Acupunture not just placebo?

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PainRack
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Post by PainRack »

Lord Zentei wrote: I would like to see some of these articles on acupuncture and SMT, provided that they have been published by respected medical journals. This would require there to be proper double blind tests. There aren't any: part of the interest of the quoted article in the OP is that this was supposedly the first indicator that acupuncture is more than just a placebo. Unfortunately, it was only single blinded, hence completely worthless - except as a snake oil sales trick.
I got the article for SMT from a medical journel, although I didn't read the whole thing.
The risk is that people will come to beleive that acupuncture is a proper therapy and rely on it when they should be seeking (additional) therapy from a doctor.
And that problem lies primarily in the healthcare industry, which doesn't regulate "alternative" medicine. Aka, don't blame the procedure, blame the law.
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Lord Zentei
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Post by Lord Zentei »

PainRack wrote:I got the article for SMT from a medical journel, although I didn't read the whole thing.
Which one was it? For I have become particularly suspicious about non corroborated articles since that fraudulent prayer-for-fertility study.
PainRack wrote:And that problem lies primarily in the healthcare industry, which doesn't regulate "alternative" medicine. Aka, don't blame the procedure, blame the law.
The medical industry certainly needs better regulating, and in particular with regards to alternative "medicine" of diverse kinds.

But I have no patience with snake oil salesmen. They are the worst kind of pseudoscientists.
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Post by 2000AD »

When i was working at the vets i was surprised when a dog had acupuncture and it actually worked.

Can dogs feel placebos?
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Post by Ghost Rider »

2000AD wrote:When i was working at the vets i was surprised when a dog had acupuncture and it actually worked.

Can dogs feel placebos?
They shouldn't.

A placebo works for you and me because we can be literally trained to believe that it will work. A dog may trust you, but convincing it that something that doesn't work will work to make it's health get better? Not quite the same thing.
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Post by Lord Zentei »

As I indicated above, I am willing to accept that acupuncture can function much like massage, in that it induces muscle relaxation, etc. Since psychological well being helps with recovery, this may be the basis for the observed "healing" effect (and yes, that is what the placebo does).

That does not make it an actual cure for illnesses.
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Post by PainRack »

Lord Zentei wrote: Which one was it? For I have become particularly suspicious about non corroborated articles since that fraudulent prayer-for-fertility study.
I honestly don't recall. I was searching for back pain relief and happened onto this retirement site based in the UK, and went from there to spine-health.com, and from there to the relevent study and data. From what I recall, it wasn't a double blind test, and instead simply used participantscomplaining of a specific back pain problem and treated them using 3 alternate treatments, SMT, Surgery, Painkillers and a control group. They then questioned the participants a time later and compared percentages who stated that pain has been alleviated.

The medical industry certainly needs better regulating, and in particular with regards to alternative "medicine" of diverse kinds.

But I have no patience with snake oil salesmen. They are the worst kind of pseudoscientists.
TCM could certainly do with better regulation. That will prevent incorrect and lethal dosages, quality control and more importantly, forward research into what actually works.
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Post by Lord Zentei »

PainRack wrote:
Lord Zentei wrote: Which one was it? For I have become particularly suspicious about non corroborated articles since that fraudulent prayer-for-fertility study.
I honestly don't recall. I was searching for back pain relief and happened onto this retirement site based in the UK, and went from there to spine-health.com, and from there to the relevent study and data. From what I recall, it wasn't a double blind test, and instead simply used participantscomplaining of a specific back pain problem and treated them using 3 alternate treatments, SMT, Surgery, Painkillers and a control group. They then questioned the participants a time later and compared percentages who stated that pain has been alleviated.

<browses spine-health.com> Looks like a popular magazine rather than a peer reviewed professional journal. Take with a grain of salt.
CotK <mew> | HAB | JL | MM | TTC | Cybertron

TAX THE CHURCHES! - Lord Zentei TTC Supreme Grand Prophet

And the LORD said, Let there be Bosons! Yea and let there be Bosoms too!
I'd rather be the great great grandson of a demon ninja than some jackass who grew potatos. -- Covenant
Dead cows don't fart. -- CJvR
...and I like strudel! :mrgreen: -- Asuka
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