TCM Evidence by Use: Pain, Nausea, Sleep and Other Uses
What systematic reviews show for specific traditional Chinese medicine treatments used for pain, nausea, sleep and other uses, with the strength of evidence and the limits of each study.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
How to read this page
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a collection of different practices, so research cannot say whether "TCM works". It can only say whether a specific treatment, such as acupuncture or cupping, helped a specific group of people for a specific problem, compared with something else. NCCIH puts it this way: some approaches used in TCM, such as acupuncture and tai chi, may help improve quality of life and certain pain conditions, while studies of Chinese herbal products have had mixed results. [1]Labels used: established, promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, no good evidence of benefit. Most of the treatments below cannot be fully hidden from the person receiving them, so expectation (the placebo effect) matters. Sham-controlled trials try to account for this. Details on needling are on What Is Acupuncture?, which owns that topic.
Pain
| Treatment | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture for chronic musculoskeletal, headache and osteoarthritis pain | An individual-patient meta-analysis of 39 trials (20,827 patients) found acupuncture better than sham and than no acupuncture, with differences close to 0.2 standard deviations versus sham and 0.5 versus no acupuncture. The authors concluded effects cannot be explained by placebo alone. [2] | Promising to established; the difference from sham is small |
| Cupping for chronic neck pain | A 2026 meta-analysis of 9 trials (401 people) found less pain and better function, with no serious adverse events, but the authors note methodological limitations in several trials. [3] NCCIH says cupping may help reduce pain but the evidence is not very strong. [4] | Promising but limited |
| Tui na for chronic low back pain | A meta-analysis of 21 trials (1,612 people) found more pain reduction than comparison treatments, rated low certainty. [5] | Promising but limited. See Tui Na |
| Moxibustion for neck and low back pain | A 2015 review of 75 trials said the efficacy of tui na and moxibustion was unknown because no direct evidence was found. [6] | Insufficient evidence |
| Herbal products for pain | We did not find a systematic review of Chinese herbal products for pain that we could read. | Proper evidence not found |
Tai chi, which NCCIH says may reduce knee osteoarthritis pain and help with fibromyalgia and back pain, has its own page: Tai Chi. [1]
Nausea
| Treatment | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Stimulating the wrist point PC6 (needles or non-needle methods such as wristbands) to prevent nausea after surgery | A 2025 Cochrane network meta-analysis of 77 trials (9,847 people) found that PC6 stimulation may reduce nausea compared with sham (needle: risk ratio 0.49; non-needle: 0.67), with low-confidence evidence. No serious or long-term complications were reported. [7] | Promising but limited |
| Acupuncture for nausea and vomiting from cancer treatment | NCCIH says experts generally agree it is helpful, but this is based mainly on research done before current guidelines for treating these symptoms; whether it helps alongside current standard treatments is uncertain. [8] | Mixed or uncertain |
For acupuncture-specific details see Acupuncture for Postoperative Nausea and Other Uses.
Sleep
| Treatment | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture, herbal medicine or both for chronic insomnia | A 2026 network meta-analysis of 59 trials ranked acupuncture plus herbs and acupuncture alone ahead of herbs alone and Western medication, with no significant difference between combination and acupuncture alone. The authors call for higher-quality trials because of limitations in the included studies. [9] | Promising but limited |
| Acupuncture for insomnia in people with cancer | A 2025 Cochrane review of 5 small studies (402 people) rated all results versus sham as very low certainty; no outcome was both statistically significant and larger than the smallest meaningful difference. [10] | Insufficient evidence |
| Tui na for insomnia | A meta-analysis of 18 studies (1,471 people) reported better sleep quality. [11] | Promising but limited |
For everyday sleep habits, see Sleep Hygiene. Persistent insomnia, loud snoring or daytime sleep attacks should be assessed by a doctor.
Other uses
| Treatment | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Moxibustion on the toe point BL67 to turn a breech baby | A 2023 Cochrane review of 13 studies (2,181 women) found moxibustion plus usual care probably reduces the chance of a non-head-down position at birth (moderate certainty) but probably makes little difference to cesarean rate. Adverse events were inadequately reported. [12] | Promising but limited; discuss only with a pregnancy clinician |
| Chinese herbal products for conditions such as stroke, heart disease and colds | NCCIH says many studies were of poor quality, so no firm conclusions can be made. [1] | Insufficient evidence |
| TCM as a whole | There is no single result, because the practices differ. | Not a meaningful question |
Safety and care first
Use of TCM should not replace or delay conventional care, and your providers should know what you use. [1] The main safety concerns differ by treatment: see Chinese Herbal Products: Quality, Contamination and Medicine Interactions and Moxibustion and Cupping Risks.
Frequently asked questions
Does TCM work?
It depends on the treatment and the problem. Some practices, such as acupuncture for chronic pain, have fairly consistent trial support, while many herbal studies are too poor to judge. [1]
Is acupuncture just a placebo?
The large pain meta-analysis found acupuncture beat sham by a small margin and no-acupuncture by a larger margin, and concluded benefits are not explained by placebo alone. [2]
Is cupping proven for pain?
No. Evidence is limited and quality varies. [4]
Should I choose TCM instead of a medicine my doctor prescribed?
No. Discuss options with your doctor, and do not stop prescribed treatment on your own. [1]
Where are the study details?
Each source is listed below. For wider study records see the Research Library.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know. Read 2026-10-22.
- Vickers AJ, Vertosick EA, Lewith G, et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain: update of an individual patient data meta-analysis. J Pain. 2018;19(5):455-474. Read 2026-10-22.
- Torad AA, Taha MM, Elbosaty RF, et al. Effect of cupping therapy on chronic neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2026 (online ahead of print). Read 2026-10-22.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Cupping. Last updated November 2018. Read 2026-10-22.
- Huang B, Xie H, Duan M, et al. Tuina for chronic non-specific low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2026;99:103381. Read 2026-10-22.
- Yuan QL, Guo TM, Liu L, Sun F, Zhang YG. Traditional Chinese medicine for neck pain and low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0117146. Read 2026-10-22.
- Lee A, Zhang JZ, Xie J, et al. Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point PC6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting: a network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025;9:CD003281. Read 2026-10-22.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Acupuncture: What You Need To Know. Read 2026-10-22.
- Yang N, Li Y, Zhao J, et al. Efficacy of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, combined acupuncture-herbal therapy, and western medication for adult chronic insomnia: a network meta-analysis. Front Med (Lausanne). 2026;13:1961539. Read 2026-10-22.
- Ma Q, Liu C, Zhao G, et al. Acupuncture for insomnia in people with cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025;12:CD015177. Read 2026-10-22.
- Wang Z, Xu H, Zhou H, et al. A systematic review with meta-analysis: traditional Chinese tuina therapy for insomnia. Front Neurosci. 2022;16:1096003. Read 2026-10-22.
- Coyle ME, Smith C, Peat B. Cephalic version by moxibustion for breech presentation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;5:CD003928. Read 2026-10-22.