On Thursday, March 25, 2010, Temple University announced — in Temple Today, their daily e-mail posting to keep staff, faculty, students, alumni and friends of the University abreast of Temple news — the official advent of Medical Acupuncture as an accepted therapy now to be offered at Temple University’s hospital. Sanford M. Sorkin, Faculty Chair of the Advisory Board of Temple University, wrote to Temple president Dr. Ann Weaver Hart and to Dr. John M. Daly, Temple’s Dean of the University Medical School, regarding this announcement:
The announcement in Temple Today that the university hospital is introducing an acupuncture practice is very distressing. The pretense that this is a viable modality in light of all of the evidence to the contrary is inconceivable. Including this material in the Temple wide distribution gives the impression that the university supports pseudo-science and wants to spread its message to the widest audience possible.
I am suggesting that an apology be sent to everyone through Temple Today for suggesting that they would be foolish enough to consider acupuncture, and warn them that that there are absolutely no medical conditions that will benefit more from acupuncture than scientific evidence-based medicine.
Please ask the doctor who has studied this to produce the literature that supports the practice. When the NIH was asked to produce the material recently by James Randi, they accumulated approximately 307 studies (www.randi.org). If you eliminate the studies that do not mention acupuncture and were not double-blinded, I believe you are left with about seven studies. And only one of those hinted at the possibility of efficacy.
Information on the latest study, and its flaws, can be found on Science-Based medicine, (http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=4065). And www.quackwatch.org has extensive information on acupuncture. From that site:
- "Chinese medicine," often called "Oriental medicine" or "traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)," encompasses a vast array of folk medical practices based on mysticism. It holds that the body's vital energy (chi or qi) circulates through channels, called meridians, that have branches connected to bodily organs and functions. Illness is attributed to imbalance or interruption of chi. Ancient practices such as acupuncture, Qigong, and the use of various herbs are claimed to restore balance.”
Is Temple prepared to face the world and say we believe in mysticism and are willing to ignore science? Please take action now and stop this foolishness.
Mr. Sorkin, an instructor at Temple, has not yet received any response to his letter, nor has any apology appeared in Temple Today. He further wrote to Hart and Daly:
I hope that Temple will take the challenge and either brings the million dollars to our hospital and medical school, or conversely, recognizes that we are doing a tremendous disservice to our community and the university by indulging in a pseudo-science.
I am curious as to the justification for offering acupuncture at our hospital. And it bothers me that this may be the open door for homeopathy, therapeutic touch, and so many other modalities rejected by evidence-based medicine. Please apply for the challenge and do not abandon your commitment to science, medicine and patient care.
I would very much appreciate being notified of your decision regarding the challenge, as I believe this situation requires attention until it is resolved.
We’ll keep our readers informed on this matter…