Does Acupuncture Work?

• “No”

  

  “The Ancient Chinese Theories are Not Correct”

• “Objection”

  

  “There's Been STRONG and REPRODUCIBLE Evidence of Meridians”
  

There's Been STRONG and REPRODUCIBLE Evidence of Meridians

Bill Reddy

American Association of Acupuncture...

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You say that "Meridans andd acupuncture points are a myth".  Meridians or Energy pathways in the body that form the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine are, in fact, WELL DOCUMENTED, as early as 1950 by Yoshio Nakatani and later in the 1970's where Dr. Robert Becker and associates measured the electrical impedance (resistance) of the skin at specific acupuncture points and found they had lowered values compared to the surrounding skin.      The existence of the meridian system was further established by French researcher Pierre de Vernejoul, who injected radioactive isotopes into the acupoints of humans and tracked their movement with a special gamma imaging camera. They also injected non-acupoints. At non-acupoints, the radioactive tracer diffused outward from the injection site into roughly circular patterns. When the true acupoints were injected, the radioactive technetium followed the exact pathways as the acupuncture meridians in the ancient charts of the human body!   There are no blood vessels , lymphatic vessels, neurological tissue or any structure in the human body that follow these "meridian pathways" but somehow the fluid containing the radioactive isotopes were able to flow along these channels.

Evidence

Link

German Paper on the History of Skin Impedance Measurement

Next Argument

"No" Edzard Ernst

• The Ancient Chinese Theories are Not Correct
  1
• The Best Clinical Trials Fail to Demonstrate Effectiveness
  1
• Patients Experience Benefit Because of Placebo Effects
  1

"No" Steven Novella MD

• Acupuncture is a Pre-Scientific Superstition
  1
• Acupuncture Lacks a Plausible Mechanism
  1
• Claims for Efficacy are Often Based Upon a Bait-and-Switch Deception
  3
• Clinical Trials Show That Acupuncture Does Not Work
  2

"Yes" Bill Reddy

• The WHO Supports the Use of Acupuncture in Treating Many Conditions
  4
• Those Who Question Scientific Basis Have Not Done Their Homework
  1
• A Proven System That is Less Dangerous Than Western Medicine
  2
• What About Common Sense Reasoning?
  0
• There ARE Limitations to Acupuncture
  0
• Should We Trust the #1 Ranked Medical School in This Country?
  0
• Insurance Coverage for Acupuncture is on the Rise
  0
• MRI's Don't Lie
  0
• You WANT Meta-Analyses? I GIVE You Meta-Analyses
  1
• Why Would Your Colleagues Be Drawn to Practicing QUACKERY?
  0

Most Objections

• Acupuncture is a Pre-Scientific Superstition
  1
• Acupuncture Lacks a Plausible Mechanism
  1
• Clinical Trials Show That Acupuncture Does Not Work
  2
• The Ancient Chinese Theories are Not Correct
  1
• Patients Experience Benefit Because of Placebo Effects
  1
• The WHO Supports the Use of Acupuncture in Treating Many Conditions
  4
• Those Who Question Scientific Basis Have Not Done Their Homework
  1
• A Proven System That is Less Dangerous Than Western Medicine
  2
• What About Common Sense Reasoning?
  0
• Should We Trust the #1 Ranked Medical School in This Country?
  0
• Insurance Coverage for Acupuncture is on the Rise
  0
• MRI's Don't Lie
  0
• You WANT Meta-Analyses? I GIVE You Meta-Analyses
  1
• Why Would Your Colleagues Be Drawn to Practicing QUACKERY?
  0

Does Acupuncture Really Work?

• Yes
• No

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