In the recent study by Ahsin et al. , the authors conclude that electro-acupuncture provides pain relief “clearly beyond that of placebo effects” (page 65). An accompanying editorial suggests that the study represents a “major step forward in understanding the role of the HPA axis and EO systems in the effectiveness of acupuncture in chronic pain” (page 11). At first glance, this is surprising news because the evidence from robust systematic reviews strongly suggests that acupuncture in any...