Acupuncture may help relieve the joint pain and stiffness associated with a certain type of breast cancer therapy, a new study shows. The study focused on women dealing with side effects of aromatase inhibitor therapy, a treatment commonly used for early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

The study involved 43 women, all of whom were coping with aromatase inhibitor-related joint pain. Twice a week for six weeks, the study members received either acupuncture or sham acupuncture (a placebo treatment in which the acupuncture needles were inserted in places not recognized as actual acupuncture points). Study results showed that women receiving true acupuncture had a significant decrease in joint pain and stiffness. Moreover, 20 percent of those who had reported taking pain-relieving medications said they no longer needed to use those medicines after they’d received acupuncture. In the placebo group, meanwhile, no such changes were reported.

Acupuncture may also help reduce pain caused by migraines, osteoarthritis, and low back pain, according to past research.