Herring's Fins, Needles and Pins: All Placebos

Orac at Respectful Insolence questions whether, in the wake of another meta-analysis on the subject, we can finally just conclude that acupuncture is "an elaborate placebo."

And I say, sure, let's do it! 

I had acupuncture once, for a neck problem. I don't recall it doing anything for me, even placebically. (And quite frankly, I feel cheated. Damn it, I want my placebo effect!) 

I also once had that thing where they heat air under little glass cups and suction them onto your back. I had a dramatic pattern of circular hickies that was quite impressive, but I don't remember it doing much for my cough. 

I've had some homeopathy, for this and that. I can't say I ever noticed that it made any difference. 

Ooh, and flower essences! I tried that (to keep a friend company). I wasn't expecting anything, and I didn't get anything. So in that limited sense, it worked great. 

And don't forget that I've eaten fried grasshoppers. That wasn't actually for medicinal purposes, but it was out of the ordinary, so I thought I'd throw it in there. I must say it worked very well, first to satisfy my hunger, and then later, when I didn't want to eat any more grasshoppers, to make me decide I wasn't actually that hungry to begin with and could wait for supper.

The thing is, sometimes the more ordinary medications I've taken also haven't seemed to do that much, so I can see how things get confused.

I mean, I've often taken aspirin for a headache and not had the headache completely go away. At least not immediately. And you figure it's always going to go away at some point, so did the aspirin do anything, or not?

I've taken other medicines, and again there's not an instantaneous cure. Things take a while to get better. And then you think maybe they were going to get better anyway. And if you've been getting acupuncture at the same time as you've been taking antibiotics (not that this describes me personally), who's to say which one really helped?

Well, it is my blog, so--I am. The antibiotics helped. And always take the full course, or you'll be guilty of aiding in the recruitment and training of antimicrobial-resistant super-bugs that will come back to get us all. Also, do not ask for antibiotics to treat a cold, which is viral. Thank you.

Anyway, I always enjoy Orac's coverage of research studies. He neatly describes methodologies, concerns, interpretations of results, etc., in a way that make me feel like I actually understand it. (Which is useful since, working in a medical library and all, I should sort of know how research works.)

Here's another thing: do people actually take aspirin at the same time as they're getting acupuncture? Because now that I think of it, years ago when I was adventuring with ye olde complementary and alternative medicine, I sort of didn't 'believe in' aspirin, because it was...I dunno, commercial, or something. It wasn't natural. 

Whereas needles in the neck, that happens all the time in nature. Though possibly just to those of us who can't stop bothering porcupines. 

Anyway, far be it from me to deride anyone's healthcare choices (Orac will take care of that). If you like your acupuncture, or your little glass cups, or your reiki, knock yourself out. But I gotta say, the actual evidence isn't great. 

I love my evidence these days.