Category: Acupuncture

Do Acupuncture Points Exist? Can Acupuncturists Find Them?

Acupuncturists do a systematic review and reveal they can't reliably locate acupoints. No wonder: they don't exist.

/ August 27, 2019
Acupuncture needles

Study on Acupuncture for Angina

Another acupuncture study claims positive results, but is plagued by methodological flaws and dubious results.

/ July 31, 2019

American Family Physician Endorses Acupuncture

A CME article in American Family Physician misrepresents the evidence, claiming acupuncture has been proven safe and effective. An accompanying editorial gives despicable advice on how to manipulate patients to accept this theatrical placebo.

/ July 30, 2019

Medicare proposal covers acupuncture for back pain study participants: A prelude to full coverage?

Medicare coverage of acupuncture is under consideration. A new proposal would provide coverage to Medicare patients participating in studies of acupuncture for back pain. This research would be used in making a final decision.

/ July 18, 2019

Bee Stings for Arthritis

Bee sting therapy may be somewhat effective for arthritis, but it can't be recommended.

/ July 16, 2019
House Health Committee and HB 4710

HB 4710: Licensing and expanding the scope of practice of acupuncturists in Michigan

Last week, HB 4710, a bill to license acupuncturists, was considered by the Michigan House of Representatives Health Policy Committee. If passed into law, HB 4710 would do far more than license the quackery that is acupuncture. It would also expand the scope of practice of acupuncturists to include homeopathy, "health coaching", and dietary advice, and is yet another example of what...

/ June 24, 2019
Quackademic medicine

Two integrative oncologists delude themselves that their specialty is science-based

Integrative oncology "integrates" quackery with oncology. Its practitioners, however, frequently delude themselves that their specialty is science-based. A recent review article by two integrative oncologists from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center expresses that delusion perfectly.

/ January 14, 2019

Legislative Alchemy 2018: Acupuncturists seek practice expansion and competition elimination 

Acupuncturists want to expand their scope of practice far beyond sticking needles in people. Too many states are allowing them to treat pretty much anything with unproven and potentially dangerous remedies.

/ January 3, 2019

Are placebo effects genetically determined?

We frequently write about placebo effects here at SBM because understanding placebo effects is essential to understanding a lot of clinical trial science and, most relevant to the topics of this blog, how those promoting unscientific medicine misunderstand and misuse placebo effects to promote quackery. Last week, The NYT published an article asking if placebo effects are genetically determined. The evidence supporting...

/ November 12, 2018
Homeopathy, naturopathy, and acupuncture at the University of Michigan

The Integrative Oncology Scholars Program: Indoctrinating the next generation of “integrative oncology” believers

"Integrative oncology" involves "integrating" pseudoscience, mysticism, and quackery with science-based oncology and co-opting science-based lifestyle modalities as "alternative" in order to provide cover for the quackery. Unfortunately, my alma mater, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is running a course to indoctrinate 100 health care professionals in the ways of "integrative oncology." The Trojan horse of "lifestyle interventions" and "nonpharmacologic treatments for...

/ October 22, 2018