Is the magnitude ofeffect, if any, associated with acupuncture for a given clinical indication 'worth it' from the perspective of patients, payers, or policymakers?
There are a wide range of studies demonstrating that acupuncture has a positive effect, including evidence to suggest it works by deactivating pain centres in the brain.
But the fact that even the participants receiving the sham acupuncture therapy reported some relief of their symptoms suggests that a strong placebo effect may be responsible for at least part of the improvement.