Strategies to Maintain the Credibility of Sham Acupuncture Used as a Control Treatment in Clinical Trials

Author(s): ROGERS, C., GARVEY, M., RYAN, D., YANG, C., ZHANG, S.

Abstract: Many clinical trials concerning acupuncture are flawed by methodological problems. One of the major difficulties is the appropriate selection and use of a placebo control. This article evaluates the use of sham acupuncture as a placebo control and analyzes its credibility as a control treatment. Sixty-four subjects were assessed for their perception of whether they were receiving sham or real acupuncture while participating in a clinical trial of acupuncture. lt was found that if used under specific experimental conditions, sham acupuncture can function as a credible control. Specific strategies are suggested to maintain the credibility of sham acupuncture as a placebo control.

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