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Abstract: A World Health organization
interregional seminar on acupuncture, moxibustion and acupuncture
anesthesia was held in Beijing in June 1979 attended by participants from
twelve countries. Its purpose was to discuss ways in which priorities and
standards could be determined in the acupuncture areas of clinical work,
research, training, and technology transfer. Scientific investigation must
be closely correlated with demonstrations of acupuncture's clinical
efficacy. Apart from acupuncture analgesia used in major surgical
procedures, acupuncture also has been applied as a diagnostic aid and in
conjunction with fluoroscopy in gastrointestinal diseases. Acupuncture is
clearly not a panacea for all ills; but the sheer weight of evidence
demands that acupuncture must be taken seriously as a clinical procedure
of considerable value.
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.
From the viewpoint of modern medicine,
the principle action of acupuncture ( and of moxibustion ) is to regulate
the function of the human body and to increase its resistance by enhancing
the immune system and the antiphlogistic, analgesic, antispastic,
antishock and antiparalytic abilities of the hody.
The World Health organization
Interregional Seminar drew up the following provisional list of diseases
that lend themselves to acupuncture treatment. The list is based on
clinical experience, and not necessarily on controlled clinical research:
furthermore, the inclusion of specific diseases are not meant to indicate
the extent of acupuncture's efficacy in treating them.
- Upper Respiratory Tract
- Acute sinusitis
- Acute rhinitis
- Common Cold
- Acute tonsillitis
- Respiratory System
- Acute bronchitis
- Bronchial asthma (most effective in children and in patience
without complicating diseases)
- Disorders of the Eye
- Acute conjunctivitis
- Central retinitis
- Myopia (in children)
- Cataract (without complications)
- Disorders of the Mouth
- Toothache, post-extraction pain
- Gingivitis
- Acute and chronic pharyogitis
- Gastro-intestinal Disorders
- Spasms of esophagus and cardia
- Hiccough
- Gastroptosis
- Acute and chronic gastritis
- Gastric hyperacidity
- Chronic duodenal ulcer (pain relief)
- Acute duodenal ulcer (without complications)
- Acute and chronic colitis
- Acute bacillary dysentery
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Paralytic ileus
- Neurological and Musculo-skeletal Disorders
- Headache and migraine
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Facial palsy (early stage, i.e., within three to six months)
- Pareses following a stroke
- Peripheral neuropathies
- Sequelae of poliomyelitis (early stage, i.e., within six months)
- Meniere's disease
- Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
- Nocturnal enuresis
- Intercosral neuralgia
- Cervicobrachial syndrome
- "Frozen shoulder,""tennis elbow"
- Sciatica
- Low back pain
- Osteoarthritis
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