What Can Acupuncture Treatments Help You With?

Acupuncture has been practised for thousands of years and here is some helpful supporting research..

Dr John McDonald and Dr Stephen Janz conducted a comparative literature review. The following conditions outlined in the 2017 Acupuncture Evidence Project lists various conditions that Acupuncture can effectively help, either with Acupuncture alone, or in combination with usual care for that particular health condition. 

The effectiveness of Acupuncture is hard to measure due to having so many variables that may hinder the accuracy of research and evidence for e.g. small sample sizes, poor quality reporting, variation of Acupuncture point prescription or placebo controls/methodology flaws just to name a few. 

Due to these difficulties, it is important to express many acknowledgments to Dr John McDonald and Dr Stephen Janz for their extensive efforts in reviewing hundreds of literature reviews in order to decipher the effectiveness of Acupuncture. 

The Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd (AACMA) identified the need for an updated review of literature and with greater rigour. AACMA, Dr John McDonald and Dr Stephan Janz have built stronger foundations for Acupuncture to be more readily accepted in mainstream health care settings as a complimentary method with usual care; or as a stand alone treatment option for certain conditions. The Acupuncture Evidence Project allows practitioners, patients and the public to have a clearer understanding on conditions, in which Acupuncture may or may not be beneficial. 

The following list outlines conditions with strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of Acupuncture.

The quality of the supporting evidence is rated as moderate or high quality with Acupuncture having consistent, statistically significant positive effects as an intervention. 

1.  Allergic rhinitis (seasonal & perennial).
2. Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (in combination with anti-emetic medication).
3. Chronic low back pain.
4. Headaches (tension-type and chronic).
5. Knee osteoarthritis.
6. Migraine proplylaxis.
7. Post operative: nausea, vomiting & pain. 

The following conditions have moderate evidence supporting the effectiveness of Acupuncture.

The evidence is still insufficient to draw firm conclusions, however the quality of evidence is rated as moderate or high quality. 

1. Acute low back pain.
2. Acute stroke.
3. Ambulatory anaesthesia.
4. Anxiety. 
5. Aromatase-inhibitor-induced arthralgia. 
6. Asthma (adults).
7. Back & pelvic pain.
8. Cancer pain.
9. Cancer related fatigue. 
10. Constipation.
11. Craniotomy anaesthesia.
12. Depression (in combination with anti-depressants). 
13. Dry eyes.
14. Hypertension (in combination with medication). 
15. Insomnia.
16. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
17. Labour pain.
18. Lateral elbow pain (tennis elbow). 
19. Menopausal hot flushes. 
20. Modulating sensory perception thresholds.
21. Neck pain.
22. Obesity. 
23. Peri-menopausal & post-menopausal insomnia. 
24. Plantar heel pain.
25. Post-stoke shoulder pain. 
26. Post-traumatic stress disorder.
27. Prostastitis pain or chronic pelvic pain disorder.
28. Recovery after colorectal cancer resection.
29. Restless leg syndrome. 
30. Schizophrenia (in combination with medication).
31. Sciatica Nerve pain. 
32. Shoulder impingement syndrome (early stage, in combination with specific exercises).
33. Shoulder pain.
34. Smoking cessation.
35. Stoke rehabilitation.
36. Temporomandibular joint pain. 

If you have any questions regarding Acupuncture or any of the conditions mentioned above please contact our team on (07) 5515 0409, we look forward to helping you. 

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If you would like to learn more about the Acupuncture Evidence Project or the benefits of Acupuncture, visit the links below.

 1.http://www.acupuncture.org.au/OURSERVICES/Publications/AcupunctureEvidenceProject.aspx  

2. http://acupuncture.org.au/AcupunctureandChinesemedicine/Acupuncture.aspx 

Reference: 

McDonald J, Janz S. The Acupuncture Evidence Project: A Comparative Literature Review (Revised Edition). Brisbane: Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd