Creating an Instrument for a Successful Double-blind Acupuncture Placebo

Due to the lack of an appropriate placebo, the general scientific community has questioned studies on the effects of acupuncture. The double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial is said to be the gold standard for showing that a treatment has a specific effect over placebo. But acupuncture treatments undoubtedly involve placebo effects. In order to aid the study of the effects of acupuncture and to give more credibility to acupuncture studies in the eyes of the general scientific community using evidence based medicine, a thoroughly tested double-blind placebo for acupuncture needs to be developed. Investigations on a sham endermic acupuncture needle were performed. Experienced subjects were tested for an ability to distinguish real acupuncture from sham acupuncture in appearance and skin sensation. From receiving real or sham acupuncture treatment, experienced subjects from the public correctly identified 55.8% of treatments from appearance and 56.7% from skin sensation. Acupuncturists identified 45% of treatments from appearance and 55% from skin sensation. When experienced subjects of acupuncture treatment from the public received both real and sham treatment side-by-side in each hand, they were able to identify 60% with appearance and sensation and 66.7% with only skin sensation. It is possible that this sham acupuncture could be used as the placebo for further research on the effects of acupuncture.