New Study Exposes Acupuncture As Pseudoscience

by alecholmesthedetective 70 Replies latest social current

  • Separation of Powers
    Separation of Powers

    Well, one must consider the source of the study...few medical doctors would declare acupuncture to be valid. Just as few doctors claim that chiropractic is valid and helpful. Years ago, I went through a course of acupuncture and found it quite helpful. Just as friends of mine claim that their chiropractor is a "godsend" or that the herbal supplements they take are helpful.

    The body is a complex organism. It is not a motor or powerplant with parts. What helps one, may not be helpful to someone else. But to state that it is pseudo science is PSTEUPID!

    SOP

  • LisaRose
    LisaRose

    Cofty: Perhaps treatments like acupuncture enable people to break their fixation on their symptoms

    Well, that could be true, although I find getting any treatment does not help me not fixate on my symptoms, on the contrary, I still have my symptoms, plus I have to deal with the side effects of whatever treatment I got, plus the stress of dealing with medical people. I have some chronic health issues, and I have tried just about everything from traditional therapies to almost wack-a-doodle (I do draw the line at the truly wack-doodle, lol). I found some traditional therapies helpful, some not at all. The same with all alternative therapies.

    I have found that I do better if I stay busy, and not focus on my health issues, except for those things I need to do to manage my illness. I also meditate, which I am sure many people think is too much woo. But for me it has been a lifesaver, if I do not do it I get worse. It also helps me be calmer and more focused. I gave up gluten, which I guess could be considered alternative, some people think it's just a fad. Maybe, but it was life changing for me. My feeling is if modern medical has nothing more to offer you, why not try some alternative therapies, especially those that have a known track record and are either no or low cost? I steer clear of anything that is associated with any multi level marketing or anything like that, and research to see if it has negative side effects, or is associated with scams. Really, I would takes placebos if it helped.

  • cofty
    cofty

    Lisa Rose - I am interested in the idea of investigating meditation.

  • LisaRose
    LisaRose

    I can't recommend it enough, it's great for stress, for dealing with difficult emotions, to lower blood pressure. I have ADD, it helps me with that to slow my brain down, I function much better on the days I do it. It's takes time and effort, but it's not difficult, the more you do it the better you get. There are a number of ways to do it, they all work, there is no one right way.

    My method is to put on some soothing music. I use Pandora and created a station called "meditation by the sea" . Music is not necessary, but it helps me keep my brain from wandering. Close your eyes and make sure you are not holding tension in your body, relax your muscles as best you can (this takes time to get good at) Then you just close your eyes and breath in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth. I try to think of a pleasant scene, like the beach, and think about that, the waves, the small of the salt, the sounds. Alternatively, you can focus just on your breathing, the sound your breath makes, the air filling your lungs. At first your mind will wander, so just keep bringing yourself back to your breathing or pleasant scene, if a thought intrudes (and it will) tell yourself you will think about it later. As you do it more, you will get better and will be able to do it longer.

    Then, once you get a little better at it, magic happens. You will start getting a nice feeling, your body will release endorphins. You will also find you are able to get more relaxed. At first you may find you have really vivid dreams, but that goes away eventually. I think your subconscious has been watching to tell you things, but couldn't get through, your brain was to busy, lol.

    If you are of the immediate gratification sort, here is a quickie meditation. Close your eyes and relax your jaw by slightly opening your mouth. Breath in slowly through the nose, for eight seconds, hold your breath for eight seconds, breath out slowly through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat a few times. I use this when I am in a stressful situation.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    You guys know how conservative I am when it comes to medical treatment. When I took a six week chronic health management course, mindfulness meditation was one of the techniques covered. The course is sponsored by the provincial health Ministry, and has provable results from Stanford.

    http://stanfordhospital.org/clinicsmedServices/clinics/complementaryMedicine/scimMindfulMeditation.html

    The other major technique covered is a troubleshoot, test, and reflect to try out various strategies to manage my chronic condition.

  • hamsterbait
    hamsterbait

    PRAY TELL:

    Were the patients in the HOUSTON double blind test charged the full fee for treatment, even if they got the pretend placebo?

    How many American patients are being charged the FULL WHACK for surgery or drug therapy etc, and not told they are being given a sugar pill?

    How is this right in the land of the free??

    If I went into hospital, I am not sure I would even trust the doctors anymore - Am I getting a proven treatment, a new treatment that could kill me in the experiment, or a bit of sugar?????? And MY money pays for the experiment on ME!!??

    HB

  • hamsterbait
    hamsterbait

    Seaparation _

    Remember too that when anaesthetics were first mooted they were viewed as placebos and a con. Rejcted by the establishment along with antiseptic concepts, which were laughed down.

    Blood transfusions too were mocked. now if you dont want one you are a fool. Once you were bled for disease, if you didnt want it you were a fool. If you refused tartar emetics you were a fool.

    Medicine is one of the most conservative and unadventurous of the sciences. Every truly revolutionary step forward has been trashed by the establishment.

    Only by going to China and getting a full degree in medicine there would you have any real ability to evaluate a treatment that is used in MAINSTREAM medicine.

    Oh and I JUST LOOKED AT THE PAGE AGAIN AND SAW:

    "Hosptial food is not just bad it is also BAD FOR YOU" can we have some research on this much more vital issue than hot flushes and acupucture? Of course using double blind and placebo groups.

  • cofty
    cofty

    Lisa Rose & JGnat - Thanks I am definitely going to look into it. It was Sam Harris who put me on to thinking about it.

  • LisaRose
    LisaRose

    Hamsterbait, patients in double blind studies are not charged for treatment. They are aware they may get a trial drug or nothing at all. They are sometimes even reimbursed for their participation. They also often get tests and exams at no charge.

  • metatron
    metatron

    http://www.sott.net/article/270452-NEJM-editor-No-longer-possible-to-believe-much-of-clinical-research-published

    There is a certain joy to be had by throwing a turd into the punchbowl. The whole of medical research is vastly corrupt or flawed.

    metatron

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