Is AP just a Placebo, or have some Acupoints specific effects?

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

While the results of the large German Study have been leaked

prematurely, I understand that it is not over yet. Even if its authors'

conclusions stand, my belief in, or approach to, AP will not alter

because of that study; it simply is irrelevant to me.

 

Is AP only as good as placebo? Before we all dump our AP

needles and hurry to register for another career, maybe we should

take such so-called controlled trials of AP with a large pinch of salt.

 

For some, the word " placebo " is derogatory; for me it is not. I have

argued before that all great healers want to help the client. That is

indeed a placebo effect (wanting to please). So, really good AP

therapy is probably a mixture of powerful placebo + conditioning

the human client's (even the animal patient's) mind by instilling

trust and confidence, + professional skill and knowledge, based on

deep study of the TCM and modern principles of AP.

 

There ARE a few controlled studies that showed significant clinical

or physiological benefits in favour of needling " Real Points " as

compared with nearby " non-active " points. However, for almost 30

years, I have argued that controlled trials should avoid " Sham

Needling " , or stimulation of " non-active " points. This is because we

cannnot be certain (in advance) that the " Non-Active " points really

are that. As many on the lists have said, any stimulus anywhere

on the body can have some effects.

 

If they have some positive effect, the comparison between the " Non-

Active " and " Active " points can show little difference. Therefore, the

conclusion that " Real AP is no better than placebo " can be very

misleading.

 

IMO, the best (most productive) research in AP would be to

compare the overall clinical results results of a huge population of

of patients, randomised to 3 groups:

(A) treated by skilled AP practitioners; (B) treated by skilled

allopaths, and © treated by combining both therapies.

 

I would expect the overall clinical outcomes results to be

C > A > B,

or C > A or B, with little difference between A or B.

 

As regards specificity of acupoint effects, on one extreme, some

would claim that needling ANY point can activate a similar

response to needling any other point. I do not believe that, although

I have heard that some Masters of AP use very few points, and can

get dozens of different (specifically desired) effects from needling,

say, LI04 or ST36 in different ways.

 

On the other extreme there are those who say that each point has

its specific effects. For example BL21 (ST Shu) works best on ST.

I do not believe that either! We know that several spinal segments

innervate each internal organ, so needling any point from BL17-18

to BL24-25, or their outer partners, or the Huato or GV Points

nearby, would be expected to have some effect on ST also.

 

Also, I have no doubt that BL21 also influences LV, GB, SP. TH.

KI. uterus, etc.

 

Would there be a big difference between AP at (GV26 + KI01) in

Emergencies (coma, apnoea, shock, etc) versus (say) AP at

(GV20 + KI03)?

 

Would there be a big difference between AP at (PC06, ST36, BL21,

CV12) in nausea/vomiting versus (say) AP at (PC03, ST32, BL12,

CV23)?

 

Would there be a big difference between AP at Fenglong-ST40

( " Banxia " Point) in profuse sputum/phlegm versus (say) AP at

GB35 or GB36?

 

Are Thoresen has reported that AP at Taichong-LV03 is effective in

mammary cancer. Would anyone care to speculate if needling at

GB40 or GB41 would have equally good effects as needling at

LV03?

 

The TRUTH probably lies somewhere between those two extremes

(all points being equally effective versus specific points having very

specific effects). There is definitely some clinical significance for

TCM placing the SP and LV Channels on the big toe. The gout-liver

connection is obvious.

 

Have you ever seen necrosis of the lateral corner of the nailbed of

the big toe in people on cancer chemotherapy? [LV is the main

organ of detox for most toxins].

 

Have you seen an abscess of the medial corner of the nailbed of

the big toe in people with classical SP Disharmony (unstable blood

sugar, immunosuppression, obsession, Jeckyll & Hyde changeable

mentality related to hypoglycaemia circa 1.5 hours after the last

ingestion of carbohydrate, etc)?

 

Finally, why do different acupuncturists (most of whom are getting

good to excellent clinical results) use different points in the " same

type " of cases? IMO, this is because of differences in their training

and experience, but also because of differences in their mental

paradigms and their intention.

 

IMO, AP by a robot arm, no matter how precise and technically

correct cannot give the same results as AP by a sympathetic

practitioner who puts his Yi (intention directed by knowledge,

instinct and love) into the therapeutic mix.

 

Let us work to MAXIMISE the placebo effect, rather than

consigning it to the dustbin.

 

Best regards,

 

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