Hamburg, Germany - Acupuncture is more effective than painkillers for chronic back pain and migraines, according to a new study by German researchers who admit that no one knows how or why the needles work.

The study also showed that needles, which were deliberately inserted at the wrong acupuncture points, were just as effective as needles inserted at the points specified by Chinese medicine tradition.

Traditional Chinese medical texts claim that acupuncture taps into "meridians" or channels which are pathways through which Qi (the vital energy) and "Blood" flow to all parts of the body.

The German study aimed to reveal differences between acupuncture and Western medicine. It was also aimed at proving whether there was any difference in how or where the needles were applied.

German scientists at Munich's Technical University reported on 33 separate trials involving more than 6,700 people.

The Munich-based researchers tried to establish whether acupuncture could reduce the occurrence of headaches. One study focused on mild to moderate but frequent tension headaches, while the other focused on migraines.

Researchers found that, over the course of two months, people treated with acupuncture suffered from lesser headaches as compared to those who used only painkillers.

"Much of the clinical benefit of acupuncture might be due to non-specific needling effects and powerful placebo effects, meaning selection of specific needle points may be less important than many practitioners have traditionally argued," said lead researcher Dr. Klaus Linde, who works at the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research at the Technical University of Munich. (dpa)