Exploring Health Conditions
For headache, Cochrane concluded in 2006 that "(o)verall, the existing evidence supports the value of acupuncture for the treatment of idiopathic headaches. However, the quality and amount of evidence are not fully convincing. There is an urgent need for well-planned, large-scale studies to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture under real-life conditions."
For osteoarthritis, reviews since 2006 show acupuncture to be more effective than no treatment at all, but approximately as effective as sham acupuncture (wherein needles are inserted in points that, according to acupuncture theory, should not be effective).
For fibromyalgia, a systematic review of the best 5 randomized controlled trials available found mixed results.[63] Three positive studies, all using electro-acupuncture, found short term benefits. The methodological quality of the 5 trials was mixed and frequently low.
For the following conditions, the Cochrane Collaboration has concluded there is insufficient evidence to determine whether acupuncture is beneficial, often because of the paucity and poor quality of the research, and that further research is needed:
Positive results from some studies on the efficacy of acupuncture may be as a result of poorly designed studies or publication bias.
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