Effectiveness of Acupuncture

Effectiveness of Acupuncture

Western medicine is believed to be the most common form of medical treatment in the United States. In other countries such as China, there are a number of different approaches taken in regards to medicine and medical care. These different methodologies are commonly referred to as alternative medicine. In the west, medicine is thought of as a way to deal with disease and illness, whereas alternative treatments are usually used in place of, or in addition to, standard medical treatments. When talking about alternative treatments, acupuncture is one that generally comes to mind. Acupuncture

involves the use of sharp, thin needles that are inserted in the body at specific points. This process is believed to adjust and alter the body’s energy flow into healthier patterns and is used to treat a wide variety of illnesses and health conditions (Dupler, Odle, Newton, 2012, para.1).

Although acupuncture has a long history of use in other countries, it remains an unproven method of treatment according to western medicine standards.

The idea behind acupuncture is that the needles can change the flow of energy inside the body. How can this treatment be scientifically valid when it is based on something that cannot be seen, measured or tested? There have been many research studies conducted on the use of acupuncture for pain relief but all of these studies face some experimental difficulties. Some of the points the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) recommends considering in relation to acupuncture studies are

• Symptom relief is difficult to assess because there is no objective standard of measurement.

• Double-blind studies comparing the insertion of needles at acupuncture points and at other points (“sham acupuncture”) are difficult to design. If an experienced acupuncturist locates the points, the practitioner’s expectations may be transmitted to the patient. If an inexperienced person inserts the points, misplaced needles may undermine the results. Moreover, practitioners may differ about the location of the points, and so many points have been postulated that it may be difficult to find a patch of skin that has not been labeled an “acupuncture point.”

• Chronic pain is often cyclic, with periods of relief. Since people often request help when their pain is most severe, spontaneous improvement may occur independent of the treatment.

• Most acute (recent onset) pain improves with time and no intervention. Thus, people may report improvement of symptoms from any intervention even if the method has no effect.

• There is general agreement that 30% to 35% of subjects’ pain improves from suggestion or placebo effect alone. Thus measuring a small difference between placebo and acupuncture requires a large number of subjects (several hundred in each group) to show as little