What does the WHO say about Acupuncture?
And who is the WHO anyways?
The World Health Organization (WHO) began in 1948 to direct and coordinate international health with the United Nations so all the inhabitants of the world “can live healthy, productive lives, regardless of who they are or where they live.”
They strive to work with policy makers and advisors to set governmental standards to improve the health of all world citizens to “ensure the highest attainable level of health.”
As of 2019, there are 194 (of 195) countries participating, according to their WHO Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine. This is up from around 150 participating countries in 2003.
Interestingly, of the countries that responded, 88% acknowledge use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. (The other 12% did not reply or provide any information as to whether or not they used it.) It’s eye-opening and heart-warming that out of those that did respond, 100% acknowledge use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine there! 100%!
Since 1979, acupuncture has been recommended as a benefit to health!
Yep, that’s right! It has been known worldwide since 1979 that acupuncture is a benefit to health as proven by WHO research!
What conditions does the World Health Organization (WHO) recognize acupuncture to help?
It started back in ’79 with a list of 43 conditions. As of 2003, their latest Consensus Statement, it’s now over 100 conditions. To identify these conditions, they compiled evidence from 255 clinical research trials that were published prior to 1999 that showed acupuncture to be effective.
Just think of how many more conditions will be added to their list when they add in the last 20+ years of research that has come out since 1999!
Below, you can find four lists from 2003 World Health Organization (WHO) that share:
1. List of conditions acupuncture was proven to help from controlled trials
2. List of conditions acupuncture has shown therapeutic effect
3. List of conditions showing therapeutic effect and acupuncture is worth trying because conventional treatment and other therapies are difficult
4. List of conditions for which acupuncture may be tried, provided the practitioner has special modern medical knowledge and adequate monitoring equipment
I am also including a 5th list 1979 WHO list of what conditions acupuncture has been known to benefit and a 6th list I created that lists the pain conditions WHO recognizes.
1. WHO list of conditions acupuncture is proven to help from controlled trials:
Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysentery, acute bacillary
Dysmenorrhoea, primary
Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Leukopenia
Low back pain
Malposition of fetus, correction of
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder
Postoperative pain
Renal colic
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow
2. WHO list of conditions for which acupuncture has shown therapeutic effect:
Abdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm)
Acne vulgaris
Alcohol dependence and detoxification
Bell’s palsy
Bronchial asthma
Cancer pain
Cardiac neurosis
Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation
Cholelithiasis
Competition stress syndrome
Craniocerebral injury, closed
Diabetes mellitus, non- insulin-dependent
Earache
Epidemic haemorrhagic fever
Epistaxis, simple (without generalized or local disease)
Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection
Female infertility
Facial spasm
Female urethral syndrome
Fibromyalgia and fasciitis
Gastrokinetic disturbance
Gouty arthritis
Hepatitis B virus carrier status
Herpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3)
Hyperlipaemia
Hypo-ovarianism
Insomnia
Labour pain
Lactation, deficiency
Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic
Ménière disease
Neuralgia, post-herpetic
Neurodermatitis
Obesity
Opium, cocaine and heroin dependence
Osteoarthritis
Pain due to endoscopic examination
Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans
Polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome)
Postextubation in children
Postoperative convalescence
Premenstrual syndrome
Prostatitis, chronic
Pruritus
Radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome
Raynaud syndrome, primary
Recurrent lower urinary- tract infection
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Retention of urine, traumatic
Schizophrenia
Sialism, drug-induced
Sjögren syndrome
Sore throat (including tonsillitis)
Spine pain, acute
Stiff neck
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Tietze syndrome
Tobacco dependence
Tourette syndrome
Ulcerative colitis, chronic
Urolithiasis
Vascular dementia
Whooping cough (pertussis)
3. List of conditions showing therapeutic effect and acupuncture is worth trying because conventional treatment and other therapies are difficult:
Chloasma
Choroidopathy, central serous
Colour blindness
Deafness
Hypophrenia
Irritable colon syndrome
Neuropathic bladder in spinal cord injury
Pulmonary heart disease, chronic
Small airway obstruction
4. List of conditions for which acupuncture may be tried, provided the practitioner has special modern medical knowledge and adequate monitoring equipment:
Breathlessness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Coma
Convulsions in infants
Coronary heart disease (angina pectoris)
Diarrhoea in infants and young children
Encephalitis, viral, in children, late stage
Paralysis, progressive bulbar and pseudobulbar
5. 1979 List of conditions acupuncture can help:
Upper Respiratory Tract
Acute bronchitis
Acute rhinitis
Acute sinusitis
Acute tonsillitis
Bronchial asthma (Most effective in children and uncomplicated conditions.)
