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Toward establishing scientific credibility in acupuncture research
Medical
Hypotheses
5:
221-224,
1979
TO!Q,RDESTABLISHINGSCIENTIFICCREDIBILITYIN ACUPUNCTURERESEARCH Louise Mead Riscalla, 8 Lahiere Avenue, Edison, New Jersey, 08817 U.S.A. ABSTRACT While the effectivenessof acupuncturehas been establishedclinically, researchmethods and tools which are basic for establishingobjective scientificcredibilityin medicinehave been a problem in acupuncture research. Researchmethods developedin other areas and reportedin the literatureare presentedwhich could, if applied to acupunctureresearch, contributetoward establishingscientificcredibilityin medicine. Words: Acupuncture,AcupunctureResearchMethods,Health,Medical Philosophy,Research Design Key
It may be observedthat while the effectivenessof acupuncturehas been establishedclinically,objectiveresearchmethods and tools which are basic for establishingscientificcredibilityin medical and scien,tific communitieshave been a problem in acupunctureresearch. Platt (1) discussedsome of the difficulties. "Acupunctureconceptsand proceduresdo not always lend themselvesreadilyto testingin double-blind studiesor with other researchtools. With acupuncturethere are so many uncontrolledvariablesthat the essentialconditionsfor meaningfulresearchmay at times not be realizable(1, pp. 73-7b)." Factors such as of the researcher,and the variabilityof drug response,characteristics interactionbetween subjectand researchercould largely accountfor much of the difficultyin acupunctureresearch. Researchmethods developed in other areas and reportedin the literature,could, if applied to acupunctureresearch,contributetoward establishingscientific credibility. Acupunctureis presumedto operateby an effect on the essenceof life (Ch'i)which is consideredas a form of electricalenergy altered by the opposingforces of nature, Yin and Yang (2). McGarey indicated that "...the Ch'i, or life force...maybe deficientor excessive in any given organ, area, or meridian (3, p. 119)." Worrall and Worrall (4) called this primary energy "paraelectricity," and is the Life Force of the Chinese and "Prana"of the Yogis (5). The purpose of acupuncture is to "...effecta bodily adjustment(6, p. 34)." This bodily adjustment is made in the practice of acupunctureas described,for example,by McGarey (3). "By means of a needle, irritation,scratching,heat, or 221
pressure,electricalimpulsesare inducedin certainareas of cells that have peculiar electricalcharacteristics.These electricalimpulses take away excess energy in one area and let it flow into an area which is deficient. Thus, an illness of the body is corrected(3, p. 119).'l The acupuncturistworks with the invisibleCh'i energy instead of the physicalbody (7). An objectivemethod of measuringthe Ch'i energy within the researcherand subjectwould appear to be basic in acupuncture research. Studies have been reportedindicatingthat healingenergy is emitted from the hands of l'healersl' (8, 9, 10, ll), the influenceof the healing energy of "healers"on material substances(12, 13, 14, ls), and differencesbetween the energy of "healers"and "non-healers"(12, 13, 15, 16, 17). Pierrakos (18) describedenergy fields and instrumentsand techniquesto define energy componentsin man (18) which could be applied to acupunctureresearch. Such studiesprovide evidenceof the possibility that the Ch'i energy of subjectand researchercould be measured objectivelyin acupuncture. Miller (5) demonstrateddifferencesbetween the propertiesof treated and untreatedwater exposed to a healer'shands. He reported that plants watered with treatedwater grow at a more rapid rate than untreatedwater, and reported significantdifferencesin the surface tension and hydrogenbonding of treated and untreatedwater. Miller (5) developeda techniquewhich could be of use to physiciansin measuring the Ch'i energy of patients. 