RESEARCH METHODOLOGY POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
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Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 5:30-6:15 PM
Shen Y, Goddard G.
A controlled trial of placebo vs.real acupuncture.
University of California, San Francisco
Yosh9898@yahoo.com Goddard@itsa.ucsf.edu
PURPOSE: We sought to determine whether a novel
method of placebo acupuncture can be differentiated by subjects from
real acupuncture treatment.
METHODS: A single-blind, randomized, controlled,
clinical trial with an independent observer was performed. Forty-nine
healthy subjects over the age of 18 were randomly assigned to 1 of 2
experimental groups: twenty-four subjects received real acupuncture
and twenty-five subjects received placebo acupuncture. Placebo acupuncture
was performed by administering a blunted acupuncture needle through
a foam pad at Large Intestine 4 acupoint. The blunted needle touched
but did not penetrate the skin. Real acupuncture was performed by administering
an acupuncture needle through a foam pad at the Large Intestine 4 acupoint.
The needle pricked and penetrated the skin to a depth of 10 to 20 mm.
A simple questionnaire followed, asking whether the subject believed
they received real or placebo acupuncture.
RESULTS: Twenty-two (88%) of the twenty-five
subjects who received placebo acupuncture believed they received real
acupuncture. Nineteen (79.2%) of the twenty-four subjects who received
real acupuncture correctly determined they received real acupuncture.
The Fisher exact test showed an insignificant difference between real
and placebo acupuncture treatments (P= 0.463).
CONCLUSIONS: Subjects were not able to differentiate
between real or placebo acupuncture, thereby validating this novel method
of administering placebo acupuncture as a good control for acupuncture
naive patients. The method of placebo acupuncture herein described is
a valid control for acupuncture research involving acupuncture na•ve
patients.
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