《美國醫學會雜誌》2014年10月發表了題為“針灸治療慢性膝關節疼痛:隨機臨床試驗”的文章,介紹了澳大利亞博士拉納·欣曼領導的一個14人工作小組進行的一次與針灸有關的實驗,其結論是:“對於50歲以上患有中度或重度膝關節慢性疼痛的患者,同假治療相比,激光針灸或針刺針灸治療對改善疼痛或功能沒有益處。我們的研究發現不支持對這些病人使用針灸治療"。
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這項研究成果出來,引起輿論一片嘩然。有一些針灸師和研究者去函對該研究結果表示異議,在網上也引起了廣大網民的關注。來自美國、中國、新西蘭、瑞士和德國的五位學者,從不同角度對針灸治療膝關節疼痛無效的結論提出疑問。認為論文在試驗設計、針灸方法和計量、患者觀察和評估、數據比較和結論、以及學術誠信等存在諸多方麵的問題。雜誌同時刊登了澳大利亞作者拉納·欣曼等人的回複,對信中提出的大部分問題做了回答。
為了了解這篇文章的觀點,我試圖去《美國醫學會雜誌》去看一下這篇文章。到網站上看到的是這篇文章的提要,而全文需要購買。我點進去一看,購買這篇文章要30美元。我覺得購買這篇文章就沒有必要了,隻是把提要閱讀了一下。根據閱讀這篇提要發表一下自己的看法。
(1)從提要看出的問題。光看這個提要,我們 就可以看出一些問題。
physician acupuncturists”,這是他們故意混淆的一個表述,直譯是“家庭醫生針灸師”.看起來是“針灸師”,但實際是“會點針灸的家庭醫生”。因為就.沒有一個“家庭醫生針灸師”.這樣的頭銜。在澳大利亞,要麽就是家庭醫生,要麽就是針灸師。隻不過家庭醫生不管是會不會針灸技術都有使用針灸的權利。而針灸師治療技術再好是不能開藥方的。這就是西方國家對西醫西生壟斷地位的保護。這是一個不是誰都想進來的高薪行業。
第一個問題的家庭醫生真的懂針灸技術嗎?
我們知道,針灸是否有效和針灸師的水平是直接相關的。去找一個不懂針灸技術的人來操作不是太看不起我們老祖先流傳下來的上千年的治療技術。在參加操作實驗的這些家庭醫生裏,有幾個的針灸技術是過關的呢?有多少的針灸臨床經驗呢?有多少中醫,針灸的理論知識呢?大家知道,西方國家的西醫都是金飯碗,當上了醫生都忙得很,五分鍾看一個病人。哪還有這個閑工夫去給病人用針灸治療。家庭醫生用針灸給病人治療,你等著吧!那用這些既沒有受過針灸教育,又沒有針灸臨床經驗,更沒有針灸技術的家庭醫生來操作這樣的實驗是否荒唐?所以,實驗的操作人員是真家庭醫生,假針灸師。
在下一篇,我將結合我的臨床經驗給大家介紹一下針灸治療膝關節痛的理論和實踐。
PhD3; Ian Relf, MSc3; Andrew Forbes, PhD4; Kay M. Crossley, PhD5; Elizabeth
Williamson, PhD6,7; Mary Kyriakides, BAppSc3; Kitty Novy, BNurs3; Ben R.
Metcalf, BSc1; Anthony Harris, MSc8; Prasuna Reddy, PhD9; Philip G. Conaghan,
PhD10; Kim L. Bennell, PhD1
CONCLUSIONS | ARTICLE INFORMATION | REFERENCES
Importance There is
debate about benefits of acupuncture for knee pain.
Objective To
determine the efficacy of laser and needle acupuncture for chronic knee pain.
Design, Setting, and Participants Zelen-design clinical trial (randomization
occurred before informed consent), in Victoria, Australia (February
2010-December 2012). Community volunteers (282 patients aged ≥50
years with chronic knee pain) were treated by family physician acupuncturists.
Interventions No
acupuncture (control group, n = 71) and needle (n = 70), laser (n = 71), and
sham laser (n = 70) acupuncture. Treatments were delivered for 12 weeks.
Participants and acupuncturists were blinded to laser and sham laser
acupuncture. Control participants were unaware of the trial.
Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes were average knee pain (numeric rating scale, 0 [no
pain] to 10 [worst pain possible]; minimal clinically important difference
[MCID], 1.8 units) and physical function (Western Ontario and McMaster
Universities Osteoarthritis Index, 0 [no difficulty] to 68 [extreme
difficulty]; MCID, 6 units) at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included other pain
and function measures, quality of life, global change, and 1-year follow-up.
Analyses were by intention-to-treat using multiple imputation for missing
outcome data.
Results At 12 weeks
and 1 year, 26 (9%) and 50 (18%) participants were lost to follow-up,
respectively. Analyses showed neither needle nor laser acupuncture
significantly improved pain (mean difference; −0.4 units; 95% CI, −1.2 to 0.4,
and −0.1; 95% CI, −0.9 to 0.7, respectively) or function (−1.7; 95% CI, −6.1 to
2.6, and 0.5; 95% CI, −3.4 to 4.4, respectively) compared with sham at 12
weeks. Compared with control, needle and laser acupuncture resulted in modest
improvements in pain (−1.1; 95% CI, −1.8 to −0.4, and −0.8; 95% CI, −1.5 to
−0.1, respectively) at 12 weeks, but not at 1 year. Needle acupuncture resulted
in modest improvement in function compared with control at 12 weeks (−3.9; 95%
CI, −7.7 to −0.2) but was not significantly different from sham (−1.7; 95% CI,
−6.1 to 2.6) and was not maintained at 1 year. There were no differences for
most secondary outcomes and no serious adverse events.
Conclusions and Relevance In patients older than 50 years with moderate or severe chronic knee
pain, neither laser nor needle acupuncture conferred benefit over sham for pain
or function. Our findings do not support acupuncture for these patients.
Trial Registration anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12609001001280