Acupuncture Works - Proof in largest study to date

The largest study of acupuncture for chronic pain compares real acupuncture vs placebo vs. other treatments for pain relief and what they find is that acupuncture's effectiveness rate is 50%, placebo is 43% and other treatments is 30%.

So naturally the headlines are that acupuncture is only marginally more effective than placebo, which makes me wonder how people interpret information.

First of all, there is no such thing as "sham acupuncture" as far as I'm concerned. All of these supposed placebo treatments such as using a laser on acupuncture points or misplacing a needle by a couple of millimeters is NOT placebo. Lasers treatments are already used for pain relief and not hitting the exact acupuncture point still produces an effect on the body. So yes, these "placebo treatments" do have a physiological effect! Also, one has to wonder why placebo works 13% better than the other treatments group? Why doesn't anybody talk about that point?

The headlines from CNN and other news agencies should just read: Acupuncture works! To quote the lead author of the study Andrew J. Vickers, who works at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York "Most clinicians and patients would say a 50% success rate versus a 30% success rate for something like intractable chronic pain is actually pretty good".

I agree!

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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"The care you want, the health you need."

Acupuncture Video - Americans (& Canadians!) are turning to this age old treatment

As many of my patients can attest, acupuncture works for a number of conditions and the World Health Organization agrees. Check out this new video I found.

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"

Treating Arthritis, Back, Neck & Knee Pain with Acupuncture

As a naturopathic doctor, I implement several strategies to tackle pain. After an assessment to figure out where the root of your concerns lie, I will use diet, exercise, hydrotherapy, supplements and medications if need be to address this pain. Often, I turn to acupuncture to bring relief to my patients.

Here's a great article I read regarding using acupuncture for common complaints: arthritis, back pain, neck pain and knee pain. The physician writing this article even provides references citing a few clinical trials conducted. They are listed below for ease of reference should you wish to read these studies.

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"


References:
1. Meng CF, Wang D, Ngeow J, et al. Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older patients: a randomized, controlled trial. Rheumatology (Oxford); 2003 Dec; 42 (12):1508–17.
2. Vas J, Méndez C, Perea-Milla E, Vega E, et al. Acupuncture as a complementary therapy to the pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2004; Nov 20;329 (7476):1216.
3. Witt CM; Jena S; Brinkhaus B; Liecker B, et al. Acupuncture for patients with chronic neck pain. Pain. 2006; 125(1–2): 98–106.