Which Diseases Can be Helped by Acupuncture?
Diseases of the Muscles, Bones and Joints
Sprains
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Headaches
Diseases of the Nervous System
Strokes
The Neuralgias
Anxiety, Depression and Other Nervous Disorders
Nerve Paralysis
Other Nervous Diseases
Indigestion
Stomach Ulcers
Gall Stones
Diarrhea
Piles
Diseases of the Respiratory System
Asthma
Bronchitis
Diseases of the Heart and Blood Vessels
Angina
The Correction of Abnormal Heart Rhythms
Raised Blood Pressure
The Use of Acupuncture in Addiction and Obesity
Obesity
Hard Drug Addiction
Smoking
The Use of Acupuncture in Obstetrics
Foetal Malposition
The Use of Anaesthesia for Labour and Delivery
Acupuncture Anaesthesia
Which Diseases Can be Helped by Acupuncture?
In the field of acupuncture few good clinical research trials have been completed, and there has also been very poor follow-up assessment of many of the conditions that have been treated by acupuncturists. It is therefore impossible to give a clear idea of the success of acupuncture in some of the conditions which will be mentioned in the following sections.
It is also essential for the reader to recognize two important facts—firstly that acupuncture, like any treatment, is not a guaranteed cure for disease. Some diseases are more successfully treated (by acupuncture), whilst others are less successful, but no disease responds 100 per cent of the time to any form of treatment. Secondly, some of the suggestions that will be made to illustrate the effectiveness of acupuncture, in particular conditions, are no more than educated guesses. Information about the success rate of acupuncture is not available in some areas, and there the only advice that can be given is based on the clinical experience of individual practitioners.
Before embarking on a course of acupuncture, whatever the condition being treated, it is wise to allow a clear diagnosis to be made. This puts both the patient and the acupuncturist in the position where the complaint can be treated properly, and the results of treatment can be assessed objectively. It may be that Western medicine offers an excellent form of therapy for a particular condition, and in that instance it would be wrong to advise the patient to have acupuncture. | 
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