There are conflicting studies on the effects of acupuncture especially proving efficacy against a placebo. While it is currently approved for pain treatments the current services provided go much farther. I have had a growing interest in the field, and found that electroacupuncture is currently being done in the US. while it is not approved by insurance companies, people can have electroacupuncture sessions were electrodes are placed into meridians and then low current and voltage are applied between the inserted needles.
There is minimal or conflicting evidence that shows that this treatment has any effects whatsoever and there are some risks involved since you are inserting needles and an electric current into the body. While this is not as egregious as the antifreeze elixir mentioned in the lecture, long term side effects as well as simply being scammed do not seem to be an issue in the FDA’s eyes. Should electroacupuncture stimulators be FDA regulated? (note the stimulators are essentially the same used on circuit boards)
Should electroacupuncture be allowed before more conclusive evidence is presented? While I personally believe in acupuncture, my question lies with regulator justification that can be used for such a device.