Results for: "energy medicine"
BioCharger’s Claims Are Too Silly to Take Seriously
The BioCharger is a subtle energy device based on fantasy, not science. At $15,000, pretty expensive for a placebo.
Crystal Healing
Crystal healing is back and growing in popularity. What does that reveal about our society and alternative medicine?
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.
The Magic Feather Effect: Placebos and the Power of Belief in Alternative Medicine
In her book The Magic Feather Effect, journalist Melanie Warner covers placebo research, shows that alternative medicine is placebo medicine, takes a "try it yourself" approach, and gives belief and anecdotes more credit than they deserve.
Pseudoscience invades Social Work
Acutonics, aura infusions and angelic channeling: pseudoscience has invaded the practices of social workers.
Frequency Specific Microcurrent
Frequency Specific Microcurrents is a dubious energy medicine treatment in the tradition of Albert Abrams.
The stem cell hard sell: The Medical Board of California is forming a task force to determine how to regulate physicians offering stem cell therapies.
For-profit stem cell clinics selling unproven and downright quacky stem cell therapies have proliferated over the last several years, with federal and state law seemingly powerless to stop them. Recently, the FDA and FTC have shown signs of acting to crack down on them. Now, the Medical Board of California is forming a task force to determine how to regulate physicians offering...
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...