Acupuncture more than placebo

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Acupuncture 'more than a placebo'

Scientists say they have proof that acupuncture works in its own

right.

Sceptics have said that any benefits gained from acupuncture are

merely down to a person's expectation that the treatment will work.

But researchers at University College London and Southampton

University say they have separated out this placebo effect.

Their findings, based on a series of experiments and brain scan

results, are published in the journal NeuroImage.

Dummy treatment

The researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to see

what was happening in the brains of people having acupuncture

treatment for arthritis pain.

Each of the 14 volunteers underwent each of three interventions in a

random order.

In one intervention, patients were touched with blunt needles but

were aware that the needle would not pierce the skin and that it did

not have any therapeutic value.

Another intervention involved treatment with specially

developed " trick " needles that give the impression that the skin was

being penetrated even though the needles never actually pierced the

skin.

The needles worked like stage daggers, with the tip disappearing into

the body of the needle when pressure is applied. This was designed to

make the patients believed that the treatment was real.

The third intervention was real acupuncture.

Brain activity

When the researchers analysed the patients' PET scan results they

found marked differences between the three interventions.

Only the brain areas associated with the sensation of touch were

activated when the volunteers were touched with the blunt needles.

During the trick needle treatment, an area of the brain associated

with the production of natural opiates - substances that act in a non-

specific way to relieve pain - were activated.

This same area was activated with the real acupuncture but, in

addition, another region of the brain, the insular, was excited by

the treatment.

This was a pathway known to be associated with acupuncture treatment

and thought to be involved in pain modulation.

of the British Acupuncture Council said: " This is very

positive news for acupuncture and this latest research is an exciting

illustration of what acupuncturists have known for a long time - that

acupuncture works and its effectiveness goes beyond the placebo

effect. "

Professor Henry McQuay, professor of pain relief at the University of

Oxford and member of the Bandolier group that looks at the evidence

behind different medical treatments, said: " The great bulk of the

randomised controlled trials to date do not provide convincing

evidence of pain relief over placebo.

" Some people do report that acupuncture makes them feel better.

" But it is extremely difficult, technically, to study acupuncture and

tease out the placebo effect. "

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/4493011.stm

Published: 2005/04/30 22:57:58 GMT

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