How effective is traditional Chinese acupuncture?
May 08, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Xiuhong
Introduction
The therapeutic effects of acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine vary depending on the type of disease. It is particularly effective for pain-related and neurological disorders such as lumbago, migraine, and facial nerve paralysis, as it can regulate qi and blood circulation as well as nervous system function. However, for organic diseases such as congenital deafness and muteness or gastritis, its effectiveness may be limited, and timely, cause-specific treatments should be implemented.
Generally speaking, the effectiveness of traditional Chinese acupuncture mainly depends on the type of disease being treated. If used for treating pain-related diseases or neurological disorders, the effect may be relatively ideal. However, if used for treating organic diseases, the effectiveness might be less satisfactory. If you experience any discomfort, timely medical consultation is recommended. Detailed analysis is as follows:
Acupuncture achieves relatively ideal therapeutic effects in treating pain-related and neurological diseases, such as lumbosacral strain, knee arthritis, migraine, sprains, facial nerve paralysis, and stroke. This is because acupuncture can regulate the circulation of blood and Qi and unblock the meridians by stimulating specific acupoints, thereby restoring normal systemic blood circulation. Additionally, it helps regulate nerve function, promotes the repair and regeneration of nerve cells, and alleviates symptoms such as irritability and pain.
However, acupuncture may not be very effective in treating organic diseases such as congenital deafness and muteness, blindness, deformities, gastritis, gastric ulcers, and acute glomerulonephritis. These diseases tend to be stubborn and have a long disease course. Acupuncture treatment may not reach internal organs effectively to eliminate the underlying causes, nor can it reverse genetic factors, thus potentially rendering acupuncture ineffective. In such cases, timely identification of the cause and analysis of disease severity is necessary, followed by treatment guided by a physician.
Although traditional Chinese acupuncture offers numerous benefits, it is not suitable for every type of disease. An appropriate treatment plan should be developed based on individual conditions. Furthermore, to ensure safety, consulting a physician before acupuncture treatment is essential to avoid self-treatment.
