CBS This Morning - Acupuncture: Help for migraines?

Good morning. Today in HealthWatch, acupuncture. For people suffering with migraines, the oldest treatment may be the best. Acupuncture, the 2,000-year-old Chinese therapy, has been shown to lower the frequency and intensity of migraines. A new study compared patients who had acupuncture needles inserted in specific anti-migraine points to others who had a sham procedure or fake acupuncture. Both groups felt a little relief from their headaches, but only the real acupuncture patients had lasting results for months. The procedure has also shown promise in the treatment of back pain, arthritis, drug addiction, and smoking cessation. Now, many doctors feel acupuncture's benefits are mostly placebo effect, meaning it works because patients want it to work, and the benefits may all be in the mind. Nevertheless, the popularity of acupuncture is skyrocketing. It's up about 50% among American adults between 2002 and 2007, and more than 3 million of us have tried it. And for people wanting to stop the pain of migraines, if it's safe and it works, mind over matter is a good thing. I'm Dr. Holly Phillips.