NCCIH: Co-opting “ nonpharmacologic ” treatments for pain as being “ alternative ” or “ complementary ”
I’ve been critical of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which was until relatively recently known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) ever since I first discovered that it existed, lo, these many years ago. When I first discovered NCCIH, what struck me is how much pseudoscience it… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - September 12, 2016 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine Politics #talkpain acupuncture chronic pain fibromyalgia low back pain National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health NCCAM NCC Source Type: blogs
Review Examines Clinical Trial Evidence on Complementary Approaches for Five Painful Conditions | NCCIH
A review of evidence from clinical trials shows that a variety of complementary health approaches —including acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, massage therapy, and relaxation techniques—hold promise for helping to manage pain. The review, conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, was published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.Painful conditions are the most common reasons why American adults use complementary health approaches, on which they spend more than $30 billion yearly. About 40 million American adults experience severe pain in any given year, and they spend more than $...
Source: Psychology of Pain - September 3, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: blogs
Simulympics
SimWars! Huh! Yeah! What are they good for? Err… absolutely nothing. Enter Simulympics:
The format: two sweaty, blood-spattered, MRSA-encrusted teams of four. From two of Queensland’s busiest and feistiest emergency departments.
Side-by-side, 40 minutes against the clock.
An obstacle course of broken body parts, spurting arteries and crunching ribs (made out of finest Laerdal plastic).
And a very difficult judging panel: all critical, and no care.
The only choking will be in the form of obstructed airways.
If you want to see the spectacle, bag yourself one of the last 20 tickets for the Spring Seminar on Emer...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - August 31, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Jo Deverill Tags: Education Emergency Medicine Spring Seminar on Emergency Medicine SSEM Source Type: blogs
Cupping: bruises for the gullible, and other myths in sport
This is my version of a post which I was asked to write for Indy Voices. It’s been published, though so many changes were made by the editor that I’m posting the original here (below).
Superstition is rife in all sports. Mostly it does no harm, and it might even have a placebo effect that’s sufficient to make a difference of 0.01%. That might just get you a medal. But what does matter is that superstition has given rise to an army of charlatans who are only to willing to sell their magic medicine to athletes, most of whom are not nearly as rich as Phelps.
So much has been said about cupping during the ...
Source: DC's goodscience - August 10, 2016 Category: Science Authors: David Colquhoun Tags: acupuncture Anti-science badscience Bait and switch CAM Quackery Sports alternative medicine antiscience chiropractic cupping health fraud sports medicine TCM Traditional Chinese medicine Source Type: blogs
Cupping: bruises for the gullible, and other myths in sport
This is my version of a post which I was asked to write for the Independent. It’s been published, though so many changes were made by the editor that I’m posting the original here (below).
Superstition is rife in all sports. Mostly it does no harm, and it might even have a placebo effect that’s sufficient to make a difference of 0.01%. That might just get you a medal. But what does matter is that superstition has given rise to an army of charlatans who are only to willing to sell their magic medicine to athletes, most of whom are not nearly as rich as Phelps.
So much has been said about cupping during ...
Source: DC's goodscience - August 10, 2016 Category: Science Authors: David Colquhoun Tags: acupuncture Anti-science badscience Bait and switch CAM Quackery Sports alternative medicine antiscience chiropractic cupping health fraud sports medicine TCM Traditional Chinese medicine Source Type: blogs
Research and Reviews in the Fastlane 146
This study looked at the 111 (19%) that had an isolated fat pad (anterior sail sign and/or posterior fat pad) but no other injuries seen on the x-ray. The standard practice for these patients was an elastic bandage and a sling, with orthopaedics follow-up in 1 week. (Where I work, children generally get a plaster splint, as we are concerned about occult supracondylar fractures.) At the 1 week follow up, there were no significant injuries identified, although they did not routinely get follow-up x-rays. Only 1 patients was transitioned to a cast because of ongoing pain. Unfortunately, they did lose 17% of the patients to fo...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - August 10, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Justin Morgenstern Tags: Education Emergency Medicine Orthopedics Pediatrics R&R in the FASTLANE Trauma EBM literature recommendations research and reviews Source Type: blogs
Emergency acupuncture!
