817: Acupuncture | Skeptical Sunday

10 to 15 million people per year turn to acupuncture — the insertion of thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body — for relieving what ails them. But is there any evidence that it actually works?

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and fact-checker, comedian, and podcast host David C. Smalley break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions.

On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss:

• The origins of acupuncture are unclear, and the claim that it started in China approximately 3,000 years ago is debated.
• Peer-reviewed journal Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health claims that acupuncture is one of the most utilized forms of complementary integrative medicine interventions in the US and can help strengthen the immune system and reduce side effects of chemotherapy.
• Studies on acupuncture's effectiveness in reducing cancer pain have mixed results due to small sample sizes and design problems. One study showed acupuncture helps deactivate brain areas associated with processing pain, but it only involved 17 people.
• Many doctors are privately skeptical about acupuncture and say there's no real science to support the practice, but they often do not speak out against it publicly as they do not see it as particularly harmful.
• Acupuncture can actually be a risky treatment, and 86 people have died from improperly placed needles — with the most common cause of death being a condition called pneumothorax.
• And much more...

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