Results for: homeopathy
Functional medicine: Reams of useless tests in one hand, a huge invoice in the other
"Functional medicine" preaches the "biochemical individuality" of each patient, which is why one of its key features is that its practitioners order reams of useless lab tests and then try to correct every abnormal level without considering (or even knowing) what these abnormalities mean, if anything. So they make up fake diagnoses and profit.
Legislative Alchemy 2018: naturopathic licensing and practice expansion shutout?
Naturopathic doctors pushed for licensing and practice expansion in 16 states in 2018. Looks like they are in for a complete shutout.
Should Evidence-Based Medicine Be Replaced by Interpersonal Medicine?
An opinion piece in the New England Journal of Medicine complains about the limitations of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and recommends a new approach they call "interpersonal medicine." In my opinion, good clinical medicine is already interpersonal medicine; there is no need for something new.
The White Coat Effect in Animals: Reducing Fear in the Vet Clinic
Fear during veterinary visits is a problem for everyone involved. While everyone wants less of it, there is limited evidence to support any interventions right now.
Be careful what you wish for…
A "naturopathic oncologist" on Twitter challenged me to examine the work of his two "naturopathic oncology" mentors. It did not go well...for him.
Are placebo effects genetically determined?
We frequently write about placebo effects here at SBM because understanding placebo effects is essential to understanding a lot of clinical trial science and, most relevant to the topics of this blog, how those promoting unscientific medicine misunderstand and misuse placebo effects to promote quackery. Last week, The NYT published an article asking if placebo effects are genetically determined. The evidence supporting...
The Integrative Oncology Scholars Program: Indoctrinating the next generation of “integrative oncology” believers
"Integrative oncology" involves "integrating" pseudoscience, mysticism, and quackery with science-based oncology and co-opting science-based lifestyle modalities as "alternative" in order to provide cover for the quackery. Unfortunately, my alma mater, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is running a course to indoctrinate 100 health care professionals in the ways of "integrative oncology." The Trojan horse of "lifestyle interventions" and "nonpharmacologic treatments for...
Gold Water, Silver Water, Copper Water
Ayurveda recommends gold water, silver water, and copper water to treat various conditions. There is no evidence that they work or even that they contain gold, silver, or copper.
A whole issue of JACM devoted to “integrative oncology” propaganda? Oh, goody.
Last week, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a Special Focus Issue on "integrative oncology." In reality, it's propaganda that promotes pseudoscience and the "integration" of quackery into oncology.
Vertigo Voodoo: A Crazy-Sounding Cure That Actually Works
A sequence of positional changes sounds like voodoo, but is actually an effective way to cure benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).