There have been clinical studies evaluating if acupuncture actually works. There is research on mechanisms involved and how the therapy works and also provides important information on efficacy. The World Health Organization report According to the World Health Organization report on the efficacy of acupuncture, studies have shown that acupuncture is effective in inducing analgesia, protecting the body against infections and regulating various physiological functions. It is found that although acupuncture is most often used as a measure to allay symptoms such as pain, it can alter the pathogenesis of the disease to provide relief from the disease as well.