Study: Acupuncture Does Reduce Pain -- Really and "Mentally" Too

It turns out the popular alternative medicine treatment called acupuncture really does work for reducing perceived pain in the body... probably in more than one way. A new study shows the pain-relief experienced by many acupuncture patients is real and probably not just due to a placebo affect, although much of the benefit is probably due to the human brain.

This is fairly surprising because skeptics have for years stated that the procedure involving placing thin needles into the skin is a pure scam that provides no real benefits. Still, acupuncture has been used in Asia for thousands of years so many alternative and natural health practitioners recommend it for dealing with pain and other health conditions without drugs.

Researchers from the Archives of Internal Medicine looked at 29 high-quality clinical trials involving about 18,000 people who underwent acupuncture treatments for chronic pain related to back/neck problems, arthritis, headaches, etc. They found evidence that real genuine acupuncture done by an expert in the proper systematic way does appear to significantly reduce pain.

Still, many experts -- including some involved in this new study -- say that at least part of acupuncture's beneficial effects are most likely due to patients believing and wanting the treatment to work.

We say: Even if there is a strong placebo effect involved in reducing pain with acupuncture (or any other alternative drug-free treatment for that matter) who cares?? If someone feels less pain overall that certainly isn't a bad thing, no matter what the mechanism is.

Learn some mo': Acupuncture works, one way or another

Back Pain Treatments Often Not Need (and Don't Work Anyway)

Americans are estimated to spend about $86 billion per year trying to treat their back pain, including MRIs, pain-killers, spinal injections, acupuncture, natural "cures," and a variety of machines and back pain-relief gadgets. Complicated and expensive back operations are becoming more and more common, even though only a small percentage of people with back problems are good candidates for surgery.

Yet the evidence is becoming clear: most pack pain treatments are not necessary... and don't even work anyway. The vast majority of back problems heal by themselves within just a few weeks. In fact, time alone may be the best back pain treatment of all!

Certain types of exercise can also help significantly, according to some neck and back pain experts. Rehabilitation exercise programs attempt to strengthen the muscles that support the spine and often work very, very well.

Other treatments that involve stretching the spine, such as inversion therapy, may also be effective in some cases.

Learn some mo': Pain in the back widely over-treated

Miracle Mineral Solution: A Real Cure or a Scam?

An alternative health treatment called the Miracle Mineral Solution -- aka "MMS" or "Miracle Mineral Supplement" -- has been spreading like wildfire for the past couple of years. There are claims from all around the world that it helps to treat and even cure some of the deadliest diseases, including cancer, malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS among others.

MMS is really just a strong solution of sodium chlorite that is mixed with an acid like lemon or lime juice (or citric acid) to form chlorine dioxide, a well-known oxidizing agent. Chlorine dioxide is considered to be one of the most powerful oxidizers and pathogen-killers in the world, but until now it was used mainly in industrial water treatment and bleaching processes

Jim Humble, the man who "discovered" MMS -- at least in terms of using it as an internal medical treatment -- claims that it's the answer to many of the world's worst diseases. He says that he's treated over 75,000 people during field tests in Africa, mainly using the chlorine dioxide to kill malaria.

Even though many alternative health forums on the web are filling up with testimonials from happy MMS users, there is still a lot of doubt regarding the effectiveness and safety of this unique product. The United States medical community especially is regarding it, at best, as a worthless scam... at worst, as an extremely dangerous and unproven "snake oil" treatment.

Maybe the most interesting thing about MMS is that it's managed to stick around and actually grow in popularity since Jim Humble first started telling the world about it back in 2007. Most alternative health treatments that provide little or no real benefits are quickly exposed using the information-sharing powers of the Internet. So there may really be something to MMS, even if it's not truly a "cure" for hundreds of diseases.

Do you have a review or testimonial regarding MMS and/or chlorine dioxide? Please leave your feedback in the comments section below. Thanks!

Learn some mo': MMS De-Mystified