Most of the published studies examined the prophylactic effect of acupuncture on migraine headaches. A new study in The Journal of Head and Face Pain examined acupuncture's effect on an acute migraine attack.
As a certified acupuncturist, I'm biased in favor of this ancient treatment. Many physicians remain skeptical that it works better than a placebo. This is despite hundreds of clinical trials published to date. Many trials are small or poorly designed and therefore not definitive. Blinding patients and researchers is much harder than in drug trials.
Another difficulty with blinded trials is that theplacebo effect is usually higher with injections, infusions, and proceduresthan with drugs. This raises the bar so high that you need hundreds of patientsto show a difference from placebo.
However, human and animal mechanistic studies show definitephysiological changes from real, but not sham, acupuncture.
In my experience, about 50-60% of people respond to acupuncture. Many acupuncturists recommend 10-20 treatment sessions to determine whether acupuncture is effective. I think that a few sessions is sufficient to figure out if you are a responder or not. If you find the experience pleasant and relaxing, you are probably a responder. On the other hand, if you can’t wait for the session to end, you probably won't respond. And once a responder, always a responder. Meaning that if you had relief from acupuncture treating your migraines, you are probably going to get relief treating your back pain or arthritis.
Another variable to consider is the acupuncturist'sskill. This is mostly about bedside manner rather than knowing where to placethe needles.
