By Matt McMillen, WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Sept. 10, 2012 -- About 3 million Americans visit acupuncturists each year, most of them for the relief of chronic pain. Now a new study shows the relief they get may be modest -- but real. The study is a review of previous acupuncture studies that compared the ancient Chinese practice to standard pain care or to sham acupuncture. In the latter, patients are needled in a manner different from (or at spots on the body not tied to) traditional acupuncture. The researchers found that people who got acupuncture ended up having less pain than those who didn't receive it. And the result was similar among different sources of pain, whether it was chronic back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, or headache. In the end, their results translate to about 30% less pain compared to people taking pain medications and other standard treatments for pain. Click for Full Article