I've been an RN for almost 20 years.

[pnwmom]

208. But whether something is woo or not is not connected to whether

there is another procedure or medication that may be slightly safer -- or all new prescription medicines with somewhat higher risk profiles than currently available drugs would be considered woo.

And you know they are not. If they come from big pharma, no one around here calls them woo.

Acupuncture has been shown by dozens of research studies by reputable investigators to relieve pain. Whether it might carry a slightly higher risk than your preferred method has nothing to do with whether it is "woo."



http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/acupuncture-is-worth-a-try-for-chronic-pain-201304016042

Over the years there has been substantial debate about whether acupuncture really works for chronic pain. Research from an international team of experts adds to the evidence that it does provide real relief from common forms of pain. The team pooled the results of 29 studies involving nearly 18,000 participants. Some had acupuncture, some had “sham” acupuncture, and some didn’t have acupuncture at all. Overall, acupuncture relieved pain by about 50%. The results were published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study isn’t the last word on the issue, but it is one of the best quality studies to date and has made an impression.

“I think the benefit of acupuncture is clear, and the complications and potential adverse effects of acupuncture are low compared with medication,” says Dr. Lucy Chen, a board-certified anesthesiologist, specialist in pain medicine, and practicing acupuncturist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.