“Is acupuncture a placebo?”
I am a 26 year old male. I heard that acupuncture is a placebo. Is that true?
32 Answers
AcupuncturistAcupuncture
Nope
Absolutely not. Those who say acupuncture is a placebo pretty much does not understand how acupuncture works and why it works. Acupuncture has been around for a long time, and its effectiveness in treating health problems and diseases span over 2000+ years.
As a licensed acupuncturist, I would say that is not true. Acupuncture has existed for more than 3000 years, far longer than our current modern medicine. There is a reason as to why acupuncture still exists after thousands of years.
Some people argue that acupuncture is just a placebo. There has been research done with functional MRIs and acupuncture. Different areas of the brain light up during the fMRI’s when acupuncture needles are used. Animals or pets receive acupuncture from trained veterinarians and have positive results from the treatments. Young children receive acupuncture and have positive results as well. A placebo effect would be difficult to explain in either group.
Melisa Skyrm, M.Ac, L. Ac.
Melisa Skyrm, M.Ac, L. Ac.
I figure it probably would have faded out a couple thousand years ago if it was. There are also measurable differences in things like hormones and inflammatory markers in the blood after treatment. A big reason this rumor came about is that research for acupuncture just doesn't fit into the ideal double blind study for medical research because the acupuncturist knows whether or not they are doing acupuncture so they try and use various "sham" acupuncture methods for tests which include things like shallow needle insertion or needling a slightly different point which also has effects greater than seen in placebo as many styles of acupuncture utilize things like shallow needling or needling elsewhere on the channel if a point isn't available (think braces or limited mobility). So when compared to the "sham" acupuncture the results weren't as statistically significant whereas both showed great significance when compared to a control group.
No, it is not. Scientific studies show clear benefits of acupuncture.
Hi,
All medicine has a component of “placebo” in effect that if you truly believe this will get you better than it the effectiveness is enhanced. That being said, there is concrete evidence of the effect of acupuncture treatment for some conditions and still some question about other conditions. So, a more specific set of symptoms would have to present to be able to better inform you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dave
All medicine has a component of “placebo” in effect that if you truly believe this will get you better than it the effectiveness is enhanced. That being said, there is concrete evidence of the effect of acupuncture treatment for some conditions and still some question about other conditions. So, a more specific set of symptoms would have to present to be able to better inform you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dave
No, acupuncture is not placebo. It is effective at a much higher percentage when compared to trials with “sham acupuncture”, that is, studies where the subjects don’t know that actual needles are not being used. Also, acupuncture is a very effective treatment for animals and young children, for whom the placebo effect doesn’t come into play.
There are many studies that say that, but there are also studies that prove on a cellular or physiological level that acupuncture is effective in targeting the brain to release chemicals to aid in increased circulation, relaxation, and muscle recovery while decreasing pain and sensitivity. The placement of needles enhance the healing process and for internal disorders, it helps re-calibrate the system to function at a better level.
Acupuncture and herbs can be a placebo!
Definitely this question has come up quite often during my 20 years of practice, since acupuncture is still quite unfamiliar to most Westerners. A recent study looked into this very question and came to the conclusion that based on "an analysis of patient-level data from 29 high-quality RCTs, including 17,922 patients, we found statistically significant differences between both acupuncture vs sham and acupuncture vs no-acupuncture control for all pain types studied." Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(19):1444-1453
Also, acupuncture is used frequently in veterinary settings with much success for arthritis and other debilitating conditions.
Also, acupuncture is used frequently in veterinary settings with much success for arthritis and other debilitating conditions.
Despite many “old school” main-streamed medical professionals claiming alternative medicine to be quackery, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been evidence based (clinically) for thousands of years. Top research facilities like UCLA med school and Stanford continue to study how acupuncture manipulates the brain regions. Thus far, medical insurances are starting to widely accept acupuncture for the current research showing support that acupuncture & TCM does treat conditions involving pain, stress/anxiety, insomnia and even nausea due to pregnancy or chemotherapy. Many studies are still in the process to determine what else TCM & acupuncture may treat and what exactly is it about acupuncture that affects
the body. Please forgive my limited knowledge however, I have not been keeping up-to-date with all current studies so some of what I have mentioned above may be a little off.
