Acupuncture has been found to outperform counselling and usual care for patients suffering from depression complicated by pain. A secondary analysis of data from 755 patients in a UK-based pragmatic randomised controlled trial found that patients with moderate-to-extreme pain did better at three months if they received acupuncture compared to those who received counselling or usual care. Reductions in both depression and pain were most marked in the acupuncture group, followed by the counselling group and then the usual care group.

Acupuncture, counselling or usual care for depression and comorbid pain: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2014 May 2;4(5):e004964.