A study led by Dr Andrew Vickers looked at 29 trials of acupuncture for pain conditions including migraines and headaches, osteoarthritis, and neck and back pain, involving 18,000 patients. The study showed that acupuncture was better than sham acupuncture and usual care for chronic pain, and that acupuncture is superior to placebo. It was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in September 2012.