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To the Editor: From a scientific perspective, the trial by Dr Shlay and colleagues¹ on the use of acupuncture and amitriptyline to treat peripheral neuropathy related to infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is well executed and designed. Indeed, acupuncture may be of no value for pain due to this condition. Nonetheless, I do not believe that this trial presents credible evidence for this hypothesis. The problem is with the acupuncture component of the trial. The "active" standardized acupuncture regimen (SAR) is more suitable as a placebo treatment. The authors raise the issue of whether they chose the wrong "active points," but they reject this possibility because consensus on these points was reached by 8 acupuncturists. As a teacher of acupuncture and a practitioner who has treated patients with HIV neuropathy, I would never have even considered 2 of the 3 points (spleen 7 and 9) used in this . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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RELATED ARTICLE

Acupuncture and Amitriptyline for Pain Due to HIV-Related Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Judith C. Shlay, Kathryn Chaloner, Mitchell B. Max, Bob Flaws, Patricia Reichelderfer, Deborah Wentworth, Shauna Hillman, Barbara Brizz, David L. Cohn, and for the Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS
JAMA. 1998;280(18):1590-1595.
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