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Ist die analgetische Wirkung der Akupunktur ein Placeboeffekt?

Is the analgesic effect of acupuncture a placebo effect?

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Zusammenfassung

Die großen deutschen Akupunkturstudien ART und GERAC haben die Effektivität der Akupunktur sowie der Schein- oder Minimalakupunktur bei der Therapie einer Reihe von Schmerzsyndromen belegt. Die Ergebnisse haben aber auch eine Diskussion darüber ausgelöst, ob es sich bei der Akupunkturtherapie selbst möglicherweise um ein Placebo handelt. Neurophysiologisch betrachtet, gibt es Hinweise darauf, dass bei der Reduktion von Schmerzen durch Akupunktur physiologische Mechanismen, die nicht auf Placeboeffekten beruhen, beteiligt sind. Zudem finden sich Parallelen zur erwartungsinduzierten Placeboanalgesie. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt diese Befunde auf und diskutiert Hypothesen zu Mechanismen der akupunkturinduzierten Verminderung von Schmerzen vor dem Hintergrund neurobiologischer Befunde zur Schmerzverarbeitung.

Abstract

The German acupuncture trials ART and GERAC have shown that acupuncture and sham or minimal acupuncture were equally effective in the reduction of chronic pain symptoms. These results have prompted an ongoing discussion as to whether acupuncture exerts its effects through a placebo response. Increasing knowledge about the neurobiology of pain and its intrinsic control suggests a combination of acupuncture-specific neurophysiologic effects combined with effects that match those of expectation-induced placebo analgesia.

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Danksagung

Diese Arbeit wurde unterstützt durch Mittel der Karl und Veronica Carstens-Stiftung.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Innere Medizin V, Naturheilkunde und Integrative Medizin, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Knappschafts-Krankenhaus, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach - Stiftungsprofessur für Naturheilkunde, Am Deimelsberg 34a, 45276, Essen, Deutschland

    F. Musial, I. Tao & G. Dobos

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  1. F. Musial
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  2. I. Tao
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  3. G. Dobos
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Correspondence to F. Musial.

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Musial, F., Tao, I. & Dobos, G. Ist die analgetische Wirkung der Akupunktur ein Placeboeffekt?. Schmerz 23, 341–346 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00482-009-0810-9

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