Acupuncture is most widely used to control pain in the musculoskeletal system. This is one of the first areas that a beginning acupuncturist learns to use, in part because this part of the body responds so well to treatment, and partly because pain is relatively easy to quantify, so it is easy to tell whether the treatment is working or not.

However, pain is not the only thing that can be controlled through the use of medical acupuncture. An experienced physician with extensive training in Chinese medicine can use acupuncture to treat a wide spectrum of conditions. Use of acupuncture may mean that the patient does not have to take as many drugs. This means fewer chances of side effects.

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has said that the following conditions may be treated by acupuncture:

Respiratory Diseases

- Acute sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinus cavities caused by bacterial or viral infection
- Acute tonsillitis, inflammation of the tonsils
- Common cold, a well-known viral infection
- Acute rhinitis, sometimes called hay fever, an allergic reaction of the eyes, nose and throat as the result of exposure to airborne substances

Bronchopulmonary Diseases

- Bronchial asthma, a partial blockage of the bronchial tubes often caused by an allergy to an airborne substance such as pollen.
- Acute bronchitis, an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the lungs.

Eye Disorders

- Cataract (without complications), a cloudy area in the normally-clear part of the eye's lens, which often occurs as the result of aging.
- Myopia, nearsightedness.
- Acute conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, an inflammation of eye membranes as the result of infection or irritant.

Other Conditions

Acupuncture may also be appropriate in the treatment of mouth cavity disorders, including toothache, pain that comes after tooth extraction, pharyngitis, and gingivitis.

It may also be used in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders such as hiccups, constipation, diarrhea, acute bacterial dysentery, and chronic duodenal ulcer. Gastric hyperacidity, acute and chronic gastritis, and paralytic ileus may also improve after acupuncture treatment.

Other conditions that may be successfully treated with acupuncture include headaches, facial paralysis, low back pain, tennis elbow, and sciatica.