What are the signs of acupuncture?

A scientific review based on published clinical trials on the efficacy of acupuncture therapy led the World Health Organization (WHO) to create a list in order to categorize the conditions in which acupuncture treatment can be effective.

• Diseases, symptoms or conditions where acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment through clinical trials.
• Diseases, symptoms or conditions where the results of acupuncture treatments are evident but require further clinical examination.
• Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which there are individual screening tests that show some therapeutic effects but acupuncture therapy is worth trying because conventional and other therapies have poor or no effect.
• Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture can be potentially applied, provided the acupuncturist has specialized medical knowledge and an adequate monitoring mechanism.

Research regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture in unconfirmed new diseases, continues at an intense rate. An increased number of clinical trials involving large population groups is needed.