Sham acupuncture better than true acupuncture

[Deetee]

Courtesy of Orac's awareness, we read of an article that showed sham acupuncture (delivered at "official" acupoints) worked better than true acupuncture needling.

Unfortunately they did not look at needling and sham needling at non-acupoints - that would have been interesting, but other studies have previously done that and showed an effect - (i.e. acupuncture is definitely woo, though needling people may produce some physiological response)

ETA - this study shows acupuncture is no good for arm pain, but in the interests of scientific open-mindedness, I guess I must declare that it is possible that one day someone might find acupuncture is good for something that isn't trivial like the odd bit of nausea or headache it is usually given for..

 

[Blue Wode]

I guess I must declare that it is possible that one day someone might find acupuncture is good for something that isn't trivial like the odd bit of nausea or headache it is usually given for..

Then we’d have to ask how such a slim evidence base could justify a whole profession of acupuncturists when it’s likely that it would be more cost effective to train conventional healthcare professionals to deliver the treatment.

For the benefit of new readers, here’s Robert Park’s take on acupuncture:

A Maryland study of 570 elderly patients who suffer from arthritis of the knee, found that 6 months of acupuncture modestly reduced pain and improved agility. Six months? Why not take an aspirin? Scientists suggest the needles stimulate release of endorphins. Jalapeno peppers do the same thing. So it wouldn't matter where you stick the needles would it? Then who needs an acupuncturist?

http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN04/wn122304.html

And Wallace Sampson’s too:

"If it has the effect of, say, releasing endorphins through the application of needles, well, many things release endorphins -- a walk in the woods, a 5-mile run, a pinch on the butt."

-snip-

"I look at it this way: what if acupuncture didn't exist?" he says. "Would medicine or society be any worse off? If no one knew about it, nothing would change. You would still have ways to apply counter-irritation, through massage or rubbing."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/31/NSGDOIM5RJ1.DTL&type=books

 

[jli]

Unfortunately they did not look at needling and sham needling at non-acupoints - that would have been interesting, but other studies have previously done that

Acupuncture is not just acupuncture. Different schools have different acupoints. I wonder if non-acupoints exist (from the joint acupuncturists perspective )

 

[Rolfe]

I read on another site that if you take all the acupoints described by all the "authorities", there isn't a point on the body that isn't one!

Rolfe.

 

[Jeff Corey]

I can think of a few that should be off limits.

 

[jli]

I can think of a few that should be off limits.

I believe that people who stubbornly claim that they have diagnosed mucous in the brain by cheking the pulse and looking at the tongue are capable of inserting needles in those points as well.

 

[steenkh]

I read on another site that if you take all the acupoints described by all the "authorities", there isn't a point on the body that isn't one!

My wife was treated by an MD who suddenly stuck needles in my wife's leg without asking. One of the needles probably hit a nerve because it caused massive pain, and it took a couple of weeks before my wife could walk normally, and without pain.

I would have thought that one of the things acupuncturists needed to learn was not to stick needles in nerves and major blood vessels.

Eyes are probably off-limits, too (though not, apparently, for that Brazilian con-man John of God).