Comment on You're cured!
andros_rex@lemmy.world 2 days agoAcupuncture can be a game changer, and is starting to become less “alternative” as some PTs offer “dry needling” now.
Why would you let someone who doesn’t believe in germ theory put needles in your body?
There is no evidence justifying acupuncture.
eupraxia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 days ago
You’ll find more study in the West of “dry needling”, a technique directly inspired by acupuncture. Here’s one recent review.
I see an acupuncturist because she’s good at what she does, does believe in germ theory, practices in a sanitary way, and doesn’t claim to cure illnesses. These are the norms for modern licensed acupuncturists. I’m not saying every acupuncturist out there is like this, hokey grifters do exist in alt medicine spaces, and that’s kind of my whole point. It really depends on the practitioner.
andros_rex@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Many of those studies in that meta analysis show limited short term effects.
I also think there’s a serious question about what sham/placebo dry needling would be, and if inconsistent standards could impact results.
eupraxia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
Several did show some positive short term effects, but it’s no surprise that several don’t. Dry needling isn’t going to cure pain on its own or work for everyone, much like other forms of bodywork. Instead, it seems to have utility as a supplement to other treatments. A supplementary treatment just needs to be low-risk and possibly beneficial enough to try.
The lack of a standardized placebo is a problem, yes. This study had pretty good results from using a blunted needle glued in an introducer. The patient feels the sensation of the introducer being pressed against skin, but the needle doesn’t actually make contact. In the group of people who had not received dry needling before, only one correctly identified that they had received the placebo.