There are many answers to the question, “what is acupuncture used for?” People use it for everything from dementia to chronic fatigue syndrome, and there’s a large body of research examining its usefulness. (It’s even used in veterinary medicine.)

Some of the most common and well-researched uses include:

1. Acupuncture helps protect the brain, and it can help people with dementia by improving cognition and reducing depression, anxiety, and agitation.
2. Acupuncture is an effective blood pressure reducing treatment.
3. People with insomnia show improved sleep quality when using acupuncture. Learn how the effects of acupuncture compare to sleeping pills here.
4. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating immune-related diseases like allergies, autoimmune diseases, and more, as it can modulate the activity of various immune responses.[1]
5. One of acupuncture’s most popular uses is for pain management, including headaches, fibromyalgia, and osteoarthritis of the knee.[2,3]
6. Women’s reproductive health disorders, such as PMS and PCOS.[4-7]

The World Health Organization has identified 40 more conditions that can benefit from acupuncture, include things like sinusitis, asthma, colitis, and anxiety and depression.[8]

Read more about the versatility of acupuncture here.

New research supports acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome

The journal Trials published a randomized controlled study in July 2015 looking at the effects of acupuncture on chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms.[9]

The researchers divided 150 participants into three groups; one received normal care plus body acupuncture, one received normal care plus Sa-am acupuncture (a specific type of acupuncture), and one received normal care alone. Five weeks later, the group receiving body acupuncture had significantly lower fatigue severity scores compared to the other two groups. Both acupuncture groups rated their fatigue significantly lower than the control group on a numerical rating scale at five and 13 weeks.

Try acupuncture for relief from a variety of conditions

Acupuncture may help you find relief from a wide variety of ailments, all while boosting your immune system to fight off infection, helping you to sleep better, and lowering your blood pressure.

Look for an acupuncturist in your area to get started improving your health today. For help finding a practitioner, read Acupuncture Benefits and How to Find an Acupuncturist Near You. If the cost of private acupuncture is prohibitive, look for community acupuncture centers. These facilities often work on a sliding scale and can be significantly more affordable.

Share your experience

Have you ever tried acupuncture? What did you use it for? Share your experiences with acupuncture in the comments section below.

[1] Auton Neurosci. 2010 Oct 28;157(1-2):38-41.

[2] Clin J Pain. 2013 Feb;29(2):172-85.

[3] Arch Intern Med. 2012 Oct 22;172(19):1444-53.

[4] AlternTher Health Med. 2013 Jul-Aug;19(4):13-9.

[5] Allergy. 2013 Mar;68(3):365-74.

[6] BJOG. 2011 Jul;118(8):899-915.

[7] Am J Chin Med. 2013;41(4):717-42.

[8] WHO. Acup Rev. 2003.

[9] Trials. 2015 Jul 26;16:314.