Yawn. Another study tries to convince us that mind-body interventions can “ reprogram our DNA. ” It fails.
A recent systematic review has been touted as demonstrating that "mind-body" practices like yoga can reprogram our DNA. There are several reasons to doubt these claims, not the least of which is the history of bias in past studies on this topic. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - July 3, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking Deepak Chopra mediation mind-body yoga Source Type: blogs
Quoth antivaxers: “ We demand transparency, except when it might embarrass us ”
Before I delve into the next topic, I can’t help but congratulate John Oliver yet again for his excellent deconstruction of the antivaccine movement on Sunday night. As I noted on Tuesday, it clearly hit the mark, given how angry one antivax blogger got over it. As of yesterday, over at that wretched hive of… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 29, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Politics Quackery John Oliver school vaccine mandate Texas transparency vaccines Source Type: blogs
Surprise! John Oliver ’ s vaccine segment has given antivaxers a sad.
On his most recent Sunday show, John Oliver did a tour de force segment on the antivaccine movement. Not surprisingly, antivaxers are not pleased. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 27, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking Age of Autism vaccines John Oliver Last Week Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Levi Quackenboss Source Type: blogs
You can ’ t have naturopathy without antivax
A reader asks me why I hate naturopaths. I don't hate naturopaths, but I do oppose naturopathy. Earlier this week, Tim Caulfield reminded me of one reason why: You can't have naturopathy without antivax. Antivax views are baked into naturopathy. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 26, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Naturopathy Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking letters Tim Caulfield vaccines Source Type: blogs
Gwyneth Paltrow shows that the Quantum Xrroid Consciousness Interface was ahead of its time, as NASA slaps down Goop
Ten years ago, I liked to make fun of a pudgy, middle-aged guy named Bill Nelson, not because he was pudgy and middle-aged (which is increasingly describing me), but rather because he used to sell some serious quantum energy quackery known as the Quantum Xrroid Consciousness Interface. Little did I know then that Nelson was ahead of his time and all that he really needed was a celebrity endorsement and a company selling his products using beautiful scantily clad models using his products. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 23, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine Movies Paranormal Physics Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking AlphaBioCentrix bafflegab Bill Nelson Body Vibes Goop Gwyneth Paltrow NASA quantum quackery Source Type: blogs
Quoth the Court of Justice of the European Union: “ Let ’ s make it easier for plaintiffs suing for “ vaccine injury ” to prevail! ” Or not. I can ’ t tell for sure.
The Court of Justice of the European Union just issued a muddled ruling being proclaimed by clickbait headlines as allowing courts to blame any disease on vaccines without evidence. It does nothing of the sort, but it is concerning nonetheless, as it is confusing and does appear to lower the bar of evidence for vaccine injury claims. That's plenty bad enough. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 22, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking causation Court of Justice of the European Union law legal decision multiple sclerosis vaccine Source Type: blogs
Deaths and complications due to treating the fake disease known as “ chronic Lyme disease ”
Alternative practitioners invent and treat fake diseases like adrenal fatigue and chronic Lyme disease. Unfortunately, as a recent CDC report on complications due to treating chronic Lyme disease with long term antibiotics shows, treating fake diseases can cause harm and, in some cases, even kill. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 21, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Naturopathy Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking antibiotics Borrelia burgdorferi catheter-associated sepsis CDC chronic lyme disease Clostridium diff Source Type: blogs
Emergency acupuncture! (2017 edition)
For whatever reason, acupuncturists and acupuncture believers think that acupuncture can be useful in emergency situations. They even do studies purporting to show that. This is yet another of such a clinical trial, albeit larger than usual. Guess what? It doesn't really show what it's advertised to show. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 20, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking acupuncture ankle sprain emergency room low back pain migraine quackademic medicine Source Type: blogs
While Orac ’ s away, the Breatharians will play …
Breatharians claim that it is possible to exist only on air and that human beings can reach a state where they do not require food. Stories about Breatharians pop up in the media from time to time, even though they are patently ridiculous. One such story made the rounds as Orac was wending his way home from Europe. Given that it's been years since he's discussed Breatharians, he couldn't resist looking at this story. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 19, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking Akahi Ricardo Breatharian Camila Castello nutrition Source Type: blogs
What is an “ altie ” ?
How does one identify a hard core believer in alternative medicine, sometimes called in the distant past an "altie." Well, this helpful list, culled from nine years ago, will aid you in spotting the identifying signs... (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 15, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Humor Naturopathy Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking altie Source Type: blogs
Is the infiltration of “ integrative medicine ” into medicine as relentless as we thought? Maybe not …
When it comes to expansion and infiltrating medicine, “integrative medicine” has frequently seemed like the Terminator: utterly relentless. Recent setbacks at major integrative medicine “Crown Jewels” resulting in their closure cast that narrative in doubt. However, I never forget that after its seeming destruction, the Terminator always comes back. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 12, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking Beth Israel integrative medicine john weeks Massachusetts General quackademic medicine Source Type: blogs
A little mid-vacation housekeeping …
So far, our vacation has been going quite well. We’ve hit two European cities, with today and tomorrow left where I am now and then on to the last one on Tuesday. Obviously, I haven’t been paying nearly as much attention to this blog (or political news out of the US) as I normally do.… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 11, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Announcements Blog housekeeping Source Type: blogs
Quackery so powerful that a famous physicist rolls over in his grave
Nikola Tesla was a physicist known to dabble in strange ideas, and that's probably why pseudoscientists have appropriated them to justify quackery and fringe ideas. However, I doubt even Tesla can be used to justify the Tesla Purple Energy Shield and various other "Tesla Purple Energy" products. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 8, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Complementary and alternative medicine History Physics Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking Friday Dose of Woo Nikola Tesla Purple Energy Shield Source Type: blogs
Leaving on a jet plane … I do know when I ’ ll be back again
Orac finds it necessary and desirable to take a break to contemplate a black hole and recharge his Tarial cells. Here's what will happen in his absence (not much). (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 6, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Announcements Complementary and alternative medicine Personal blog housekeeping Europe travel Source Type: blogs
Cassandra Callender ’ s cancer is progressing, and the quackery didn ’ t stop it. Let ’ s hope real medicine can.
Cassandra Callender made national news a couple of years ago when at age 17 she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and refused chemotherapy. The court ordered that she undergo appropriate treatment, but unfortunately she relapsed and chose treatment at a quack clinic in Mexico. Continuing to progress, she finally chose real medicine to treat her cancer. Let's hope that it's not too late to save her. (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 5, 2017 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking AARSOTA Autologous Antigen Receptor Specific Oncogenic Target Acquisition cannabis Cassandra Callender coffee enema Hodgkin' Source Type: blogs
