Acupuncture is effective for a wide range of medical conditions. Some of the common problems seen in general practice are discussed.

There are other less common conditions not listed below, which may respond to treatment. Post-surgical pain is one such condition, in which treatment will not only decrease the need for pain-relieving medications but will also facilitate post-operative recovery. There are also a small number of chronic illnesses where a clear diagnosis cannot be established, which will respond to acupuncture. While not all intractable problems respond to acupuncture, the author is pleasantly surprised by positive outcomes in some seemingly resistant problems.

The author has a middle-age man in his practice who presented with chronic distressing pain and clawing of both feet which is worse at night. Investigations, including x-rays and neurological evaluation, showed no abnormalities, and a firm diagnosis could not be established. A second patient, a teenage girl, had recurrent painful, red and swollen hands of four years duration. Investigations by her rheumatologist and neurologist showed no abnormality. The third patient was a middle-age lady with inexplicable progressive weakness and muscle wasting in one leg. Her neurologist was also unable to establish a diagnosis for her problem.

Positive responses to treatment were noted for all patients. The gentleman with clawing in his feet had marked reduction in clawing and pain, and slept better at night. The young girl with periodic pain and swelling in her hands also had a positive response to treatment. Both swelling and pain settled rapidly with therapy. Because of her long history, her long-term outcome is unclear, as recurrence may occur. The lady with progressive weakness of the leg muscles had an improvement in muscle power and was able to walk better. She also had a 1 cm increase in the circumference of her calf muscles.

The above examples show that uncommon illnesses can sometimes surprise us by responding well to acupuncture treatment.

New patients should make all their problems known during their first visit, and not just their presenting problem/s. Information on all existing problems and use of medications will influence management of the problem. Many people live with chronic medical problems and do not discuss them with their medical practitioners. Some of these may well respond to acupuncture treatment, which can be performed concurrently.