Acupuncture and the W.H.O.
During the past decade, there has been a growing convergence between the most advanced research knowledge from physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology, and knowledge obtained by research in the field of acupuncture; that is to say, a convergence of modern international science with traditional Chinese medicine. For example, in more than 600 cases of coronary heart disease, the effectiveness of acupuncture in relieving the symptoms was over 80 percent. In 645 cases of acute bacillary dysentery, 90 percent of the patients were cured within ten days as judged by clinical symptoms and signs and the results of stool culture. The technique is also comparatively effective in controlling fever, inflammation and pain.
The World Health Organization (WHO), whose authority concerning health-related matters internationally cannot be challenged, has compiled a list of symptoms, syndromes, disease processes, pathologies, traumas and conditions that have definitely been proven as effectively treated by acupuncture. The list covers a wide range of common illnesses, including:
- Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders: Toothaches, pain after tooth extraction, gingivitis, acute or chronic otitis, acute sinusitis, acute rhinitis, nasal catarrh, and acute tonsillitis.
- Respiratory System Disorders: Asthma, bronchitis, colds, and allergies.
- Gastrointestinal Disorders: Esophageal and cardio spasm, hiccup, gastroptosis, acute or chronic gastritis, sour stomach, chronic duodenal ulcers, acute or chronic colonitis, acute bacillary dysentery, constipation, diarrhea, and paralytic ileus.
- Eye Disorders: Acute conjunctivitis, central retinitis, near-sightedness (in children), and cataracts.
- Neurological and Muscular Disorders: Headaches, migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, facial paralysis (within the first three to six months), post-stroke paresis, peripheral neuritis, neurological bladder dysfunction, bed wetting, intercostal neuralgia, cervical syndrome, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, sciatica, low back pain and osteoarthritis.
- Mouth Disorders
- Reproductive and Gynecological Conditions
- Mental and Emotional Problems
In Beijing in 1979, the WHO convened the groundbreaking Interregional Seminar on Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Acupuncture Anesthesia. Attended by participants from twelve countries, the Seminar concluded that “while acupuncture is not a panacea for all ills, the sheer weight of evidence demands that acupuncture be taken seriously as a clinical procedure of considerable value.”
