817: Acupuncture | Skeptical Sunday
The Jordan Harbinger Show
Jordan Harbinger
4.8 • 12.3K Ratings
🗓️ 26 March 2023
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
10 to 15 million people per year turn to acupuncture — the insertion of thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body — for relieving what ails them. But is there any evidence that it actually works?
Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and fact-checker, comedian, and podcast host David C. Smalley break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions.
On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss:- The origins of acupuncture are unclear, and the claim that it started in China approximately 3,000 years ago is debated.
- Peer-reviewed journal Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health claims that acupuncture is one of the most utilized forms of complementary integrative medicine interventions in the US and can help strengthen the immune system and reduce side effects of chemotherapy.
- Studies on acupuncture's effectiveness in reducing cancer pain have mixed results due to small sample sizes and design problems. One study showed acupuncture helps deactivate brain areas associated with processing pain, but it only involved 17 people.
- Many doctors are privately skeptical about acupuncture and say there's no real science to support the practice, but they often do not speak out against it publicly as they do not see it as particularly harmful.
- Acupuncture can actually be a risky treatment, and 86 people have died from improperly placed needles — with the most common cause of death being a condition called pneumothorax.
- And much more...
Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
Connect with David at his website, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and make sure to check out The David C. Smalley Podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts! If you like to get out of your house and catch live comedy, keep an eye on David's tour dates here and text David directly at (424) 306-0798 for tickets when he comes to your town!
Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/817
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Special thanks to Peloton for sponsoring this episode of the Jordan Harbinger Show. |
| 0:08.0 | Welcome to the show. I'm Jordan Harbinger. And this is Skeptical Sunday, |
| 0:11.5 | a special edition of the Jordan Harbinger Show where fact checker and comedian David C. |
| 0:15.1 | Smolley and I, well we break down a topic that you may have never thought about, |
| 0:18.1 | open things up and debunk common misconceptions. Topics such as YV Olympics are kind of a sham, |
| 0:23.3 | why expiration dates are nonsense, toothpaste, chemtrails recycling, |
| 0:27.3 | band foods and a whole lot more. Normally on the Jordan Harbinger Show we decode the stories, |
| 0:32.2 | secrets and skills of the world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into practical advice |
| 0:37.2 | that you can use to impact your own life and those around you. We have long form interviews and |
| 0:41.3 | conversations with a variety of amazing folks from spies to CEOs, athletes, authors, thinkers and |
| 0:46.7 | performers. If you're new to the show or you want to tell your friends about the show and of course |
| 0:50.2 | I appreciate that. I suggest our episode starter packs. These are collections of our favorite |
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| 1:07.7 | jordanharbinger.com slash start or take a look in your Spotify app to get started. Today on Skeptical |
| 1:13.5 | Sunday, well we all want to feel better but we also hate going to the doctor. This is why we cringe |
| 1:19.3 | at that first whiff of hospital layer which I can only assume is made up of anesthesia and |
| 1:24.1 | embalming fluid with a splash of influenza. So when somebody comes along it says, you know, |
| 1:29.7 | we can make you feel better without all that traditional medicine stuff and you'll hardly know |
| 1:34.4 | you were here. That is pretty enticing. You wrap that up with a strong cultural connection, |
| 1:39.2 | you call it alternative medicine and you've got yourself a winning combination. Plus, |
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