Science behind Acupuncture: Andrew Huberman Podcast with Rick Rubin

Please click on my photo for a short video explaining the importance of the subject of this blog post. thanks!!

The reason that I’m writing  a book about the science behind acupuncture, the validity of acupuncture  is that it doesn’t seem that people really understand how much science there really is.  But, not only that, but that this lack of credibility, really hurts people.  They think it’s something that they have to believe in, or that they’re being conned.

Andrew Huberman is in conversation with legendary, other level, music producer Rick Rubin.  Rubin has a new book out which I highly recommend called “The Creative Act: A way of being.”

Please click through to watch the clip from the podcast.  I’ve clipped it to the pertinent segment leading into their discussion of acupuncture. Click through the ads and the video will start.  The next few minutes are the relevant part. 

Huberman says that one of the purposes of his podcast is to shine light on ideas that seem “out there” like light therapy, for example.

They speak plainly about the incentives for the status quo to want to keep things as they are since they are in charge.  And then once some theory or treatment is accepted it becomes co-opted for profit. (These are topics I cover in my book.)  And Huberman says specifically about acupuncture that for years people were saying “No mechanism, no mechanism behind it.” And then he goes onto discuss  Qiufu Ma, a scientist at Harvard, who is doing incredible work on the biological mechanisms behind acupuncture. ( I cover his groundbreaking research in depth in my book. I discussed it here  and here.)  Rubin then goes on to tell the story of a friend with long standing back pain who he sent to an acupuncturist.  The friend got better, but he didn’t follow up.  When Rubin asked him why he said  acupuncture doesn’t work.  And Rubin then said, but it worked for you!  And he replied”there is no science behind it.”

It is for that fellow that I’m writing this book!!  Keep in mind that there are “placebos” which account for 30% of any medication or therapy’s effect.  This is an effect which occurs simply with the act of taking something or having a procedure.

But there is also a “nocebo”.  That is the lack of an effect when someone doesn’t want to believe in a therapy.  We need to overcome the nocebo effect with acupuncture.  It’s safe and can really help.