Acupuncture as treatment for nervous system diseases

Acupuncture and moxibustion have been used for at least 2000 years to treat a wide range of diseases. In recognition of the increasing worldwide interest in the subject, the World Health Organization conducted a symposium on acupuncture in 1979 and put forth a list of 40 suitable diseases that can be treated with this approach. In Taiwan, acupuncture is widely used as a tool to treat diseases and disorders of the nervous system such as stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Although numerous studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture have been conducted, the efficacy of acupuncture as treatment for nervous system diseases or disorders has been questioned mainly because only a limited number of controlled clinical trials have been published. The aim of this review is to determine whether there is enough evidence in previously published trials to support the beneficial effects of acupuncture on diseases of the nervous system.