Valid Medical Technique Or Lucrative Hoax? Acupuncture Valid Medical Technique Or Lucrative Hoax?

History of Acupuncture Practiced in China for over 4,000 years Traditional Chinese medical technique for unblocking chi Acupuncture is the insertion of needles in specific points on the body These insertion points are believed to correspond with 14 main pathways within the body called meridians

Origins of Acupuncture Philosophy Originates in Taoist tradition (specifically meditation) Fu His discovered/created idea of yin and yang by observing a broken line and an unbroken line

What exactly is Chi? Chi is an energy that, according to ancient Chinese beliefs, permeates all things Chi must be able to flow freely throughout the body in order for a person to maintain overall health Chi flows along the meridians of the body

Where do yin and yang fit in? Acupuncture needles are inserted in an attempt to balance the opposing forces of yin and yang Yin and yang are balanced when a person is healthy and chi is therefore able to flow freely Injury or illness cause yin and yang to become distressed and unbalanced

Originally there were 365 acupuncture points, but through the years this number has increased to over 2,000 Each point is believed to correspond with a particular illness or injury

What is acupuncture used to treat? Depression Arthritis Kidney problems Flu Fatigue Chronic pain Migraines Paralysis Hypertension Tendonitis Vision problems Sexual Dysfunction And many others…

Is there a medical basis to acupuncture? Acupuncture is not based on modern medical science There is no obvious correlation between the 14 identified meridians and the actual location of organs and nerves within the body Some proponents of acupuncture have attempted to explain its medical function

Possible medical explanations Stimulation of natural painkilling chemicals such as endorphins Needles block the transmission of pain impulses to the CNS

Research on Acupuncture Many scientific studies on acupuncture are still in the early stages Subjectivity One controlled study done by Melzack and Katz compared electroacupuncture of the ear to placebo stimulation This study found acupuncture to be no more effective than lightly touching the ear in relieving chronic pain

More Research Three Dutch epidemiologists analyzed 51 controlled studies of acupuncture in 1991 Their conclusion: “…the quality of even the better studies proved to be mediocre…The efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic pain remains doubtful.” (Kleijnen, et al)

Research Continued A study published in 2001 exposed the inconsistency of the diagnosis and treatment of acupuncture Diagnoses as well as the prescribed treatments varied widely Of 28 points selected, only 4 (14%) were prescribed by 2 or more acupuncturists

Why use acupuncture if it has been proven ineffective? Many hospitals and doctors that use acupuncture use it only as complementary therapy or “last hope” therapy Example: DUMC

Why do people persist in using acupuncture? Although not supported by empirical evidence, acupuncture is often supported by anecdotal evidence (which can also lead to confirmation bias) Placebo effect Regression fallacy Pragmatic fallacy Confounding treatments

Why can’t we disprove acupuncture as a valid healing therapy? Acupuncture theory is flawed at the core by the fact that it is virtually impossible to falsify Chinese beliefs define chi as being undetectable by the methods of modern science If it makes people feel better, does it matter that we can’t explain why?

Lucrative Indeed! According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, approximately 4,000 physicians in the United States have received training in acupuncture therapy 10-15 million Americans spend ~$500 million per year on acupuncture 1 in 10 Americans have tried acupuncture

But there are risks… Bladder or lung puncture Allergic reaction to needles Infection from unsterilized needles Fainting Convulsions Nerve Damage Putting off treatments that are known to be effective