Talk:Acupuncture

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[edit] Recent Findings

A recent article on the BBC web site [1] reported that "brain scans" of subjects undergoing deep needling (to a depth of 1cm) caused deactivation of the limbic system; Kathy Sykes is quoted saying:

"We have found something quite unexpected - that acupuncture is having a measurable effect on the human brain."

-- PSmith 12:42, 24 April 2006

I would be very surprised if any physical sensation (needles certainly qualify!) didn't have "a measurable effect on the human brain." !! Her comment is a no brainer. Of course needling (acupuncture is a pseudoscience) is registered by the brain.

What's needed is evidence for needling having (1) specific and predictable biological effects on disease conditions that are worthwhile, and (2) hopefully better than other existing methods. On both counts it fails miserably. So far using acupuncture is better than doing nothing, but not better than doing something. -- fyslee 21:13, 24 April 2006 (BST)

Perhaps I sumarised too much, so let me add a little more detail:

A control group underwent "superficial" needling to a depth of 1mm resulting "in activation of the motor areas of the cortex, a normal reaction to pain." - i.e. it generated the obvious "mesurable effect". But the deep needling produced the exact opposite effect by deactiviating the brain's pain system. That was the interesting the unexpected finding.

The BBC site didn't give any pointers to peer-reviewed articles. And of course one study is not enough and much follow up works needs to be done. Nevertheless it is a step towards the kind of results you're interested in; to abuse a metaphor: the jury has a taken a step backward towards the jury room.

-- PSmith 12:37, 30 April 2006

Very interesting. Depth of penetration could certainly produce different effects, and this would vary according to the part of the body. I don't exclude the possibility that some sort of useful purpose for needling might be discovered at some time in the future. Right now the claims are attached to oriental mystical prescientific ideas, with unfounded claims of very specific effects. It's this aspect that qualifies traditional acupuncture for the "quackery" label. Since it does affect the body, it is potentially falsifiable and worthy of continued research, but not for specific claims of any great importance. -- fyslee 16:10, 30 April 2006 (BST)