In the many instances where acupuncture outperforms conventional
treatment, some are quick to state that such results are purely
placebo based.  When asked why conventional methods, practiced my MD
specialists with 7+ years experience, can't equal placebo, their
response is that the acupuncturist was so much nicer than the MD.
Barring that, they would add that it is the time spent with the
patient, enforced relaxation, and the perception that the practitoner
is more interested in their well-being than the MD.

I say "Bollocks".  In most situations, acupuncture is performed in a
very crowded clinic with little regard for creature comforts.  The
needling is very abrupt and the acupuncturist spends <10 minutes with
the patient, and the patient may have to remove their own needles.
Treatments are often well under 20 minutes as the space is needed for
the next person.  Further, it is unlikely that a patient will see the
same practitioner on their return visit(s).  In other words, this
caring practitioner and this enforced relaxation are not frequently a
part of the majority of acupuncture treatments, particularly in Asia.

Conception and birth are objectively, verifiable processes.  They do
not depend on subjective scores on pain scales.  Either it happens, or
it does not.  Here is a systemic review & meta analysis.  Yes, the
last part of the abstract details that a comparison with a subgroup
within the control group shows a lesser effect.  However, who amongst
the doubters would allow a comparison to a subgroup that showed
increased effects?  Obviously, they can't.  They can't even disregard
enforced relation when it isn't a part of the process nor the sweet
demeanor of the acupuncturist, when it, too, is absent.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18258932?ordinalpos=36&itool=EntrezSystem2.PE
ntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum