Is Acupuncture for Pain a Placebo Treatment?

If the patient inquires about acupuncture, I would respond that the conventional measures of known efficacy should be tried first. However, ethical concerns should be tempered by consideration of the individual’s situation. The patient’s medical condition may limit the feasibility of conventional measures, or she or he may derive limited relief from them. In those circumstances, if the patient wants to try acupuncture, I would not argue against it. I would say that it seems to help some people, and I would not destroy the potential benefit of the procedure by stating that it is a placebo. In her discussion of the ethics of the placebo in medical practice, Bok cites the recommendation of Bishop Taylor, a 17th-century British cleric, to “lie like a doctor” when doing so can help patients.⁴⁰ I share Bok’s concern about “benevolent deceit” of patients, but sometimes that is all we have to offer.

Dr. Marcus is a professor of medicine and immunology emeritus at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

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