Pinpoint: The Acupuncture Tip Sheet
New York acupuncturist Nicholas Steadman has developed a way for the needle-phobic to enjoy the benefits of acupuncture: laser acupuncture. Cold laser or low level laser technology is already treating elite athletes and the military for pain relief and injuries, and patients can't feel a thing.
Steadman suggests that laser acupuncture may be more effective than regular acupuncture, since the patient is unable to tell if the laser is on or not, which allows for clean double-blind placebo controlled studies.
So far, clinical trials have showed laser acupuncture producing positive benefits for children with headaches as well.
In Other News:
Placebo: Just Like the Real Thing
Researchers have discovered that acupuncture and placebo (noninsertive) acupuncture have similar benefits in effectively treating chronic back pain, and both methods are superior to typical pain treatment.
Still, there is controversy over the efficacy of acupuncture, as some believe that all acupuncture (real, simulated, or sham) are placebo effects.
Listen Up!
What to Expect When You're Expecting? Most mothers-to-be know that back and pelvic muscle pain are part of the pregnancy process. But they probably didn't expect to ease their aches through ear acupuncture. Researchers at Yale University found that women who had acupuncture needles held in place at three pressure points on their ear reported significant reductions in muscle pain.
