Acupuncture doubts for migranes

Traditional Chinese acupuncture may be a bit better than a “sham” version of the procedure when it comes to preventing migraines.

Chinese researchers say “true” acupuncture often works no better than “sham” acupuncture where the needles are inserted only to a superficial depth in the skin, or into sites that aren’t considered acupuncture points in traditional medicine.

That raises the question of whether acupuncture works by “non-specific” effects; that is, where people might feel better because they expect to, or because of the personal attention they receive from the acupuncturist.