'The individualbeing tested holds the ends of two stainlesssteel rods, l/l&' in diameterand 7" long, in each hand and immersesthe other ends in 100 ml of distilledwater for exactly 3 minutes. The differencesbetween the surfacetension readings obtainedbefore and after the treatmentis a measure of the energy transferredfrom the test subjectto the water (5, p. 25)." A comparison of measurementson both the researcherand subjectbefore and after acupuncturetreatmentcould be of value in determiningthe effectivenessof treatmentby ruling out the relevant characteristics of the researcherand subject. A fundamentalprincipleof researchis that the method be appropriate for the subjectmatter under study (19). Researchmethods and tools are by-productsof the philosophyand concept of man (19). The criteriafor establishingscientificcredibilityin acupunctureresearch is based on the traditionalallopathicsystem of medicinewith a philosophy which has a materialisticconcept of man. It would be practically impossibleto satisfythe requirementsfor scientificcredibilityin the medical or scientificcommunitiesby using the methods and tools developed in the allopathicsystem with acupuncture,because acupunctureis based on a philosophywhich perceivesman as a spiritualbeing (2). Therefore, the researchmethods and tools in the allopathicsystem are not appropriate or consistentwith the philosophyof acupuncture. It is suggested that some of the researchmethods and tools developedin the area of psychic research,specificallythose dealingwith psychic and religious healing are more consistentwith the spiritualphilosophyof acupuncture and should be exploredfor applicationto acupunctureresearch. 222
References 1. Platt H. The trouble with acupuncture. Am J of Acupuncture2: 73,, 1974. 2. RiscallaL. A theoreticalexplanationfor acupunctureor how I cured my back by massagingmy foot. J Am SOC PsychosomDent Med 23: 26, 1976. 3. McGarey.Y. Acupunctureand Body Energies. GabrielPress, Phoenix, Arizona,1974. 4. Worrall A, Worrall 0. Explore Your PsychicWorld. Harper and Row, New York, 1970. a primary energy. Human Dimensions5: 5. Miller R. Paraelectricity, 22, 1976. 6. StiefvaterE. What is Acupuncture? How Does It Work? Health SciencesPress, Northamptonshire, England,1971. 7. Lok Yee-Kung. Acupunctureand Moxibustionin TraditionalChinese Medicine in The Energies of Consciousness(S KrippnerD Rubin eds.). Gordon and Breach, New York, 1975. 8. Zezulka J. Biotronichealing. PsychoenergeticSystems1: 145, 1976. 9. AdamenkoV. Electrodynamicsof living systems. J Paraphysics4: 113, 1970. 10. Moss T. The Probabilityof the Impossible. New AmericanLibrary, New York and Scarborough,Ontario,1974. 11. Krippner S VilloldoA. The Realms of Healing. CelestialArts, Millbrae,California,1976. 12. Grad B. The "layingon of hands": Implicationsfor psychotherapy and the placebo effect. Corr PsychiatJ of Sot Ther 12: 192, 1966. of hands as a facilitatorof 13. Krieger D. Healingby the t'laying-on11 bioenergeticchange: The responseof in-vivohuman hemoglobin. PsychoenergeticSystems1: 121, 1.976. of "laying-on"of hands 14. Cahn H Muscle N. Towards standardization investigation. PsychoenergeticSystems1: 115, 1976. 15. Smith MJ. The influenceon enzyme growthby the "laying-onof hands." In The Dimensionsof Healing: A symposium. The Academy of Parapsychologyand Medicine,Los Altos, California,1972. 16. Grad B. Laboratoryevidenceof the "laying-onof hands." The Dimensions of Healing: A symposium. The Academy of Parapsychologyand Medicine,Los Altos, California,1972. 17. RiscallaL. Healing by laying-onof hands: Myth or fact? Ethkcs in Sci Med 2: 167, 1975. 18. PierrakosJ. PsychiatricImplicationsof Energy Fields in Man and Nature in Psychiatryand Mysticism (S Dean, ed.) Nelson-Hall,Chicago, 1975. 223
