Healing Applications of Acupuncture

Betsy Wiss, LAc, Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture is best known for the control of pain.  However, acupuncture can treat a wide variety of common and uncommon disorders. It would be most accurate to say that acupuncture treats disorders of Qi, Blood, Moisture and disturbances of the Organic Networks, but this does not correspond to the western vocabulary.  The following is a list of disorders that can be treated by acupuncture (World Health Organization data):

• Acute Sinusitis
  
• Acute rhinitis
  
• Common cold
  
• Acute tonsillitis
  
• Acute bronchitis
  
• Bronchial asthma
  

Eye-Ears-Nose-Throat

• Acute conjunctivitis (pinkeye)
  
• Nearsightedness (in children)
  
• Cataract (without complications)
  
• Deafness
  
• Ringing in the ears
  
• Ear aches
  
• Dizziness
  
• Sinus infection
  
• Sore throat
  
• Hay fever
  

Infections

• Colds and flu
  
• Bronchitis
  
• hepatitis
  

Mouth

• Toothache, post extraction pain
  
• Gingivitis (gum disease)
  
• Acute and chronic pharyngitis
  

Dermatological

• Eczema
  
• Acne
  
• Herpes
  

 Internal

• Hypoglycemia
  
• Asthma
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Ulcers
  
• Colitis
  
• Indigestion
  
• Hemorrhoids
  
• Diarrhea
  
• Constipation
  
• Diabetes
  

Gastrointestinal Disorders

• Hiccups
  
• Gastritis
  
• Gastric Hyperacidity
  
• Ulcers
  
• Colitis
  
• Constipation
  
• Diarrhea
  
• Paralytic ileus
  

Neurological and Musculoskeletal

• Headache and migraine
  
• Trigeminal neuralgia
  
• Paralysis following stroke
  
• Meniere’s disease
  
• Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
  
• Nocturnal enuresis (bed wetting)
  
• Intercostal neuralgia (pain in the ribs)
  
• Cervicobrachial syndrome (pain radiating from neck to arm)
  
• Frozen shoulder or Tennis elbow
  
• Sciatica
  
• Low back pain
  
• Osteoarthritis