Additional Information for Blue Ridge Acupuncture & Integrative Health

BBB promotes truth in advertising by contacting advertisers whose claims conflict with the BBB Code of Advertising. These claims may come to our attention from our internal review of advertising, consumer complaints and competitor challenges. BBB asks advertisers to prove their claims, change ads to make offers clearer to consumers, and remove misleading or deceptive statements.

On April 4, 2023, Better Business Bureau of Central and Northwest NC contacted the business requesting substantiation for medicinal and therapeutic claims on the company’s website, https://blueridgeintegrativehealth.com/. BBB's Code of Advertising requires advertisers to be prepared to substantiate such claims through independent scientific testing.

The business responded stating, “While everything listed on our website is based in research or personal experience, you are correct in that the information should be provided to further establish the legitimacy of what we do and offer.  

That being said, we make no claims to cure any diseases.  Our language throughout our website is careful to say, "Can help" or "improve."  We intentionally use language that was not making any broad claims.  We all know that health is NOT an exact science, and that nothing works 100% of the time for 100% of the people.  And we do not, and have never, made any such claims.”

BBB's Code of Advertising states, "The primary responsibility for truthful and non-deceptive advertising rests with the advertiser. Advertisers should be prepared to substantiate any objective claims or offers made before publication or broadcast. Upon request, they should present such substantiation promptly to the advertising medium or BBB."

Section 34 of BBB's Code of Advertising also states, "Claims relating to performance, energy savings, safety, efficacy or results for a product or service should be based on recent and competent testing or other objective data."

For medicinal and therapeutic claims or claims to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any illness or disease, scientific clinical evidence from human clinical trials is preferred to support these claims. Also, use of phrases, such as “Can help,” “improve,” or similar, in advertising does not negate the fact that the benefit is implied.

To date, the business has not complied with BBB's request that the business provide substantiation for the health claims and claims not able to be substantiated with proper scientific documentation be either removed or modified.