Acupuncture is your friend.

[ZeroTheory]

I've recently had some very strong debates about acupuncture. First off, I'm not totally convinced it isn't real but that is the way I'm leaning. I find when I take the skeptical position, people get very angry! More so than if I was debating gods existing.
Acupuncture seems to be more accepted by real MDs and Vets. Hell I even watched a show on Animal Planet in which a vet was teaching one of his clients how to perform acupressure on her dog! (a real WTF moment).
So I'm curious as to what a skeptical community thinks, Real? Not? Not enough evidence? is there any evidence in support? Why is it so accepted by the norm if it is just snakeoil?

Discuss away!

 

[paximperium]

It is no more effective than random needling so why throw in all that nonsense chi and meridian nonsense? Evidence is pretty conclusive. It is pretty useless.

 

[casebro]

Wellll, it is as useful as any other placebo.

Hmm, dogs enjoy the human touch as much as people do, so I guess the placebo effect works for them too? Nearly as much as the dog-upressure helps the owner.

Hmmm, double blind test idea: take the dog into the treatment room without the owner. Do the dog-upressure only half the time. Other times don't even touch the dog. Ask the owners how Fido is afterwards.

 

[Jeff Corey]

Acupuncture seems to be more accepted by real MDs and Vets. Hell I even watched a show on Animal Planet in which a vet was teaching one of his clients how to perform acupressure on her dog! (a real WTF moment).
So I'm curious as to what a skeptical community thinks, Real? Not? Not enough evidence? is there any evidence in support? Why is it so accepted by the norm if it is just snakeoil?

Discuss away!
[/FONT]

Acupressure and acupuncture are very different. My dog enjoys a vigorous body rub, but hates being needled. I hate being needled, too.
But here's a doctor's opinion.http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/acu.html

 

[shandyjan]

Wellll, it is as useful as any other placebo.

Hmm, dogs enjoy the human touch as much as people do, so I guess the placebo effect works for them too? Nearly as much as the dog-upressure helps the owner.

Hmmm, double blind test idea: take the dog into the treatment room without the owner. Do the dog-upressure only half the time. Other times don't even touch the dog. Ask the owners how Fido is afterwards.

I would say take the dog and do a massage in place of the acupuncture. In what Ive seen on tv so far, the massage works to relax the dog, dog is less stressed...surely that would help take pain away?

 

[arthwollipot]

As others have said, there has been study after double-blind placebo controlled study that demonstrate that acupuncture works...

...exactly as well as a placebo.

 

[JWideman]

Accupressure is just massage, which has obvious and non-woo benefits. Not related to accupuncture, other than the name and the supposed chi points.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Point of information:-
Vets and doctors can be just as dim as anybody else.

 

[quarky]

Acupuncture is a gateway treatment that leads to needle junkies.