Live Happy,
Michael
the body. Please forgive my limited knowledge however, I have not been keeping up-to-date with all current studies so some of what I have mentioned above may be a little off.
Live Happy,
Michael
Absolutely not. Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years. Much longer than traditional medicine, and with proven results. That being said, not everyone responds to acupuncture, but for a variety of reasons....Ineffective diagnosis and treatment, patient non-compliance, addiction, poor lifestyle choices, co-morbid health conditions such as heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune issues and so on. I tell my patients give acupuncture a try for a minimum of 6-8 visits . That should give you a good idea whether or not acupuncture will work for you. It is not meant to trick you into thinking you are better. Most of my patients get better to one degree or another. If I don't see any changes at all after 6-8 treatments, I cut my patients loose and refer them out to someone else. Give acupuncture a shot and try to remain open minded....you will be glad you did!!!
no
No
What a great and brave question! I love it! The earliest texts on Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine date back thousands of years ago. The common number is anywhere from 2,000-4,500 years ago. Acupuncture and TCM is the combined knowledge, research, and notes of thousands of years of gathering information, experiential results, experimental data
gathered, and the clinical results reached. Recently, there have been numerous scientific research studies both stating a placebo effect in Acupuncture, but more recently purporting the benefits of acupuncture, with impressive 86-91% success rates in many studies seen. As far as the placebo effect goes, I believe it could be a part of every type of healing treatment, as the brain is powerful. Our thoughts generate a neurotransmitter cascade, hormones, and emotions, which then transfer into motions and actions. Therefore, it seems impossible to me to remove the placebo effect. In fact, I've seen both cases, where patients referred to my clinic were open, and the treatment was swift and effective, and where they were negative and skeptical, and treatment results were insignificant. The latter group, I must say, was in the 9% range of the otherwise incredible results of relief I am blessed to often see in my clinic. The
best example, however, to answer your question, is one I will never forget: An elderly man, around his late 70's, entered my clinic in a wheelchair, with 10/10 back pain. He was irate that his primary doctor referred him to me for treatment, completely skeptical. However, he was singing praises when he WALKED out of the clinic, with NO PAIN! So, I believe you can tell from my brief answer that it really depends on perspective. Is the research there to support Acupuncture as a bonafide method of healing? Absolutely! But, like the statistics used to validate research conclusions themselves, we are always plagued by our experiences and perspectives, which color every conclusion. Don't take my word, or anyone's word for it! Try Acupuncture for yourself with a qualified, caring, kind practitioner, with whom you feel a connection. Connections are everything!
All the best!
gathered, and the clinical results reached. Recently, there have been numerous scientific research studies both stating a placebo effect in Acupuncture, but more recently purporting the benefits of acupuncture, with impressive 86-91% success rates in many studies seen. As far as the placebo effect goes, I believe it could be a part of every type of healing treatment, as the brain is powerful. Our thoughts generate a neurotransmitter cascade, hormones, and emotions, which then transfer into motions and actions. Therefore, it seems impossible to me to remove the placebo effect. In fact, I've seen both cases, where patients referred to my clinic were open, and the treatment was swift and effective, and where they were negative and skeptical, and treatment results were insignificant. The latter group, I must say, was in the 9% range of the otherwise incredible results of relief I am blessed to often see in my clinic. The
best example, however, to answer your question, is one I will never forget: An elderly man, around his late 70's, entered my clinic in a wheelchair, with 10/10 back pain. He was irate that his primary doctor referred him to me for treatment, completely skeptical. However, he was singing praises when he WALKED out of the clinic, with NO PAIN! So, I believe you can tell from my brief answer that it really depends on perspective. Is the research there to support Acupuncture as a bonafide method of healing? Absolutely! But, like the statistics used to validate research conclusions themselves, we are always plagued by our experiences and perspectives, which color every conclusion. Don't take my word, or anyone's word for it! Try Acupuncture for yourself with a qualified, caring, kind practitioner, with whom you feel a connection. Connections are everything!
All the best!
