Meta-study confirms acupuncture’s  positive effect on pain relief.

The in September of 2012 the Archives of Internal Medicine reported a study that proved acupuncture to be effective at relieving pain.

Areas evaluated were neck and back pain, shoulder pain, chronic headaches and osteoarthritis.

The study was a meta-analysis, which looks at all available clinical trials, as long as they meet certain standards. Only high quality randomized clinical trials were used in the analysis.

Three groups of people were studied. One group received no acupuncture, the second sham or fake acupuncture and the third, acupuncture.

Acupuncture works!

The no acupuncture group had a 30% reduction in pain, which translates into placebo effect being about 30%.

The sham group experienced 42% relief and the group treated with real acupuncture had 50% less pain.

Placebo effect?

Yes, the placebo effect can be part of the response to acupuncture. But this is true of any form of treatment. For example, morphine has a placebo effect of about 30%!

As Ted Kaptchuk of Harvard University says, we as healers should try to cultivate the placebo effect.

In essence, placebo is the power of the mind to promote health. As we can see from the study results, placebo adds to the healing effects of acupuncture.

Please leave your questions, comments and opinions here.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Wishing you peace and good health!

Diane

443-768-8427                                                                                                                               Diane@HueyHealth.com