I’m sure you’ll get a thousand postings saying that whatever its scientific value, acupuncture has worked for them. I’m one of those.
I consider myself a pretty rational person who doesn’t fall for the quack stuff normally. But in a last-ditch effort to cure my chronic sleeplessness, I went to a teaching clinic in Seattle and got stuck (not the technical term for it, btw). Not only did it alleviate (I don’t know if “cure” is the right word in this case) my sleeplessness in a couple of months, it also helped me deal with some emotional issues I was facing at that time that were affecting my sleep without my knowing.
The long and the short of it is, even if there’s no scientific or medical reason for it to work, if it works, even on a psychosomatic basis, it works. So why mess?
[Note: This message has been edited by JillGat]
There is an undoubtedly apocryphal story, usually feauring the Danish physicist Niels Bohr (sometimes it’s attributed to Albert Einstein, but I think that he’s overworked in the context of apocryphal stories).
A visitor was shown into Bohr’s office, and observed a horseshoe hanging over the desk. “Surely,” objected the visitor, “you don’t believe that hanging up a horseshoe will bring luck!”
“Of course not,” scoffed Bohr. “I am a man of science, and I don’t believe in these silly superstitions. However,” he admitted, I’m told that it works whether you believe in it or not."
That’s the bottom line. Western medicine works, whether you believe in it or not, and whether you’re you, me, or Niels Bohr.
“I don’t just want you to feel envy. I want you to suffer, I want you to bleed, I want you to die a little bit each day. And I want you to thank me for it.” – What “Let’s just be friends” really means
Why mess? Because saying “it worked for me” isn’t terribly scientific. Taking sugar pills “works” for some people – that doesn’t mean we should start licensing sugar pills as drugs (whoops! Forgot – some people already give them out, it’s called homeopathy, but that’s a different column and thread).
IF acupuncture “works” in some cases, we should find out why. If it’s the placebo effect, then we should focus our efforts on learning more about that effect, not on sticking needles in people. If it turns out to cause the release of endorphins or something, then we should study that and see how it can be made better; we shouldn’t be relying on ancient Chinese Qi points or whatnot.
I am not a fan of acupuncture myself --never been stuck–, though I think maybe pinching nerves sort of wakes them up so they can do what they were supposed to be doing --kind of a massage, which is no drug but still makes you feel better.
Cecil’s statement that acupuncture uses “…the same technology as the voodoo doll” is right only if you consider the effect needles produce on the doll.
Agudelo
“The answers are there, now we need questions…”
“IF acupuncture “works” in some cases, we should find out why. If it’s the placebo effect, then we should focus our efforts on learning more about that effect, not on sticking needles in people.”
Er, okay, but who’s going to do that? Personally, if scientists are going to spend time investigating why acupuncture works or a cure for cancer…um, easy choice. And aren’t scientists still stumped as to how exactly aspirin works to cure headaches? But Bayer, et al, are still selling it.
Lots of people involved in pain research would love to, I’m sure – if they thought it would lead anywhere.
Yeah, 'cus we know that all doctors and scientists work on the same things. Nobody ever does anything different. Come on, man.
Not as far as I know.
Yes, they are. Know why? 'Cus studies have shown that it works and scientists have a pretty good idea why. Scientific studies have not shown that acupuncture works, nor why. But other than that, it was a great comparison. :rolleyes:
However, such research will take a lot of money. Nobody's providing it yet. Is not a system that sometimes works but it based on what's probably a crazy theory better than no system?
Despite 12 years of marriage to an acupuncturist, I see no reason to believe there's anything behind the *THEORY* they use. However, I've seen too many patients that had tried everything without success come to her and get better. It looks to me like some ancients observed things that worked and then surrounded them with a nutty theory.
Hi, I’m new to these boards and would like to get some feedback if possible.
This reply is to a really old post last March (as a result of Cecil’s Column) - but extends the topic some. I’m not even sure if this is the right place.
I see lots of comment around about:
“does acupuncture work?”.
But I am really interested in:
“Can it do any direct damage?”
I have a severe facial pain called trigeminal neuralgia (it’s second time around). It’s long boring story but the end result is that I ended up at an acupuncturist after 3 educated friends assured me that they had had very good results and that maybe it could help me.
During the session I ‘actively’ felt a strong pain down the side of my tongue simular to the normal pain but greater and around a new place in the jaw - as a pin was inserted
That new pain has never gone away and the condition is now even worse.
So, has anyone else had a situation where acupunture has probably/possibly been the cause of more damage?
[[So, has anyone else had a situation where acupunture has probably/possibly been the cause of more damage?]]
Very interesting question, and I’m sorry about your affliction. The pain in Trigeminal neuralgia is often set off by touching a trigger point (according to the Merck manual), so it makes sense that this could happen from acupuncture, too. One theory about why acupuncture sometimes seems to work is that the needle aggravates a specific area and stimulates the body’s immune system to heal whatever is going on there. I’m curious to see if there are other examples like yours, too.
I agree – it is an interesting point. One thing that promoters of this stuff always claim is that they have no side effects. Usually that’s because it just has no effect at all. But it is true that if you’re messing around with the human body, bad things can happen as well as good. If a type of therapy really does have effects, it will almost certainly have side effects – or the potential of negative effects – as well.
There are a *LOT* of unqualified acupuncturists out there. It would certainly be possible for one to hit a wrong point and cause problems.
Also, consider that pneumothorax is considered a possible complication of improperly-done acupuncture.
I have often wondered if acupuncture would work just as well if the needle-dude poked the patient in the wrong spots. According to this article, we may soon know.