Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Acupuncture: Small risks versus no benefit [View all]grantcart
(53,061 posts)33. And what about the Journal for the AMA
Here is a peer review article about a study that indicates that Acupuncture is effective with chronic pain:
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1357513
Background Although acupuncture is widely used for chronic pain, there remains considerable controversy as to its value. We aimed to determine the effect size of acupuncture for 4 chronic pain conditions: back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headache, and shoulder pain.
Methods We conducted a systematic review to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for chronic pain in which allocation concealment was determined unambiguously to be adequate. Individual patient data meta-analyses were conducted using data from 29 of 31 eligible RCTs, with a total of 17 922 patients analyzed.
Results In the primary analysis, including all eligible RCTs, acupuncture was superior to both sham and no-acupuncture control for each pain condition (P < .001 for all comparisons). After exclusion of an outlying set of RCTs that strongly favored acupuncture, the effect sizes were similar across pain conditions. Patients receiving acupuncture had less pain, with scores that were 0.23 (95% CI, 0.13-0.33), 0.16 (95% CI, 0.07-0.25), and 0.15 (95% CI, 0.07-0.24) SDs lower than sham controls for back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, and chronic headache, respectively; the effect sizes in comparison to no-acupuncture controls were 0.55 (95% CI, 0.51-0.58), 0.57 (95% CI, 0.50-0.64), and 0.42 (95% CI, 0.37-0.46) SDs. These results were robust to a variety of sensitivity analyses, including those related to publication bias.
Conclusions Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable referral option. Significant differences between true and sham acupuncture indicate that acupuncture is more than a placebo. However, these differences are relatively modest, suggesting that factors in addition to the specific effects of needling are important contributors to the therapeutic effects of acupuncture.
So is Science a process of peer review double blind studies or simply "whatever Sid thinks?"
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
39 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
I find it difficult to believe that an accupunture needle could pierce the lung
NV Whino
Jul 2013
#1
This is why most states regulate to those physicians (and veterinarians) who go on to receive
hlthe2b
Jul 2013
#2
I have no idea how it works but I know 4 people who quit smoking from acupuncture.
JaneyVee
Jul 2013
#6
True, but idiots still have the needles stuck in them so the cause continues.
1-Old-Man
Jul 2013
#12
And yet your story is about a massage threapist practicing medicine illegally, or it would be here
Bluenorthwest
Jul 2013
#17
I am a very satisfied person using acupuncture on several occasions and would continue with the
Thinkingabout
Jul 2013
#21
I get acupuncture because it was recommened to me by a friend who is not just an MD
Bluenorthwest
Jul 2013
#27
Problem is that requirements are not adequate for MTs to do acupuncture. Malpractice is bad, but
uppityperson
Jul 2013
#25