Acupuncture Proven to Be Pseudoscience

A new study has shown that acupuncture is no more effective at relieving pain than "sham acupuncture." A 2013 study published in the journal Cancer followed a group of 47 women being treated with aromatase inhibitors, a breast cancer medication that can cause hot flashes, night sweats, joint and muscle pain. Half of the women received traditional acupuncture, while the other half received "sham acupuncture," referring to the placing of needles at random places and not actually inserted. There was no significant difference between the two groups, all of the patients reporting improvement of side effects ("New Study Exposes Acupuncture as Pseudoscience," Business Insider, Dec. 26, 2013).

(Friday Church News Notes, January 24, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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