Hi,
Acupuncture is not placebo. It gives you a lasting effect as well as helps the root cause of the problem.
Sincerely,
Scott Sang In Lee
Acupuncture is not placebo. It gives you a lasting effect as well as helps the root cause of the problem.
Sincerely,
Scott Sang In Lee
Thank you for your question.
There are more and more scientific studies showing the effectiveness of acupuncture treating various symptoms and disorders. In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an official report listing 31 symptoms, conditions and diseases that were shown to be treated effectively by acupuncture in controlled trials. You can find the WHO list here: https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/public-content/public-traditional-acupuncture/4026-who-list-of-conditions.html
There are more and more scientific studies showing the effectiveness of acupuncture treating various symptoms and disorders. In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an official report listing 31 symptoms, conditions and diseases that were shown to be treated effectively by acupuncture in controlled trials. You can find the WHO list here: https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/public-content/public-traditional-acupuncture/4026-who-list-of-conditions.html
It is not a placebo. Acupuncture uses needle combination to communicate with your brain to help to heal yourself. It is a procedure resulted from thousand years of practice and experiment.
There are a lot of myths about acupuncture; one of them is that acupuncture is a placebo. Acupuncture has been practiced for 5000 years and helped many people with various health conditions. In our modern times, we have done numerous scientific studies that prove the efficacy of acupuncture and some have explicitly shown that there is a difference between placebo effect and true effect of acupuncture. In my practical experience I observed that acupuncture is not a placebo.
Dr. Gigi B. Cristache, DAOM, Dipl.Ac., M.Ac., R.Ac., Di.Hom.
Dr. Gigi B. Cristache, DAOM, Dipl.Ac., M.Ac., R.Ac., Di.Hom.
No, many of my patients have great results with acupuncture treatments. It is medically proven to help with many health concerns. This is a good website if you would like to read more:
https://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncture-continuing-education-news.
Yours in Health,
Angie
https://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncture-continuing-education-news.
Yours in Health,
Angie
Hi,
It's not true. There was a study about hypertension treated by acupuncture which published few year back in Boston general hospital. Even the placebo group is better then none treatment group.
Jonathan
It's not true. There was a study about hypertension treated by acupuncture which published few year back in Boston general hospital. Even the placebo group is better then none treatment group.
Jonathan
No. That is a false statement.
Great question. The statistics of medicine show 33% placebo effect from all meds. Acupuncture is proven science that has helped people without side effects for thousands of years.
Everything has a placebo effect. So does acupuncture.
Yes.
No, it is not. If acupuncture is a placebo, it is a good one because it has been working for thousand of years! I take it over any medication!
The strongest argument we have against the placebo only theory is the fact that acupuncture works on animals. It is used to treat horses, cats, dogs, elephants, squirrels and other animals.
If it was only a placebo it would not help animals because they don't believe, they just get better with treatments.
If it was only a placebo it would not help animals because they don't believe, they just get better with treatments.
No. There are several scientific studies that prove acupuncture's effectiveness and you can find these on www.PubMed.gov. Most notably, there are some fMRI studies that show how acupuncture changes your brain patterns during treatment.
Not true at all. There are many modern research on acupuncture. Please refer to the NIH (National Institute of Health) for further research on different modalities that acupuncture can treat.
No, not true. Acupuncture has been shown to have effect beyond placebo in a variety of clinical trials. The most comprehensive of these is probably the Vickers et al. pain study recently published in the Journal of Pain. This is a systematic review (a study composed of other studies) with more than 20,000 patients. One of the many conclusions they've drawn is that acupuncture has demonstrable effect beyond placebo.
It's important to remember a couple of things when we start talking about the placebo effect:
1. It's embedded in every potential treatment, both conventional and alternative.
2. We don't know what placebo is or how it works.
The placebo effect is a very interesting area of study in its own right, I highly recommend folks spend some time looking in to this subject.
It's important to remember a couple of things when we start talking about the placebo effect:
1. It's embedded in every potential treatment, both conventional and alternative.
2. We don't know what placebo is or how it works.
The placebo effect is a very interesting area of study in its own right, I highly recommend folks spend some time looking in to this subject.
No, it is not true.
