[btilly]

What scientific studies would those be? And by what standards are they scientific?

Until a randomized controlled study can demonstrate real differences between acupuncture conducted with real needles and sham needles, I will happily call it a placebo. Ditto for acupuncture conducted per the way that acupuncturists think it should be conducted and acupuncture conducted per the way that they think it should not. Those studies have, in fact, been conducted. Acupuncture did not, in fact, do anything detectable. I am therefore on the side of calling it a placebo.

See http://www.dcscience.net/2013/05/30/acupuncture-is-a-theatri... for more.