WHO endores acupuncture?

[CapnAwesome]

Apparently the World Health Organization has a whole list of diseases that it approves acupuncture as a treatment for.

http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js...#Js4926e.5

What's the problem with this? Well.... acupuncture is based on the idea that disease is caused by the disruption of qi, or your life energy, and that acupuncture points correct this balance. Great, except that there is no qi, this is medieval medicine that has been thrust upon the modern world. Numerous studies have been done where 'incorrect' acupuncture points have been done, and all of them have come to the same conclusion: Placebo affect.

The world health organization endorsing something like this is irresponsible, dangerous, and results in them losing significant credibility when it comes to real science.

[Edwardo Piet]

The placebo effect has been shown to work though, and maybe acupuncture is a psychologically affective way of inducing it through physiology *shrugs*

Obviously non-alternative, or, in other words, real medicine is better... but for those who are completely anti-science... some of this "alternative" stuff may be better than nothing.

[DeistPaladin]

[killybob]

Apparently the World Health Organization has a whole list of diseases that it approves acupuncture as a treatment for.

http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js...#Js4926e.5

What's the problem with this? Well.... acupuncture is based on the idea that disease is caused by the disruption of qi, or your life energy, and that acupuncture points correct this balance. Great, except that there is no qi, this is medieval medicine that has been thrust upon the modern world. Numerous studies have been done where 'incorrect' acupuncture points have been done, and all of them have come to the same conclusion: Placebo affect.

The world health organization endorsing something like this is irresponsible, dangerous, and results in them losing significant credibility when it comes to real science.

Acupuncture is one of the few new age treatments that actually apply force or physical substance to the human. It is not inconceivable that the needles could cause some physiological effects to take place in the body. For example, as the needles are placed around the point of injury, the body may be alerted by the presence of the needles, and actually, the immune response resulting from that could divert its efforts away from the needles, which would have been removed, and actually start to work on the injury itself.
Although what I've just written is entirely hypothetical, it may serve as an explanation if legitimate studies show that acupuncture surpasses the expected levels that would imply a placebo effect.

Of course, even though acupuncture is almost 100% bullshit, it is still fucking relaxing!

And at least it's more convincing that lying on a flat-bed under pretty a row of rainbow coloured crystals, or having someone creepy touch you up, looking for spiritual tightness. (not implying that the ideas behind it are in the least bit convincing, of course)

[Edwardo Piet]

Maybe that will work for masochists like me *shrugs*

[CapnAwesome]

The placebo effect has been shown to work though, and maybe acupuncture is a psychologically affective way of inducing it through physiology *shrugs*

Obviously non-alternative, or, in other words, real medicine is better... but for those who are completely anti-science... some of this "alternative" stuff may be better than nothing.

The problem that I see is that the worlds premier health organization endorsing might encourage people to do it rather than use real medicine. If you have back pain, maybe acupuncture won't do any harm. But as treatment for a stroke or whooping cough? I think it is dangerous to endorse non-scientific medicine for that.

[Minimalist]

Even so, acupuncture beats this faith healing shit.

[Tiberius]

A bit ironic considering the comic author's views on evolution and other scientific matters.

[Minimalist]

Sarcasm about religion helps me greatly.

Handel wrote the Messiah and obviously believed in that bullshit. I can overlook his beliefs because of his composition of that masterpiece. I feel the same way about Adams. He may be a creationist asshole but he's a fine cartoonist.

[DeistPaladin]

A bit ironic considering the comic author's views on evolution and other scientific matters.

Sir Issac Newton believed in Biblical prophecy, alchemy and other woo (in addition to being an asshole). That doesn't stop him from being a respected giant in the field of physics. All scientists care about is his contribution to physics.

Quoting an authority doesn't mean you have to own every wacky other thing the same authority also happens to believe. I can reject Scott Adams' beliefs on unrelated topics, whatever they may be, while enjoying his humor and sarcasm on business and life.