Eli5: how are treatments like acupuncture, kinetic tape and homeopathy still a thing, if scientific studies disproving their effectiveness are publicly available to everyone and doctors?
In: Biology
So, as several others have pointed out: acupuncture has been (edit : NOT) proven effective by randomized controlled trials. Homeopathy has not, at least no greater effect than a placebo.
There’s a saying that you might have heard: what do you call alternative medicine that works? Medicine. Modern scientific health care is very interested in just about anything that’s actually effective. It’s just that a lot of traditional or alternative medicine isn’t, or we’ve identified the part that is and made it into a stronger version. For example, willow bark tea can ease pain, but now we have the purified version of the isolated compound that relieves pain (Aspirin).
As for why people still use them… Look, sometimes? Whatever works. I’ve told several patients that while there is no evidence for XYZ, if they’re getting results and there’s no risk? Carry on.
Edit: So, I apologize. As several people have brought up, the RCT evidence for acupuncture is not as solid as I stated. Today I learned. Thank you for everyone who pointed this out. Overall, the evidence seemed to be mixed and highly dependent on the problem being treated, the skill of the practitioner, the therapeutic relationship and the individual patient.
-Here is a report regarding the problems with properly structuring and designing acupuncture RCTs : https://atm.amegroups.org/article/view/24002/html
-Here is a study on the effectiveness of sham vs expert acupuncture in treating migraines: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811909005904
-Here is a brief overview from Johns Hopkins on acupuncture, its benefits and limitations: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/acupuncture#:~:text=Scientific studies have not fully,with your healthcare provider first.
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