SINGAPORE — Acupuncture is moving beyond traditional clinics and deeper into Singapore’s public healthcare system, with several hospitals now using it alongside conventional medicine for pain management, stroke rehabilitation and cancer-related symptoms.
The shift marks a significant development in Singapore’s approach to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but health authorities are stressing that this does not mean replacing Western medicine with traditional treatments.
Instead, the model being tested is one where selected TCM therapies are used alongside conventional medical care, with patient safety, clinical evidence and measurable outcomes remaining central to the process.
Acupuncture enters the hospital setting
At Singapore General Hospital (SGH), acupuncture is now being offered to selected patients with lower-back pain in its Extended Diagnostic and Treatment Unit, a short-stay facility linked to the emergency department.
Patients are first medically assessed and receive conventional treatment, including pain medication. Those whose pain remains inadequately controlled may then be considered for acupuncture.
Since March 2026, around 60 patients had received the treatment at SGH. An initial review of 30 patients found that their pain scores fell by more than half on average following treatment, according to CNA. Each session takes about 45 minutes and is currently offered as a one-off intervention during the hospital stay.
Changi General Hospital (CGH) has also incorporated acupuncture into its emergency-department short-stay care. The hospital has offered acupuncture for pain and acute symptom management since 2022, while acupuncture became part of its care protocol for selected lower-back-pain patients in January 2026.
The treatment is moving beyond pain
What makes the latest development particularly notable is the expansion of acupuncture into areas such as stroke rehabilitation, neurological conditions and supportive cancer care.
At SGH, stroke patients account for about 4 per cent of acupuncture patients. The hospital has also begun providing acupuncture directly at patients’ bedsides, including in rehabilitation wards where stroke survivors are recovering.
SGH has additionally offered acupuncture at the National Cancer Centre Singapore since October 2024, including supportive treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Between January and June 2026, SGH recorded approximately 4,800 outpatient acupuncture visits and 390 inpatient visits.
The development is consistent with an initiative launched by Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to evaluate evidence-based TCM treatments in controlled hospital settings.
MOH said it received 18 proposals from Singapore’s three public healthcare clusters under its TCM Integrative Sandbox. Several proposals involve acupuncture for migraine, post-stroke rehabilitation and cancer-related care, including chemotherapy side effects and palliative care.
Other hospitals are already experimenting with integrative care
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) has also expanded its TCM service beyond traditional pain and musculoskeletal treatment.
The hospital now uses TCM in selected cases involving neurological conditions, cancer-related symptoms and treatment side effects, stress management and general wellness. It sees about 6,500 TCM patient visits annually, according to CNA.
At National University Hospital (NUH), more than 12,000 acupuncture sessions are conducted annually. The hospital has also introduced weekly acupuncture for patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome whose symptoms persist despite conventional treatment.
Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has likewise been developing an integrative model. Reporting from TTSH and The Straits Times has highlighted the use of acupuncture in inpatient rehabilitation, including for stroke patients, while the hospital has partnered with Nanyang Technological University to strengthen training and research involving TCM and Western medicine.
MOH says evidence comes first
The expansion is part of a broader policy direction that began with a cautious approach to incorporating TCM into mainstream healthcare.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has previously said Singapore’s approach is not about the wholesale adoption of TCM, but about identifying treatments with sufficient evidence that can complement Western medicine.
Under the TCM Integrative Sandbox, proposed treatments are being evaluated for scientific robustness, safety and cost-effectiveness before wider adoption.
MOH has also continued funding research designed to determine which TCM treatments are safe and effective. Its Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Grant supports collaborations involving public healthcare institutions, academic institutions and TCM organisations.
Recent research projects include studies examining acupuncture for cancer-related symptoms and nerve injuries among cancer patients, underscoring the growing interest in determining where acupuncture can provide measurable benefits alongside conventional treatment.
What this means for patients
The emerging model is less about choosing between TCM and Western medicine and more about determining whether certain treatments can safely complement each other.
Singapore’s health authorities have previously stressed that patients receiving combined care should have clearly defined responsibilities between conventional medical professionals and TCM practitioners. For acupuncture, doctors assess patients and make referrals where appropriate, with follow-up assessment forming part of the process.
That distinction is particularly important for serious conditions such as stroke and cancer.
Acupuncture is being explored as a supportive or complementary treatment, rather than as a substitute for established medical interventions such as cancer treatment, stroke diagnosis or emergency care.
For patients, the potential attraction is straightforward: if a complementary treatment can safely reduce pain, improve mobility or ease treatment-related symptoms, it could become another tool available to doctors and patients.
But the bigger question is whether those benefits can be consistently demonstrated through rigorous clinical research.
A new chapter for TCM in Singapore?
Singapore’s public healthcare system is now effectively testing that question in real-world hospital settings.
From emergency-department pain management to stroke rehabilitation and cancer supportive care, acupuncture is no longer confined to the traditional clinic environment.
But the government’s cautious approach suggests that wider adoption will depend on what the evidence ultimately shows.
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