Acupuncture Trials Under Serious Review

Acupuncture uses heat and sharp needles to supposedly correct imbalances in the flow of qi through different qi channels. Acupuncture is used in the treatment of stress, chronic pain [1], and even nausea in chemotherapy patients [2]. Acupuncture is possibly the backbone of alternative traditional Chinese medicine, and the skeptical researchers have taken notice.

A team of 8 supervised medical students began their research by searching for randomized, controlled trials in 28 journals of traditional Chinese medicine. They then examined the quality of methodology used. Here's what they had to say:

The method of randomization was often described incorrectly. Only 15% of trials were blind, out of which only a few used a large number (300+) of subjects.

Here's the weirdest part. Many of these "trials" use other Chinese treatments on their control subjects. These were treatments which may or may not have been effective themselves. 

Here's the kicker. Effectiveness was rarely reported in terms of actual numbers. Out of this inconclusive mess, take a look at how effective acupuncture was reported in Stroke trials.

Out of these trials, many of which were incorrectly randomized, non-blind, small, without proper controls, and without actual numbers... the overwhelming majority of scientists reported acupuncture and other traditional Chinese treatments as effective. 

As news stations and social media sites buzz about the newest slanted studies reporting how effective alternative treatment is, the skeptics ask for more.

And heads collide with desks, because skeptical scientists would rather have one good study than 1,000 slanted ones. They know that methodology is everything. Skepticism is essential for unbiased science.

This doesn't necessarily indicate that acupuncture is ineffective, but this does mean that there's really no good reason to believe it's effective. This treatment has had hundreds of years to prove its effectiveness, and we still can't say it works due to inadequate methodology and researcher bias.

Read the original study here.
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[1] 
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/acupuncture-is-worth-a-try-for-chronic-pain-201304016042
[2] 
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/manualhealingandphysicaltouch/acupuncture