http://consensus.nih.gov/1997/1997Acupuncture107html.htm

It addresses the following key questions: What is the efficacy of acupuncture, compared with placebo or sham acupuncture, in the conditions for which sufficient data are available to evaluate? What is the place of acupuncture in the treatment of various conditions for which sufficient data are available, in comparison or in combination with other interventions (including no intervention)? What is known about the biological effects of acupuncture that helps us understand how it works? What issues need to be addressed so that acupuncture can be appropriately incorporated into today's health care system? What are the directions for future research?