Electroacupuncture according to Voll
Encyclopedia
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. Its import to the United States is effectively illegal as it is not licensed by the FDA
.
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." 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".
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."
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
device purportedly used to diagnose ailments, but for which no credible evidence of diagnostic capability exists. Its import to the United States is effectively illegal as it is not licensed by the FDA
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
.
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." 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".
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."