Many are the bizarre, dubious, and downright crappy acupuncture studies that I’ve deconstructed over the years. Just type “acupuncture” into the search box of this blog, and you’ll soon see. (If that pulls up too many results, try typing “acupuncture” and “study” or “acupuncture” and “clinical trial” in the search box.) I’m not the only… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - August 2, 2016 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking acupuncture adenosine emergency room endorphins pain management Source Type: blogs
The VA and Dr. Tracy Gaudet: Integrating quackery into the care of veterans
I was originally going to write this post for the 4th of July, given the subject matter. However, as regular readers know, I am not unlike Dug the Dog in the movie Up, with new topics that float past me in my social media and blog reading rounds serving as the squirrel. But never let… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - July 25, 2016 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine Politics Quackery acupuncture post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD traditional Chinese medicine VA Veterans Administration Source Type: blogs
Quackademic medicine and acupressure at my alma mater
Given the study that I’m going to discuss, I can’t help but start out with a brief (for me) reminiscence. Longtime readers know that I graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in the late 1980s. Back when I attended U. of M., its medical school was considered stodgy and hard core even by… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - July 13, 2016 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Quackery acupressure acupuncture quackademic medicine traditional Chinese medicine university of michigan Source Type: blogs
What’s the harm? Cupping edition
There are so many ridiculous alternative medicine treatments being “integrated” via “integrative” medicine into medicine, no matter how ridiculous they are, that it’s not only hard to believe, but it’s hard to keep track. Homeopathy is, of course, the most ridiculous, although “energy medicine” definitely gives homeopathy a run for its money in the Department… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - July 1, 2016 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Naturopathy Quackery acupuncture burn cupping PTSD traditional Chinese medicine Source Type: blogs
What ’ s the harm? Cupping edition
There are so many ridiculous alternative medicine treatments being “integrated” via “integrative” medicine into medicine, no matter how ridiculous they are, that it’s not only hard to believe, but it’s hard to keep track. Homeopathy is, of course, the most ridiculous, although “energy medicine” definitely gives homeopathy a run for its money in the Department… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - July 1, 2016 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Naturopathy Quackery acupuncture burn cupping PTSD traditional Chinese medicine Source Type: blogs
Just take a pill!
I've written quite a bit here about chronic pain. As your humble correspondent has written many times, long-term opioid use is not just dangerous, it is ineffective. And most people don't benefit from other pharmaceutical treatments. They might be worth a try, but if you do have chronic pain of neurogenic origin, you will probably need what we call a bio-psycho-social approach. That means learning how not to let pain get the better of you. Physical therapy, graded exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, all can help.I don't buy the full menu of non-pharmaceutical options listed by NYT reporters Meier and Goodnough -- acupu...
Source: Stayin' Alive - June 24, 2016 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
Intellectual Suicide
Physician suicide is an enormous problem. We lose approximately 400 doctors and trainees annually to suicide. This is a tragedy, pure and simple. Not limited to the human carnage of the equivalent of an entire medical school class or more, but, to quote Dr. Pamela Wible, “Each year more than one million Americans lose their doctors to suicide.”
What does it mean, then, when physicians who are trained in medicine — defined as the application of scientific principles to the diagnosis and treatment of human ills — turn away from reality to accept the magical thinking of pseudoscience? I submit that it...
Source: Musings of a Dinosaur - June 13, 2016 Category: Primary Care Authors: notdeaddinosaur Tags: Medical Source Type: blogs
Dropping Out is NOT the Answer
I like Dr. Pamela Wible. I think she’s doing fantastic work bringing attention to the tragedy of physician and medical student suicide. We also have similar practice styles (solo, unhurried visits, total communication) although hers is a subscription practice and I still make do with insurance. Also, she’s monetized it with the title Ideal Micropractice, an organization which costs $250 a year to join. After 26+ years, I’m pretty comfortable with my version, which is ideal for me, and can’t see paying for the privilege of sharing what I’ve learned. (I just offer it for free to anyone who asks....
Source: Musings of a Dinosaur - June 8, 2016 Category: Primary Care Authors: notdeaddinosaur Tags: Medical Source Type: blogs
Tai Chi for osteoarthritis: How exercise is “rebranded” as complementary and alternative medicine
“Complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM), now more frequently referred to as “integrative medicine” by its proponents, consists of a hodge-podge of largely unrelated treatments that range from seemingly reasonable (e.g., diet and exercise) to pure quackery (e.g., acupuncture, reiki and other “energy medicine”) that CAM proponents are trying furiously to “integrate” as coequals into science-based… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - May 30, 2016 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Skepticism/critical thinking exercise integrative medicine kundalini osteoarthritis physical therapy Tai Chi yoga Source Type: blogs
