Acupuncture Research

Please note that under national law claims of efficacy of treatment are required to be made with reference to evidence of a high standard. Traditionally acupuncture has been used to assist a wide variety of conditions however not all have evidence of efficacy. The following conditions have been listed based on a range of strong evidence to inconclusive evidence. Note the colour key below for clarification on evidence level for conditions. For any clarification you please view the Acupuncture Evidence Project. To date additional conditions may have a potential benefit using acupuncture and Chinese medicine however current western scientific evidence does not exist for these. 

key:
Evidence of positive effect
Evidence of potential positive effect
Unclear/ insufficient evidence

Emotional
Anxiety, depression associated with chronic pain (in conjunction with conventional treatment),  insomnia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Musculoskeletal
C
hronic low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, acute low back pain, lateral elbow pain, knee osteoarthritis, ankle sprain, restless leg syndrome, plantar fasciitis, migraine prevention, TMJ pain, chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy, sciatica, osteoarthritis pain, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, post operative pain, pain relief.

Digestion

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constipation, obesity, dyspepsia, Inflammatory Bowel disease, Postoperative nausea & vomiting.

Reproductive/ Gynaecological
PMS
, painful periods, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, labour induction, labour pain, assisted conception combined with Artificial Reproductive Technology, urinary tract infection, endometriosis, painful periods, abnormal bleeding, menopausal hot flushes, erectile dysfunction, labor induction, hyperemesis gravidarum, poor sperm quality, primary ovarian insufficiency, uterine fibroids, perimenopausal and postmenopausal insomnia, back or pelvic pain during pregnancy.

Urongenital
Prostatitis pain, adult urinary incontinence, urinary retention, bladder pain syndrome.

Neurological
Headache, migraine prevention
, Meniere’s, tinnitus, Bells palsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery.

Cardiovascular
Hypertension in conjunction with conventional treatment, angina.

Immune

Asthmahayfever, allergic rhinitis, chemotherapy-induced nausea & vomiting, cancer-related fatigue.

General
Chronic fatigue syndrome, fatigue, glaucoma.

 

Acupuncture analgesia for Pain                                                                                                                                                                           Acupuncture, alone or as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy provides effective, safe and acceptable pain relief for patients.

Acupuncture and embryo transfer
Women who receive acupuncture on the day of their embryo transfer significantly increase their chances of pregnancy and live birth.

Acupuncture outcomes in combination with IVF
The various ways which research has shown acupuncture to be helpful during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Acupuncture and blood flow to uterus and ovaries
Encouraging blood flow to the uterus and ovaries is the cornerstone to effective treatment of infertility, aiding in IVF success, and preventing miscarriage.

Acupuncture and sperm
The health of the sperm plays a major role in the outcome of IVF cycles, prevention of miscarriage, and fertility in general.

Acupuncture and well being of IVF patients
The importance of how a woman feels while preparing and going through an IVF cycle is intimately connected to fertility potential, positive IVF outcomes, and healthy pregnancies.

Meta Analyses and Recent Reviews
Research done on all available studies to determine the effectiveness of a particular treatment on a grand scale.

Acupuncture and pregnancy
Several evidence based articles outlining how acupuncture may assist in pregnancy.

Acupuncture & Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Electro-acupuncture done regularly has displayed significant improvement on spontaneous ovulation in women with PCOS.

Acupuncture & Cancer Support                                                                                                                                                                                 Evidence for the use of acupuncture for symptom management in cancer and supportive care.

Acupuncture & Hormonal Balance                                                                                                                                                                            Efficacy of needle acupuncture in improving hormonal Balance