Can we evaluate electrodermal testing?

Electrodermal testing (ED testing) is an acupuncture-based approach and was developed to refine homeopathic prescriptions. It is currently being used to advise patients about their "allergies". The evidence for its use in "allergy testing" is limited and often misrepresented. This article addresses the research and clinical issues involved in investigating the reliability and validity of various ED testing machines

Acupuncture placebos

In this brief but engaging article, the author ruminates on the political nature of research and on the problems this poses for East Asian Medicine, and points to the fact that the thorny business of defining best (or at least 'good enough') practice is of central importance here. He concludes by offering a richly simple model - based on the Five Phases (wu xing) - for defining what best practice i

The Buteyko breathing technique for asthma: a review

Breathing exercises and breathing retraining are often used in the management of asthma. One specific form of breathing therapy, known as the Buteyko breathing technique (BBT) has received considerable attention, but there is a paucity of rigorous research evidence to support its recommendation for asthma patients. There are only four published clinical trials and two conference abstracts evaluating BBT. Although all have reported improvements in one or more outcome measures, results have not been consistent.This article provides the background to the BBT, reviews the available evidence for its use and examines the physiological hypothesis claimed to underpin it. In common with other therapies, BBT is not a standardised treatment modality. The BBT ‘package’ is complex, as it also includes advice and education about medication use, nutrition and exercise, and general relaxation. This makes it difficult, and possibly inappropriate, to attempt to tease out a single mechanism. Buteyko’s theory relating to carbon dioxide levels and airway calibre is an attractive one, and has some basis in evidence from experimental studies. However, it is not known whether altering breathing patterns can raise carbon dioxide levels significantly, and there is currently insufficient evidence to confirm that this is the mechanism behind any effect that BBT may exert. Further research is necessary to establish unequivocally whether BBT is effective, and if so, how it may work