Recognition that Acupuncture Works
The National Center for Integrative and Complementary Health, a center within the National Institute of Health, recently updated information on it’s website related to acupuncture. It recognizes that acupuncture can be helpful for:
Several pain conditions, including back or neck pain, knee osteoarthritis, and post-operative pain
Relieving joint pain for breast cancer patients who take aromatase inhibitors
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Urinary incontinence
Treatment-related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients
Menopausal hot flashes
The information provided notes that the effects of acupuncture can last for a year after the end of treatment, pointing toward the durability of treatment.
In addition, the NCICH mentions inclusion of acupuncture in other treatment guidelines:
The American Academy of Otolaryngoloty-Head and Neck Surgery includes acupuncture as a treatment option for allergic rhinitis
The American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation recommend acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee, hip or hand
The American College of Physicians includes acupuncture as an option for the first-line treatment of chronic low back pain, as well as an option for acute low back pain
Of course, the information presented on the website is balanced; it does point out that there are areas where the quality of data for acupuncture is currently low. This is to be expected, as trials for the efficacy of acupuncture are still relatively new, and earlier trials may have had poor trial designs. Trials are becoming more rigorous and the evidence supporting acupuncture as safe, effective, and durable is building.
So, if you experience a condition that is not specifically addressed in the NIH or CDC publications, that does not mean that acupuncture won’t work; it may simply mean that more Biomedicine evidence is desired—and hopefully forthcoming. In the mean time, we have thousands of years of empirical evidence behind this medicine.
If you’re wondering whether acupuncture can help you, give me a call, or schedule an appointment right here on this website. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon!