Acupuncture can reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines. Acupuncture not only provides short term relief for acute pain, it also provides a long term reduction in migraine recurrence. In a randomized clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, participants receiving only 4 weeks of acupuncture treatment showed a significant reduction in the frequency of migraines for the 5 months they were observed following initial treatment. This study shows that acupuncture can offer long term relief and is not just a palliative treatment. (Zhao et al, 2017)

In 2015, a systematic review of 11 studies and 962 participants with acute or chronic sciatica, found that acupuncture may be more effective than NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in decreasing the intensity of low back and leg pain and has fewer side effects. (Qin et al, 2015) 
In 2015, an overview of 16 systematic reviews examining the effectiveness of acupuncture for low back pain, acupuncture was found to provide significant short-term pain relief and functional improvements when combined with conventional interventions and in comparison to no treatment. (Liu et al, 2015)