Acupuncture’s Hidden Gems: Surprising Ailments It Can Alleviate

Author

Dr. Stephen Cosentino

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that has been around for thousands of years.

These days, it’s practiced the world over. Alternative and “mainstream” medical providers employ acupuncture to treat chronic pain, alleviate symptoms of common nervous system disorders, and deliver relief for mental health issues like depression. Acupuncture treatment is even used as an alternative to pharmaceutical smoking cessation.

If you’re interested in acupuncture’s benefits for your health and well-being, read on to learn about the surprising ailments it can alleviate — and what to know about its potential risks and side effects.

Surprising Uses for Acupuncture Therapy

You might know acupuncture as a pain management therapy, but you probably don’t know what all else acupuncture works to treat. Here’s your guide.

Chronic Pain

When inserted into specific points near the affected area — and sometimes farther away too — acupuncture needles can alleviate chronic and acute pain. Studies have found evidence that acupuncture can reduce pain caused by conditions like:

Low back pain
Chronic neck pain
Chronic migraine
Menstrual cramps
Arthritis
Nerve pain in the hands, feet, face, and other parts of the body
Muscle pain, including pain related to sports injuries

Pregnancy-Related Complaints

More recent research shows that acupuncture can address pregnancy-related pain and discomfort as well. This includes pain directly related to pregnancy as well as pain aggravated by nerve pressure and other physiological changes associated with pregnancy.

Menopause and Andropause

Integrative medicine providers have sworn by acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating hot flashes and other menopause symptoms for years. Now, mainstream medicine is catching up. Receiving acupuncture is less risky than hormone therapy to boot.

Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders

Acupuncture is emerging as an alternative treatment for a number of autoimmune disorders and inflammatory diseases, including:

Chronic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Crohn's disease
Multiple sclerosis

Remember that research is ongoing into acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, and it may not be sufficient on its own. If you have questions or concerns about your own treatment regimen, talk to your doctor.

Treatment for Mental Health Issues

A growing body of research suggests acupuncture may be effective in alleviating the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The mechanism for this action is unclear and some effects may be self-induced, but acupuncture may yet emerge as a promising complement to pharmaceutical interventions for mental illness.

Treatment for Smoking and Other Substance Use Disorders

Acupuncture is also gaining favor as a treatment for tobacco addiction and other substance use disorders. It’s increasingly common for mainstream medical providers to recommend acupuncture to quit smoking in combination with treatments such as hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy, and prescription medication.

As with other emerging uses for acupuncture, more research is needed on its utility as a treatment for substance use and abuse. However, as a non pharmaceutical solution that doesn’t require expensive behavioral interventions to boot, it could have a more favorable risk-reward profile than “standard” treatment plans today.