Recommendations by Medical Experts
Medical experts in different countries write guidelines to advise medical doctors, nurses about what treatment options are available for different health problems. In the UK two such groups are the ‘National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’ (NICE) [https://www.nice.org.uk/] and the ‘Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) [https://www.sign.ac.uk/]. In Germany the equivalent group is the ‘Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V.’ (AWMF) [https://www.awmf.org/], with the German Cancer Society group ‘Deutschen Krebsgesellschaft’ (DKG) [https://www.krebsgesellschaft.de/] publishing cancer treatment related guidelines. Many countries have such guideline groups.
International and European medical experts work together to develop treatment guidelines for different health problems. Examples include the World Health Organization, the International Association for the Study of Pain, the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, the European Headache Federation, European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology, European Association of Urology, European Partnership for Action Against Cancer, European Oncology Nursing Society, and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Besides medical expert groups publishing guidelines for doctors about treatment options, it is common for the Health Department of each country to use the internet to inform the public about treatment options for their health problems. In the UK, this is done via the National Health Service (NHS) [https://www.nhs.uk/], in Ireland the Health Services Executive (HSE) [https://www.hse.ie/], in Denmark the Sundhedsstyrelsen [www.sundhedsstyrelsen.dk;] and in Norway the Helsedirektoratet [https://helsedirektoratet.no/]. In many European countries the Health Department uses their websites to make statements about treatment options for specific conditions, some mention acupuncture as a treatment option, in some countries, such as the UK, the Health Department has specific webpages about acupuncture and its uses [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acupuncture/].
Here are the recommendation made by European expert groups and by experts in 18 European countries:
Examples of European Health Department and Medical expert group statements about acupuncture:
Collaborative European and International Medical expert groups:
Papers published by European or international specialist medical groups (2014-2021) have recommended acupuncture for the following symptoms:
Back pain, tension headache, migraine, osteoarthritis of the knee, Fibromyalgia, chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis pain, pelvic floor pain, , labour pain, chronic prostate pain, interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome, vulvodynia, chronic pancreatitis pain, pain in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis, post-surgery pain, post-surgery nausea and vomiting, allergic rhinitis, menopausal hot flashes, stroke related dysphasia, stop smoking, premature ejaculation, pelvic floor dysfunction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cancer pain, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, aromatase inhibitor arthralgia, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, radiation induced nausea and vomiting, radiation induced dry mouth (xerostomia), cancer treatment related hot flashes, menopausal problems, cancer related depression, anxiety, sleep problems, fatigue, cancer related constipation, diarrhoea, lymphoedema, leucopenia, improving quality of life in cancer patients, increased relaxation in cancer patients.
Recommendations by Country
UK experts NICE has published a number of guidelines that mention acupuncture and currently recommends acupuncture for: tension headache, migraine, chronic headaches, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic non-specific musculoskeletal pain problems such as back pain, neck pain, chronic pelvic pain, chronic abdominal pain, complex regional pain syndrome, facial pain, temporomandibular disorder pain, chronic primary visceral pain such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic bladder pain syndrome (interstitial cystitis), Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting,
The Scottish group SIGN (2019) recommends acupuncture for: chronic pain such as low back pain, osteoarthritis of the knee, osteoarthritis, recurrent urinary tract infection.
UK Health Department Over the years the NHS national website has published a new page every year about acupuncture. In 2024 the NHS webpage on acupuncture [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acupuncture/] stated that acupuncture is good for:
chronic pain, chronic tension headaches, migraine, joint pain, muscle pain, jaw pain, prostatitis symptoms, hiccups, nausea and vomiting after surgery, cancer symptoms such as pain, side effects of cancer such as related to chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.
Another page on the NHS website [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyalgia/treatment/] describes acupuncture as being useful for Fibromyalgia,
Regional NHS groups also publish statements about the uses of acupuncture. For example the Scottish NHS website (www.nhsinform.scot/) in July 2024 recommended acupuncture in various publications for:
Migraine, fibromyalgia, labour pain, rheumatoid arthritis, phantom limb pain, pre-surgical anxiety, cancer pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, cancer related anxiety, cancer related menopausal symptoms, improving mood and well-being in cancer patients, breathlessness in palliative care, dry mouth in palliative care, emotional stress in palliative care,
There are many local and regional NHS groups, hospitals, centres and clinics some of them also recommend acupuncture. In the section discussing treatment of children, you can find a list of recommendations from Manchester’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. Many symptoms are mentioned for treatment by acupuncture among the many NHS local and regional related webpages.
German experts the AWMF has published dozens of guidelines that mention acupuncture. Among these are recommendations (2014-2023) to use acupuncture for:
Chronic pain, back pain, subacute disc hernia radiating pain, chronic disc hernia radiating pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis of the knee, osteoarthritis o f the hip, migraine, radiating pain from disc hernia (subacute and chronic), thoracic-lumbar spine injury pain, phantom limb pain, pain of endometriosis, labour pain, interstitial cystitis (also known as chronic bladder pain syndrome), pain of ulcerative colitis, pain of Crohn’s disease, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional bodily disorders, sleep problems, stroke rehabilitation, stroke related arm paralysis, stroke related spasticity, stroke related depression, allergic rhinitis, to help with dental procedure anxiety, dyspnoea.
The German Cancer Society (DKG) recommends acupuncture (2018-2021) for the following symptoms in cancer and palliative care patients:
Cancer pain, post-surgical pain, aromatase inhibitor arthralgia, chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy
Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, hot flashes, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep problems, fatigue, cognitive problems, dry mouth (xerostomia), radiation induced dry mouth (xerostomia), post-surgical intestine problems (post-op ileus), improved quality of life.
