EDITOR—The BMA report on acupuncture is regrettable. It suggests, among other things, that acupuncture is effective for back pain, dental pain, and migraine. Three recent systematic reviews show the importance of basing judgments on high quality information.

For back pain, four randomised and blind studies showed no benefit; five open studies showed benefit.1 The BMA's conclusion that acupuncture was effective in back pain was based on all nine studies.

For dental pain, a review of 16 studies concluded that it was effective.2 Many of these were not randomised, were not blind, or had major flaws. Only three small studies were adequate, and these showed no convincing benefit.3

For migraine, trials showing a significant benefit from acupuncture were inadequately randomised or not blind.4 The reviewers themselves were highly circumspect about ascribing any clinical significance to acupuncture.

The BMA report concluded that results for acupuncture are inconclusive in …