Sysiphus Speaks

Since the primary problem in autistic children is neurological, it is prudent to research the efficacy of chiropractic care in these children.

By my count, naturopaths attempted to gain licensure in 10 states in 2014. (In states with two-year legislative sessions, the 2014 bill was in some cases a holdover from 2013). They attempted to increase their scope of practice in 4 states. On the other hand, in Hawaii there was a rare legislative attempt to put more backbone in naturopathic regulation. In Utah, a single bill both increased scope of practice and stiffened regulatory requirements.  There was a bill in Colorado which would have allowed "traditional naturopaths" a safe harbor from prosecution without registration. (It failed.) We won't count that in our tally because it wouldn't have affected the practice of "naturopathic doctors."

I came across Could a 'renegade' doctor save your life? Short answer: nope. It is a curious article out of the UK, with a sympathetic look at maverick doctors who ... help patients other doctors have given up on, often by prescribing drugs and treatments the medical establishment won’t touch.

Now the California Legislature is again tackling this Sisyphean task, in the form of Senate Bill 1246, which passed in the Senate and is now before the Assembly (the other branch of California's legislature). If passed, it will shorten the time for sunset review of the acupuncture practice act from 4 years to 2 years, giving the Legislature a better opportunity to see if the Board has cleaned up its act.

Wonli acupuncture, which is a form of Acupotomy.. an acupuncture procedure developed for synechia, nodules, and cicatrix caused by soft tissue damage, in short, a combination of acupuncture and ectomy. ​

What we often lack is compelling stories. I became interested in the topic of pseudo-medicine early in my practice when I saw a 20 something young woman with a leg sarcoma who decided against cure (below the knee amputation) and sought the care of a naturopathic provider who treated her cancer with Dr. Youngs alkaline therapy. It did not work. The cancer destroyed her leg and I saw for a gangrenous, foul smelling leg. She refused surgery and died that night in her sleep when the tumor eroded into a major artery and she bled out.

Yet another paper in the pseudo-medical world that I read and think what the? In this case it is PLOS One in their CAM feed with  Whole Body Vibration Improves Cognition in Healthy Young Adults. It does? Really?

So often I do double take when I see the titles cross my screen from my PubMed feed. For example Predicting visceral obesity based on facial characteristics. My first thought was this is stupid. Then I remember there is the curious literature on the ear lobe crease as a marker for coronary artery disease.

PLOS One had a recent article The Lack of Side Effects of an Ineffective Treatment Facilitates the Development of a Belief in Its Effectiveness

Not only is there Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, Ear, Foot, Hand, Tongue Electo, Laser, Pressure, and there is even fish acupuncture to kill them gently. Anything and everything can be labeled as acupuncture.

Pseudo-medical therapies grounded in fantasy can have no lasting real effects on peoples lives. As the Bard noted, Integrative Medicine is all sound and fury, signifying nothing. After perusing the Center and its offerings, I'll stick to my understanding of Integrative Medicine: When you combine cow pie with apple pie, the cow pie is not improved, the apple pie is worse.

It is safe to say that science blogging from press releases produces garbage with little to do with science. Take Acupuncture Works To Reduce Menopause Hot Flashes - Meta-analysis from Science 2.0, reporting on a press release about an article that will not be available until February 2015.

In part what separates those who subscribe to the notion of science-based medicine and those who practice pseudo-medicine is explicit criteria for accepting evidence of therapeutic efficacy combined with an understanding of all the logical fallacies to which we are prone.

Zarbee's got a warning letter from the FDA telling it to knock off with the disease claims, which included: Natural Ivy Leaf extract "helps thin and loosen web mucus coughs" dark honey (a supplement ingredient) is "clinically proven to calm coughs and sore throats in children"

Last month the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the Palmer College of Chiropractic must make accommodations for a blind student, including an assistant to interpret X-rays and other medical images. The college had argued that accommodation wasn't feasible, and that vision was a requirement for a degree because reading X-rays is critical for the profession. There have been other blind chiropractors in the past, starting with C.R. Johnston, the man who made Peekskill famous (I never heard of Peekskill) who graduated from Palmer in 1918.