Myles Power investigates.
Acupuncture, considered superstitious and irrational as far back as the seventeenth century, gained popularity in the west when it was reintroduced by the Chinese Communist government in 1949. This reinstatement of the once outlawed practice was possibly driven by nationalistic motives or the need to provide basic healthcare to a large population. Since its adoption acupuncture has been extensively studied and is now generally seen as ineffective, although some argue that it may have limited applications due to the placebo effect. However, I believe that the placebo effect has been exaggerated, even by prominent skeptics, allowing pseudoscience to firmly get one foot in the door.
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