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"Acupuncturists see positive results in treating addicts"

The Province

The Province

06 Jul 2022

Category: Other

Rating: (1 stars)

what they said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

In a light, spacious room high above Hastings Street, Bronwyn Melville battles injury, tension and drug addiction with tiny surgical-steel needles.

Melville is one of a handful of acupuncturists who have seen the positive results of treating people in Vancouver's poorest neighbourhood. Now, a recently published study by University of B.C. assistant professor Patricia Janssen confirms that acupuncture can be used to reduce substance abuse among addicts.

"Acupuncture shows real promise," she said yesterday. "A reduction in symptoms can provide a window of opportunity for users to become engaged in long-term approaches to addressing their addiction."

The original article can found in the Media Doctor archives.

how did it rate? (more information)

Criteria Rating
Total Score 1 of 8
Availability of Treatment Not Satisfactory (?)
Costs of Treatment Not Satisfactory (?)
Disease Mongering Satisfactory (?)
Evidence Not Satisfactory (?)
Harms of Treatment Not Satisfactory (?)
Novelty of Treatment Not Applicable
Quantification of Benefits of Treatment Not Satisfactory (?)
Quantification of harms of treatment Not Applicable
Relies on Press Release Not Applicable
Sources of Information Not Satisfactory (?)
Treatment Options Not Satisfactory (?)

what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

This article describes a study on the use of acupuncture to treat addiction. Minimal information is provided about study design (for example, whether or not the study included a control group).

The article includes quotes that describe the treatment as 'effective' and 'promising' but no information on potential harms or alternative treatments. In addition, the article does not mention evidence from other trials in similar patients nor is cost information provided.

The qualitative overview of the local study was of reasonable quality.

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