Common Cold and Flu
Eye Disorders
Acute and chronic pharyngitis
Acute conjunctivitis
Cataracts (without complications)
Central Retinitis
Myopia (in children)
Mouth Disorders
Gingivitis
Post Extraction Pain
Toothache
Cardiovascular Disorders
Essential hypertension
GastroIntestinal Disorders
Acute and Chronic Colitis
Acute and Chronic Gastritis
Acute and Chronic Pharyngitis
Acute Bacillary Dysentery
Acute Duodenal Ulcer (without complications)
Chronic Duodenal Ulcer (pain relief)
Constipation
Diarrhea
Gastric Hyperacidity
Gastroptosis
Hiccough
Irritable bowel and colitis
Paralytic Ileus
Spasms of esophagus and cardia
Reproductive & Gynecological Conditions
Amenorrhea (Loss of Menstrual Period)
Benign amenorrhea
Benign irregular menstruation
Dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps)
Excessive Bleeding
Impotence
Incontinence
Infertility
Menopause syndrome
Premenstrual Syndrome
Prosatatis
Spotting
Mental Emotional Problems
Anxiety
Depression
Hypersomnia
Insomnia
OCD
PTSD
Somatization disorder
Stress
Neurologic and Musculoskeletal Disorders
Arthritis
Back and Knee Pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Cervical-brachial syndrome
Cervicobrachial Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue
Disc problems
Facial Palsy (early stage, i.e., within 3-6 months)
Fibromyalgia
Frozen Shoulder
Headache
Intercostal Neuralgia
Low Back Pain
Meniere's Disease
Migraine
Muscle pain, swelling, stiffness and weakness
Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction
Nocturnal Enuresis (bedwetting)
Osteoarthritis
Pareses Following a Stroke
Peripheral Neuropathies
Sciatica
Sequelae of Poliomyelitis (early stage, i.e., within 6 months)
Sports Injuries and Pains
Tennis Elbow
Traumatic injuries such as contractures, spasms, sprains, strains, and Tendonitis
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Work related injuries
Other Disorders
Appetite suppression
Withdrawal from street and pharmacological drugs
6. Pain conditions summary from the WHO list of controlled clinical trials:
abdominal acute gastroenteritis
acute spine pain
biliary colic
cancer pain
coronary heart disease- angina pectoris
dental pain
dysmenorrhea
earache
endoscopic examination pain
epigastralgia
eye pain from subconjunctivial injection
facial pain including craniomandibular disorders
gastrointestinal spasm
headache
herpes zoster
knee pain
labor pain
low back pain
neck pain
osteoarthritis
plantar fasciitis pain
post herpetic neuralgia
postoperative pain
radicular and pseudoradicular pain
renal colic
rheumatoid arthritis
sciatica
shoulder periarthritis
sore throat
spontaneous limb pain
post stroke
stiff neck
strain
temporomandibular joint dysfunction
tennis elbow
thromboangiitis obliterans pain
PHEW! You made it!
Did you know that there were so many conditions that could be helped by acupuncture? Isn’t it amazing!?
If you’d like to see how you can receive the benefit of this incredible and effective medicine, go check out our Healing Programs. We’d be honored to assist you!