The German Breast Cancer group, Mamma Commission from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynakologische Onkologie (AGO) recommends acupuncture (2023) for the following symptoms in breast cancer survivors (https://www.ago-online.de/):
Post-surgical pain, post-surgical anxiety, post-surgical nausea and vomiting, cancer pain, aromatase inhibitor arthralgia, chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, menopausal problems such as hot flashes and sleep problems, depression, anxiety, fatigue, cognitive problems, lymphoedema.
French experts (www.has-sante.fr/; www.cnrd.fr/; www.15-20.fr; www.larhumatologie.fr/ ) recommend (2017-2024) acupuncture for: Chronic pain, osteoarthritis of the knee pain; eye pain, pain from Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome, Ehler’s Danlos related headaches, improved quality of life in patients with pain from endometriosis
The cancer group Association Francophone des Soins Oncologiques de Support, (https://www.afsos.org/) recommended acupuncture in 2018 for:
Cancer pain, aromatase inhibitor arthralgia, chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy
Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, hot flashes, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep problems, radiation induced xerostomia, leucopenia, post-surgical intestine problems (post-op ileus)
Dutch experts(e.g. https://www.nvk.nl/; www.dutchpainsociety.nl/ Federatie Medisch Specialisten- https://richtlijnendatabase.nl; www.pallialine.nl/; http://www.verenso.nl/) (2014-2023) recommend acupuncture for: back pain in the elderly, cancer pain, post-surgical nausea and vomiting, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, migraine, neck pain, osteoarthritis pain, myofascial pain, menopausal hot flashes, achilles tendinopathy, dysmenorrhea, hiccups in palliative care
The Stichting Kanker.nl, a national Dutch Cancer Foundation (www.kanker.nl) recommends acupuncture in 2024 for cancer patients and patients in palliative care for the following symptoms: Cancer pain, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, hot flashes and heavy sweating in patients undergoing hormone therapy, xerostomia, fatigue. Sleep problems, mood and stress-tension problems.
Belgian experts (https://kce.fgov.be/; https://ebpnet.be/; https://doclib.uhasselt.be/; https://www.bcfi.be/) recommend acupuncture (2014-2024)for: Back pain, osteoarthritis pain, temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain, depression, speech problems (dysarthria) after stroke,, pregnancy related back-pelvic pain
Danish experts (www.sundhedsstyrelsen.dk; https://www.sst.dk/; https://www.cancer.dk) recommend acupuncture for: chronic back pain, acute back pain, chronic neck pain, acute neck pain, tension headache, migraine, osteoarthritis of the knee, fibromyalgia
Cancer pain, cancer related neuropathic pain, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, radiation induced nausea and vomiting, cancer treatment related hot flashes, improved quality of life in cancer patients
Pain in palliative care, Dyspnoea in palliative care, myoclonus in palliative care, pruritis in palliative care, Hiccups in palliative care
Swedish experts (www.socialstyrelsen.se; http://www.sbu.se/) recommend acupuncture for: neck pain, temporo-mandibular disorder, osteoarthritis pain
Norwegian experts (https://helsedirektoratet.no/; : https://kreftforeningen.no; https://nordlandssykehuset.no/) recommend acupuncture for: morning sickness, temporo-mandibular disorder, cancer pain, problems with breastfeeding such as pain, engorgement, hot flashes in cancer treatment
Irish experts(https://www.hse.ie/; https://www.cancer.ie/) recommend acupuncture (2017-2020) for: chronic back pain, migraine, headache, osteoarthritis of the knee, pain and discomfort during oocyte retrieval (a procedure used during IVF), pregnancy related back-pelvic pain, labour pain, dental pain, pain and discomfort during gastrointestinal endoscopy, nausea and vomiting after surgery, morning sickness, menopausal symptoms, cancer pain, cancer related neuropathic pain, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, cancer related hot flashes, menopausal symptoms, anxiety, sleep problems, fatigue, breathlessness, dry mouth (xerostomia), improved quality of life, increased relaxation
Austrian experts(https://aihta.at/) (2014-2020) recommend acupuncture for: Back pain, neck pain, tension headache, migraine, osteoarthritis, shoulder pain, chronic pain, , menstrual pain, labour pain, pregnancy related back-pelvic pain, , chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
Italian experts (e.g. www.regione.toscana.it/) recommend acupuncture for: Back pain, Neck pain, migraine, tension headache, cancer related dry mouth (xerostomia)
Swiss experts (https://www.swissneuro.ch/; www.headache.ch; https://www.palliative.ch/) recommend acupuncture for: Migraine, tension headache, Trigeminal Neuralgia,symptoms in palliative care: nausea, dyspnoea, fatigue
Finnish experts (www.kaypahoito.fi; https://www.ebm-guidelines.com/) recommend acupuncture for: low back pain, osteoarthritis of the knee,
Romanian experts (www.medichub.ro/; http://www.asociatiapavel.ro/) recommend acupuncture for: cancer pain, aromatase inhibitor arthralgia, cancer related fatigue
Polish experts (https://ptbb.pl/; www.niebolsi.pl; Polskiego Towarzystwa Badania Bólu i Towarzystwa Neurologicznego) recommend acupuncture for: chronic pain, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, post herpetic neuropathy
Spanish experts (www.quironsalud.com) (2014-2016) recommend acupuncture for: pregnancy related back-pelvic pain, cancer pain, sleep problems,
Portuguese experts (www.dgs.pt) (2014-2021) recommend acupuncture for: neuropathic pain, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, tension headache, migraine,
Croatian experts (https://hdfrm.org/) (2016-) recommend acupuncture for: knee OA, cancer related xerostomia (dry mouth)
To see a breakdown of symptoms by country click: Recommendations by country
If your symptom is not mentioned above please follow the links below to find a Toyohari practitioner near you to see if and how that practitioner may be able to help you.