Factors Influencing Acupuncture Research

Acupuncture research has been conducted in western countries for more than 50 years, with both positive and negative results being published. Therefore, some researchers question whether acupuncture is just a placebo effect. We believe that acupuncture signal production, process and outcomes are complex and need careful investigation. Many factors may contribute to the failure of a study and result in a wrong conclusion. In this chapter, we aim to analyze the factors that might influence acupuncture research and outcomes. There are mistakes and errors in current acupuncture research in several aspects, including acupuncture methodology, personal ability of acupuncture, study design, data analysis, and selection of participants. We hope that future acupuncture researchers will pay attention to these factors and avoid mistakes and misunderstandings of acupuncture effects.