Homeopathy and Critical Thinking
Veterinary Acupuncture and Historical Scholarship: Claims for the Antiquity of Acupuncture
Acupuncture Points and Meridians Do Not Exist
Abstract. One of the basic tenets of acupuncture is that needles must be placed at specific sites, known as “acupuncture points.” These points may also be located along certain invisible lines, commonly referred to as “meridians.” However, there is, as yet, no convincing evidence that either acupuncture points or meridians exist as discrete entities. In addition, there are vast differences between the historical location of points and meridians and current practice. Finally, the majority of studies in which “sham” acupuncture controls are used fail to show a difference between control points and “real” points. Accordingly, claims that precise needle placement is important for therapeutic efficacy are suspect.
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