Does Acupuncture Work?

Below are meta-analyses drawn from the cochrane, nih, and various medical databases. Of course, you're going to say you're smarter than those MDs that ran the studies, and MOST of the studies ended by saying that more research is required in the area of acupuncture and oriental medicine, but here goes:

Depression:  
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18652335?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

This 2008 study evaluated 14 RCTs involving acupuncture and clinical depression, with the meta-analysis indicating that the effective rate showed no significant difference between the acupuncture treatment and medication, and that “Both acupuncture and medication possibly are effective for depression with good safety.”

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18550177?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

In a 2008 study in the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers evaluated 8 RCTs involving 477 patients, and concluded that “acupuncture was an effective treatment that could significantly reduce the severity of disease in the patients with depression.”

 

Colitis:  

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17926625?ordinalpos=23&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

In a study published in 2007 collecting 11 RCTs in the past 10 years for the use of acupuncture for ulcerative colitis, the conclusion was “The therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on ulcerative colitis is superior to that of western medicine with safety and less adverse reactions.”

 

Low Back Pain:

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15838072?ordinalpos=75&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

Researchers at the University of MD evaluated 33 RCTs investigating acupuncture and low back pain. Their conclusion was “Acupuncture effectively relieves chronic low back pain.” Data were sparse for acute low back pain, and so they didn’t address that in their meta-analysis.

 

Idiopathic Headache:

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11279710?ordinalpos=115&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

A German university performed a study published in 2001 on acupuncture’s effectiveness on idiopathic headaches.   Randomized and quasi-randomized studies were included with a total of 26 trials involving 1151 patients with the conclusion that “the existing evidence supports the value of acupuncture for the treatment of idiopathic headaches.”

 

Dental Pain:

 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9617000?ordinalpos=131&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

A systematic review of 16 studies showed that “acupuncture can alleviate dental pain and that future investigations should define the optimal acupuncture technique and its relative efficacy compared with conventional methods of analgesia.”

Bill's comment:
Acupuncture is extremely hard to evaluate since it doesn't fall into the "one size fits all" mentality.   Three people with seemingly similar knee pain will receive three very different acupuncture point combinations to get relief based on a myriad of signs and symptoms. Until the time it can be evaluated on its own terms, its true healing power will be marginalized by standardized pharmaceutical-based testing methods.