Yet another over-interpreted acupuncture `study'

[Asolepius]

The BBC reports a paper claiming that acupuncture alleviates dental phobia. The actual paper is a case series, not a clinical trial. No control group, no blinding. I have complained to the BBC that the article is biassed, as the paper does not provide rigorous evidence, and they should have explained this. Let's a have a few more complaints.

 

[Cavemonster]

I don't know about the methodology, but if there's anything a placebo is good for, it would be a phobia.

 

[Wudang]

Done. They didn't even do the simple step of getting 20 other phobics to sit quietly for 5 minutes while the nurse chatted to them or had a cup of tea.