In a 1987 study done by Joseph Helms, a physician and acupuncturist in Berkeley, California, one group of women with a history of painful menstrual cramps were given weekly acupuncture treatments, while another group received weekly counseling treatments. After three months, ten out of eleven women in the acupuncture group reported at least 50% less pain. Only two out of eleven women in the counseling group reported the same results. Also, the acupuncture group ended up using 41% less painkilling medication, while the others had no decrease in drug use.

In a 1994 study at the University of Maryland, researchers showed that twice-weekly acupuncture treatment for two months in adults with osteoarthritis reduced pain and increased mobility in 8 out of 12 patients.

Acupuncture offered short-term relief in 50 to 80 percent of patients with acute or chronic pain.

Regarding lower back pain, acupuncture provided analgesic (pain-relieving) properties to six out of ten patients. This experiment followed the participants for six or more months.

In a study investigating the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of migraines, 22 children were randomly divided into 2 experimental groups: a true acupuncture group (12 children),and a placebo group (10 children). Ten healthy children served as the control. The acupuncture group showed significant clinical reduction in both migraine frequency and intensity. Also, an increase in beta-endorphin levels was observed in the acupuncture group. (Ped-Neuro)

According to a 1997 study, acupuncture is helpful in managing symptoms and pain in irritable bowel syndrome. The study involved 7 patients in which assessment was made by a diary card. (Hepato-Gastro..)

Lixing Lao, a Shanghai-trained acupuncturists who earned a doctorate in physiology at the University of Maryland, found that in 40 dental patients, the ones that were treated with acupuncture stayed pain-free longer than those that did not receive acupuncture in the course of wisdom teeth removal. (medical industry today..)