Category: Medical devices
Electromagnetic healing devices for dogs: Studies show “Meh”
Does a pulsed electromagnetic field device work to help dogs recover from surgery? The answer is below. Spoiler alert: The answer is "probably not".
Bee Stings for Arthritis
Bee sting therapy may be somewhat effective for arthritis, but it can't be recommended.
Luminas: Unbelievable Claims About Pain Relief
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true. The claims for the Luminas pain relief patch are not just unscientific; they defy common sense. It's quantum quackery.
FDA should pull the plug on thermography
The FDA says there's no good evidence that thermography can reliably screen for breast cancer or any other disease. Instead of pursuing the unlawful promotion of thermography for breast cancer detection on a case-by-case basis, the FDA should pull the plug on thermographic devices.
Chiropractor Treating Concussions for Earlier Return to Play
A chiropractor is using questionable diagnostic and therapeutic measures to return athletes to play sooner after a concussion. Not a good idea.
Vape Nation: Vaping Is Bad, Kids
The Surgeon General declared youth e-cigarette use to be an epidemic, but many vaping communities online downplay the risks. What does the evidence show?
An HBO Documentary about the Theranos Fraud Raises Concerns
Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos to develop a device that could do 200 tests on a single drop of blood in a minute. She lied; it failed; she is being tried for fraud and conspiracy. The HBO documentary The Inventor tells the story but has some flaws. We can learn lessons from what happened.
The very worst version of the sham known as “right-to-try” is poised to become law
"Right-to-try" laws are a cruel sham that purport to allow terminally ill patients access to promising experimental drugs. In reality, they strip away many protections and leave vulnerable patients on their own. After four years and a number of toothless state laws, a federal version of "right-to-try" is poised to become law. A version passed by the Senate could be voted on...
Living Water
A device called Living Water will convert your tap water into acidic or alkaline water that supposedly is ionized and has antioxidant properties. There is no evidence that it offers any health benefits.
TIC’D OFF
Two years ago we discussed the TicTocStop, a dental appliance that the inventors assured us would help mitigate the symptoms of Tourette Syndrome. In the intervening years things have...not gone well. This illustrates the need for skepticism regarding questionable medical claims, and the importance of initiatives like AllTrials to ensure the good, the bad, and the ugly research is available to everyone.