Does Acupuncture Work?

 

 

In 1998, the US National Institute of Health issued a statement supporting the use of acupuncture for many health conditions including nausea and vomiting, headache, menstrual cramps, general muscle pain, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, addictions, and asthma. 

 

 

The NIH Consensus Statement of 1997 states, "one of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted procedures for the same conditions." 

 

 

This statement is further supported by Stephen Birch's 2004 study which summarized conclusions from several major reviews. It was determined that general agreement exists internationally that acupuncture is comparatively safe when administered by trained professionals in the field of acupuncture.