Acupuncture is amazing. I live in South Korea where acupuncture is a very common practice and it downright works. I don't know well enough to say this but I seriously doubt that while there's no doubt it plays a big role in its effectiveness but it's definitely more than just placebo effect. It definitely does something.

[–] andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago (4 children)

It's when you start to add spiritual significance and meaning to it accupuncture becomes bonkers. Otherwise it's a specific form of a massage that lets one single out and affect specific muscles. Therefore a knowledgeable person can make wonders by applying it correctly. As a bonus: the whole experience of laying like a hedgehog.

[–] praise_idleness@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

There's a very famous case of frostbite so bad that the doctors insisted that the patient needed amputation(severance? Not sure how you say cutting off toes) but a traditional Korean doctor cured it only with acupuncture and some herbal medicine. The patient recently made an interview about it as well. I was able to find this related paper as well.

Still not sure if this can be achieved only with some form of placebo. Guess I am too familiar with the idea of acupuncture being real?

edit: was just curious. Thanks for the input!

[–] rotopenguin 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

There's another patient who didn't get the toe amputation, and gangrene spread to where he lost the entire leg and 80% of his kidney function. This one did not thank acupuncture for his outcome.

This one very famous case of a guy who got very lucky, and ended up alive and uncrippled and didn't have to take time off from perpetual dialysis treatments to smile for magazine covers maybe doesn't represent what generally happens to people in his situation.

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