were not specifically cited in the referenced reports, but have been successfully treated by acupuncture.
** Acupuncture has been found to assist in reducing the intensity and frequency of many conditions not included in this list. We invite you to contact us to discuss the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of any condition you may not see on this list.
And then there's the POWER NAP!
For those who just need a really good nap (you know who you are), we've been told by many patients, including pregnant women and parents of newborns & toddlers, that they come in for acupuncture simply because they need a really good nap! In fact, some refer to acupuncture in a community acupuncture clinic as Naptime for Grownups. Whether you need a power nap or need to recharge, reboot, or decompress, we'll be here with a good dose of acupuncture to make it happen.
