On behalf of the Hawaii Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture Association, we would like to comment on the New York Times article "Acupuncture, real or fake, eases pain" that appeared Aug. 24 in the Star-Advertiser. This synopsis of a study on knee arthritis patients concluded that both real and fake acupuncture elicit the same amount of pain relief, which was credited to the placebo effect. We believe the study’s conclusions are flawed.

In acupuncture, there are multiple types of points and multiple methods of point selection. Some points are fixed points located on meridians, or lines of energy running through the body. Some points are at fixed locations off meridians and others are located at spots of tenderness at or near painful areas of the body.

Practitioners choose spots, especially when used for pain control, at these tender points and at traditional fixed points on or off meridians. In the knee pain study, to define sham or "fake" acupuncture to be points located at the area of pain but not on meridians does not acknowledge these points are indeed frequently and successfully used in treatment. The researchers in this study were using a very real form of acupuncture by selecting tender points.

One problem in trying to make traditional Chinese medicine fit the Western medical research model lies in the individuality of the traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis. The heart of this diagnostic theory is the differentiation of syndromes. For each patient, practitioners take a pulse and tongue diagnosis and ask a series of questions about everything from sleep to appetite. This information comes together to create a unique pattern for each patient.

One arthritis patient may have "cold dampness" syndrome, whereas another may fall under "liver kidney deficiency" syndrome. These two patients, while both suffering from arthritis, will receive different acupuncture points during treatment. Therefore, for a study to treat knee arthritis patients with two sets of points — for "real" and "fake" groups — while disregarding specific symptoms is Westernizing acupuncture to the point of losing the essence of traditional Chinese medicine.

The study also varied several factors, including the attitude of the practitioner, the strength of electrical stimulation, and the depth and length of time needles were inserted. All of these factors, which are manipulated to cater to each patient’s needs, may have affected the results.

In any event, the results of the study are clear: Both treatment groups were improved relative to the nontreatment group. Calling one acupuncture group a fake and putting "Acupuncture, real or fake" in the headline would be similar to saying "Western medicine, real or fake" based on one study examining two forms of treatment for only knee pain. We can just imagine the type of response that would elicit.

To this day, traditional Chinese medicine not only treats lower back and joint pain, but can treat or relieve many illnesses or symptoms such as menstrual problems, digestive problems, post-stroke symptoms, insomnia, tinnitus and more.

For more information, visit our website at homaa.org or call 221-9814.

Craig Twentyman, a licensed acupuncturist and clinical psychologist, is president of the Hawaii Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture Association. Christina Kapothanasis, a licensed acupuncturist, is the group’s executive director.