Do you suffer from chronic pain? Maybe acupuncture is just what the doctor ordered. Millions of people say that acupuncture has alleviated their suffering and boosted their bodies, but others insist that it's more rooted in belief than scientific fact. Is acupuncture really the cure for what ails you, or does it only turn you into a human pincushion?
New England Skeptical Society
First - the "NIH" statement was by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and was packed with acupuncture proponents and devoid of skeptics or even neutral scientists. I hardly consider that statement authoritative or free from bias.
Second - even that biased panel was luke warm on acupuncture. That could not conclude that acupuncture was established for any indications -although they tried to spin it as positively as possible.
Regarding a mechanism - as I said original - any identified and speculative mechanisms are all very non-specific. They are generic responses to physical manipulation - like counter irritation, perhaps some endorphin release, etc. There is no mechanism specific to acupuncture. And, of course, none of these non-specific mechanisms have anything to do with qi, nor could they explain any medical application of acupuncture. At best they could account for mild local temporary pain decrease.
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