Finding Reliable Information About Acupuncture

Start with sources that name their evidence

Acupuncture information online ranges from careful reviews to advertisements. NCCIH, the U.S. National Institutes of Health agency for complementary and integrative health, calls itself the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on these approaches and recommends it as a starting point for such topics. [1] It also recommends MedlinePlus, a National Library of Medicine service, as a collection of high-quality resources. [1] MedlinePlus links to health information from the NIH and other federal agencies. [2]

A short source guide

1. NCCIH acupuncture fact sheet

   U.S. government summary, last updated October 2022

   Good for: Overview of effects and safety by conditionLimits: Older than newer trials; check the update date [3]

2. MedlinePlus

   Directory of reliable pages

   Good for: Finding more readingLimits: Links out; read the destination page [2]

3. NHS

   UK public health site

   Good for: Safety cautions and when the NHS offers acupunctureLimits: Brief on acupuncture [4]

4. Cochrane

   Independent non-profit network that reviews research

   Good for: Systematic reviewsLimits: Check each review's date [5]

5. PubMed

   Free index of biomedical literature

   Good for: Finding original studiesLimits: Abstracts; no full text [6]

6. NICE

   UK guideline body

   Good for: Recommendations for health servicesLimits: Written for the NHS context [7]

Questions to ask of any acupuncture page

NCCIH offers a quick set of questions for health websites: who runs it, what does it say, when was it posted or reviewed, where did the information come from, and why does the site exist (is it selling something). [9] Also ask:

• Is there scientific evidence, not just personal stories? [9]
• Which technique, which condition and which comparison does the claim refer to?
• Does it use phrases such as "scientific breakthrough," "miracle cure," "secret ingredient" or "ancient remedy"? NCCIH says to beware of them. [9]
• Does it say "cures" or "works for everything"? NCCIH says claims that something cures a disease or works for a variety of ailments usually sound too good to be true. [9]

Signals of weak information

Missing dates, no named sources, a store attached, testimonials as proof, or advice to avoid your doctor. See red flags and scams and claim check: cures, detox and rebalancing.

Using this site

Every page here cites what we read and when. Pages label evidence plainly and say where proper evidence was not found. Nothing here is medical advice. For your own situation, talk with your doctor, and read how to evaluate a therapy claim.