Re: Chinese Alternative Medicine
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower
(Post 402962)
Well, you seem to be drifting towards an argument that something being effective means it is not a placebo. I just glanced at those studies I found, but I think that the whole point was to put needles in the wrong places to see if that had any effect on the efficacy of the treatment, and those studies suggested that it did not. So, assuming that the acupuncture is supposedly effective because of the correct placement of needles, wouldn't that be an example of a placebo effect and a good working definition? The people with needles in the right place and the people with needles in the wrong place got the same results. Or, with the example of the fertility treatment, the people with the needles in the wrong place had better results.
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I read something or other about those studies, too (in my acupuncturist's office, I think...). The article I read concluded that a possible reason for the "efficacy" of acupuncture even when needles were put in the "wrong" places is that the relaxation effect occurs even if the needle is a little off, which reduces stress, aids in healing, whatever.
I can't remember what ailment the study subjects were looking to have treated. Was it headaches? |
