Vital Force Discovered?

This week I was on an airplane, absent-mindedly browsing the SkyMall magazine, when I noticed an amazing device. It's called Aculife, and it is a variation--well, technically a complete re-definition--of acupuncture. It stimulates and helps to unblock qi by delivering mild electrical pulses. But it doesn't just stimulate qi, it can detect it and let you know where the blockages are! I repeat, it can measure qi! That proves that qi exists!

(Click image to enlarge.)

A number of things about the ad caught my attention.

1. It includes a handy (pun) diagram of qi points on the hand. This represents a mixing of pseudosciences. My understanding is that traditional qi points are located all over the body. For convenience, it looks like they've mixed reflexology (which maps the whole body onto the hand or foot) with acupuncture.

2. The map itself is interesting. The heart, liver, and kidneys are depicted in multiple places. And for some reason, the anus is out on the tip of the thumb (?!), along with fatigue, bronchitis, and insomnia--nowhere near the intestines, inflamed colon, diarrhea, or hemorrhoids. True, the spine is represented along the side of the thumb, but it's in the opposite orientation to the anus that you would expect.

3. "The best way to find out if Aculife is right for you and your health is to try it."

4. ...except if you are "pregnant, have a pacemaker, or suffer from malignant tumors, excessive bleeding or tuberculosis." I guess those things have nothing to do with blocked qi.

5. But wait, over at the base of the thumb is "breast tumor." So I guess as long as the tumor is not malignant, it's alright to use Aculife.

6. "FDA Approved" -- Well, okay, that probably just means that the electrical stimulation won't hurt you, not that this actually can be used to diagnose and treat disease.

7. "Diagnose and heal yourself and your family." Oh.

In summary, this is total garbage and if it doesn't technically break any laws governing advertising or medical claims, it should.

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