19. Riscalla-L. Psychologicalresearch: Reconciliationor an alternative? Am Psycho1 26: 105, 1971.
224
Hypotheses
5:
221-224,
1979
TO!Q,RDESTABLISHINGSCIENTIFICCREDIBILITYIN ACUPUNCTURERESEARCH Louise Mead Riscalla, 8 Lahiere Avenue, Edison, New Jersey, 08817 U.S.A. ABSTRACT While the effectivenessof acupuncturehas been establishedclinically, researchmethods and tools which are basic for establishingobjective scientificcredibilityin medicinehave been a problem in acupuncture research. Researchmethods developedin other areas and reportedin the literatureare presentedwhich could, if applied to acupunctureresearch, contributetoward establishingscientificcredibilityin medicine. Words: Acupuncture,AcupunctureResearchMethods,Health,Medical Philosophy,Research Design Key
It may be observedthat while the effectivenessof acupuncturehas been establishedclinically,objectiveresearchmethods and tools which are basic for establishingscientificcredibilityin medical and scien,tific communitieshave been a problem in acupunctureresearch. Platt (1) discussedsome of the difficulties. "Acupunctureconceptsand proceduresdo not always lend themselvesreadilyto testingin double-blind studiesor with other researchtools. With acupuncturethere are so many uncontrolledvariablesthat the essentialconditionsfor meaningfulresearchmay at times not be realizable(1, pp. 73-7b)." Factors such as of the researcher,and the variabilityof drug response,characteristics interactionbetween subjectand researchercould largely accountfor much of the difficultyin acupunctureresearch. Researchmethods developed in other areas and reportedin the literature,could, if applied to acupunctureresearch,contributetoward establishingscientific credibility. Acupunctureis presumedto operateby an effect on the essenceof life (Ch'i)which is consideredas a form of electricalenergy altered by the opposingforces of nature, Yin and Yang (2). McGarey indicated that "...the Ch'i, or life force...maybe deficientor excessive in any given organ, area, or meridian (3, p. 119)." Worrall and Worrall (4) called this primary energy "paraelectricity," and is the Life Force of the Chinese and "Prana"of the Yogis (5). The purpose of acupuncture is to "...effecta bodily adjustment(6, p. 34)." This bodily adjustment is made in the practice of acupunctureas described,for example,by McGarey (3). "By means of a needle, irritation,scratching,heat, or 221
pressure,electricalimpulsesare inducedin certainareas of cells that have peculiar electricalcharacteristics.These electricalimpulses take away excess energy in one area and let it flow into an area which is deficient. Thus, an illness of the body is corrected(3, p. 119).'l The acupuncturistworks with the invisibleCh'i energy instead of the physicalbody (7). An objectivemethod of measuringthe Ch'i energy within the researcherand subjectwould appear to be basic in acupuncture research. Studies have been reportedindicatingthat healingenergy is emitted from the hands of l'healersl' (8, 9, 10, ll), the influenceof the healing energy of "healers"on material substances(12, 13, 14, ls), and differencesbetween the energy of "healers"and "non-healers"(12, 13, 15, 16, 17). Pierrakos (18) describedenergy fields and instrumentsand techniquesto define energy componentsin man (18) which could be applied to acupunctureresearch. Such studiesprovide evidenceof the possibility that the Ch'i energy of subjectand researchercould be measured objectivelyin acupuncture. Miller (5) demonstrateddifferencesbetween the propertiesof treated and untreatedwater exposed to a healer'shands. He reported that plants watered with treatedwater grow at a more rapid rate than untreatedwater, and reported significantdifferencesin the surface tension and hydrogenbonding of treated and untreatedwater. Miller (5) developeda techniquewhich could be of use to physiciansin measuring the Ch'i energy of patients. 