Electroacupuncture according to Voll
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Electroacupuncture according to Voll or EAV is a pseudoscientific alternative medicine device purportedly used to diagnose ailments, but for which no credible evidence of diagnostic capability exists.[1] Its import to the United States is effectively illegal as it is not licensed by the FDA.[2]
Units reportedly sell for around $15,000 and are promoted for diagnosis of conditions including "parasites, food and environmental sensitivities, candida, nutritional deficiencies and much more."[3] It is promoted for diagnosis of allergies but "results are not reproducible when subject to rigorous testing and do not correlate with clinical evidence of allergy".[1]
In tests, the output of the device on a given patient was found to vary according to the pressure applied. There is no scientifically tested mechanism by which the electrical properties of the skin could be used to diagnose disorders of the type claimed for EAV. In double-blind trials, "A wide variability of the measurements was found in most patients irrespective of their allergy status and of the substance tested. Allergic patients showed more negative skin electrical response at the second trial, compared to normal controls, independent of the tested substance. No significant difference in skin electrical response between allergens and negative controls could be detected."[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Wüthrich B (2005). "Unproven techniques in allergy diagnosis". J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 15 (2): 86–90. PMID 16047707. http://www.jiaci.org/issues/vol15issue02/1.pdf.
- ^ Barrett, Stephen (August 21, 2009). "Regulatory Actions Related to EAV Devices". Quackwatch. http://www.quackwatch.com/02ConsumerProtection/eav.html. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
- ^ Science Based Medicine
- ^ Semizzi M, Senna G, Crivellaro M, et al. (June 2002). "A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the diagnostic accuracy of an electrodermal test in allergic subjects". Clin. Exp. Allergy 32 (6): 928–32. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2222.2002.01398.x. PMID 12047441.
[edit] External links
- Terr AI (2000). "Controversial and unproven diagnostic tests for allergic and immunologic diseases". Clin Allergy Immunol 15: 307–20. PMID 10943300.
- Comments on the AANP Position on Electrodiagnosis from Quackwatch