'The individualbeing tested holds the ends of two stainlesssteel rods, l/l&' in diameterand 7" long, in each hand and immersesthe other ends in 100 ml of distilledwater for exactly 3 minutes. The differencesbetween the surfacetension readings obtainedbefore and after the treatmentis a measure of the energy transferredfrom the test subjectto the water (5, p. 25)." A comparison of measurementson both the researcherand subjectbefore and after acupuncturetreatmentcould be of value in determiningthe effectivenessof treatmentby ruling out the relevant characteristics of the researcherand subject. A fundamentalprincipleof researchis that the method be appropriate for the subjectmatter under study (19). Researchmethods and tools are by-productsof the philosophyand concept of man (19). The criteriafor establishingscientificcredibilityin acupunctureresearch is based on the traditionalallopathicsystem of medicinewith a philosophy which has a materialisticconcept of man. It would be practically impossibleto satisfythe requirementsfor scientificcredibilityin the medical or scientificcommunitiesby using the methods and tools developed in the allopathicsystem with acupuncture,because acupunctureis based on a philosophywhich perceivesman as a spiritualbeing (2). Therefore, the researchmethods and tools in the allopathicsystem are not appropriate or consistentwith the philosophyof acupuncture. It is suggested that some of the researchmethods and tools developedin the area of psychic research,specificallythose dealingwith psychic and religious healing are more consistentwith the spiritualphilosophyof acupuncture and should be exploredfor applicationto acupunctureresearch. 222
References 1. Platt H. The trouble with acupuncture. Am J of Acupuncture2: 73,, 1974. 2. RiscallaL. A theoreticalexplanationfor acupunctureor how I cured my back by massagingmy foot. J Am SOC PsychosomDent Med 23: 26, 1976. 3. McGarey.Y. Acupunctureand Body Energies. GabrielPress, Phoenix, Arizona,1974. 4. Worrall A, Worrall 0. Explore Your PsychicWorld. Harper and Row, New York, 1970. a primary energy. Human Dimensions5: 5. Miller R. Paraelectricity, 22, 1976. 6. StiefvaterE. What is Acupuncture? How Does It Work? Health SciencesPress, Northamptonshire, England,1971. 7. Lok Yee-Kung. Acupunctureand Moxibustionin TraditionalChinese Medicine in The Energies of Consciousness(S KrippnerD Rubin eds.). Gordon and Breach, New York, 1975. 8. Zezulka J. Biotronichealing. PsychoenergeticSystems1: 145, 1976. 9. AdamenkoV. Electrodynamicsof living systems. J Paraphysics4: 113, 1970. 10. Moss T. The Probabilityof the Impossible. New AmericanLibrary, New York and Scarborough,Ontario,1974. 11. Krippner S VilloldoA. The Realms of Healing. CelestialArts, Millbrae,California,1976. 12. Grad B. The "layingon of hands": Implicationsfor psychotherapy and the placebo effect. Corr PsychiatJ of Sot Ther 12: 192, 1966. of hands as a facilitatorof 13. Krieger D. Healingby the t'laying-on11 bioenergeticchange: The responseof in-vivohuman hemoglobin. PsychoenergeticSystems1: 121, 1.976. of "laying-on"of hands 14. Cahn H Muscle N. Towards standardization investigation. PsychoenergeticSystems1: 115, 1976. 15. Smith MJ. The influenceon enzyme growthby the "laying-onof hands." In The Dimensionsof Healing: A symposium. The Academy of Parapsychologyand Medicine,Los Altos, California,1972. 16. Grad B. Laboratoryevidenceof the "laying-onof hands." The Dimensions of Healing: A symposium. The Academy of Parapsychologyand Medicine,Los Altos, California,1972. 17. RiscallaL. Healing by laying-onof hands: Myth or fact? Ethkcs in Sci Med 2: 167, 1975. 18. PierrakosJ. PsychiatricImplicationsof Energy Fields in Man and Nature in Psychiatryand Mysticism (S Dean, ed.) Nelson-Hall,Chicago, 1975. 223
19. Riscalla-L. Psychologicalresearch: Reconciliationor an alternative? Am Psycho1 26: 105, 1971.
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