MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'acupuncture'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:56:05 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159028&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4704%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Duniversity-of-westminster-shuts-down-naturopathy-nutritional-therapy-but-keeps-acupuncture-and-herbal-medicine There’s been no official announcement, but four more of Westminster’s courses in junk medicine have quietly closed. For entry in 2011 they offer University of Westminster (W50) qualification Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture (B343) 3FT Hon BSc Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture with Foundation (B341) 4FT/5FT Hon BSc/MSci Complementary Medicine (B255) 3FT Hon BSc Complementary Medicine (B301) 4FT Hon MHSci Complementary Medicine: Naturopathy (B391) 3FT Hon BSc Herbal Medicine (B342) 3FT Hon BSc Herbal Medicine with Foundation Year (B340) 4FT/5FT Hon BSc/MSci Nutritional Therapy (B400) 3FT Hon BSc   But for entry in 2012 University of Westminster (W50) qualification Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture&... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159028 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:43:52 +0100 5159028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107522&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fconsumer-reports-promotes-alternative-medicine-with-questionable-research%2F2011.08.07 Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve intermittently read Consumer Reports, relying on it for guidance in all manner of purchase decisions. CR has been known for rigorous testing of all manner of consumer products and the rating of various services, arriving at its rankings through a systematic testing method that, while not necessarily bulletproof, has been far more organized and consistent than most other ranking systems. True, I haven’t always agreed with CR’s rankings of products and services about which I know a lot, but at the very least CR has often made me think about how much of my assessments are based on objective measures and how much on subjective measures. Until now. I just saw something yesterday on the CR website that has made me wonder just how scientific CR’s testing ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107522 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:43 +0100 5107522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159031&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4582%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dapologists-for-andrew-wakefield-at-southampton-university-a-russell-group-university-teaching-some-dangerous-nonsense Conclusion Electrodermal testing cannot be used to diagnose environmental allergies", published in the BMJ .[download reprint]. In 2003 he published "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled proving trial of Belladonna 30C” [download reprint] that showed homeopathic pills with no active ingredients had no effects: The conclusion was "”Ultramolecular homeopathy has no observable clinical effects" (the word ultramolecular, in this context, means that the belladonna pills contained no belladonna). In 2010 he again concluded that homeopathic pills were no more than placebos, as described in Despite the spin, Lewith’s paper surely signals the end of homeopathy (again). [download reprint] What i cannot understand is that, despite his own findings, his pri... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159031 Sun, 03 Jul 2011 17:10:30 +0100 5159031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159032&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4562%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dhalf-baked-nonsense-in-the-atlantic Jump to follow-up Reply to David Katz. The Atlantic is an American magazine founded (as The Atlantic Monthly) in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It is a literary and cultural magazine with a very distinguished history. Its contributors include Mark Twain and Martin Luther King. So it was pretty exciting to be asked to write something for it, even with a 12 hour deadline. Sadly though, in recent years, the coverage of science in The Atlantic has been less than good The inimitable David Gorski has explained the problem in Blatant pro-alternative medicine propaganda in The Atlantic. The immediate cause of the kerfuffle was the publication of an article, The Triumph of New-Age Medicine. It was written by a journalist, David Freedman. It is very long and really not very good. It has been decon... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159032 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:38:18 +0100 5159032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159034&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4439%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dacupuncturists-show-that-acupuncture-doesnt-work-but-conclude-the-opposite-journal-fails Conclusion The addition of 12 sessions of five-element acupuncture to usual care resulted in improved health status and wellbeing that was sustained for 12 months. How on earth did the authors manage to reach a conclusion like that? The first thing to note is that many of the authors are people who make their living largely from sticking needles in people, or advocating alternative medicine. The authors are Charlotte Paterson, Rod S Taylor, Peter Griffiths, Nicky Britten, Sue Rugg, Jackie Bridges, Bruce McCallum and Gerad Kite, on behalf of the CACTUS study team. The senior author, Gerad Kite MAc , is principal of the London Institute of Five-Element Acupuncture London. The first author, Charlotte Paterson, is a well known advocate of acupuncture. as is Nicky Britten. The conflict... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159034 Tue, 31 May 2011 15:12:26 +0100 5159034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780433&cid=t_125633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FZ4k4jeuPxOQ%2F Our final 40 Days of Giveaways is here. If you’re late to this spring fling: Blisstree is rewarding you – one last time – for giving up your vices in favor of healthier habits. Today we’ll give away our final sweet prize to one reader just for becoming our Facebook fan. And our last present to you is all about relaxation, restoration, rejuvenation, and release. We’re giving away one (1) Heavenly Acupressure Mat (worth $50) to one reader who simply “Likes” Blisstree on Facebook. Stress? See ya never. Heavenly Acupressure Mats are an easy and affordable way to enjoy the benefits of acupressure in the comfort of your own home. Each mat is made from 100% cotton, and has a total of 8,820 pain-relieving contact points that stimulate your skin and acupressure points in your body. Th... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780433 Tue, 03 May 2011 13:00:50 +0100 4780433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753689&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdr-steve-novella-defends-science-and-reason-on-the-dr-oz-show%2F2011.04.26 I must say I was a bit shocked two weeks ago when I was contacted by a producer for The Dr. Oz Show inviting me on to discuss alternative medicine. We have been quite critical of Dr. Mehmet Oz over his promotion of dubious medical treatments and practitioners, and I wondered if they were aware of the extent of our criticism (they were, it turns out). Despite the many cautions I received from friends and colleagues (along with support as well) – I am always willing to engage those with whom I disagree. I knew it was a risk going into a forum completely controlled by someone who does not appear to look kindly upon my point of view, but a risk worth taking. I could only hope I was given the opportunity to make my case (and that it would survive the editing process). The Process Of course, e... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753689 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:36:35 +0100 4753689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753892&cid=t_125633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FUhmai0T1jiM%2F Consider today’s new 40 Days of Giveaways your own personal relaxation station. If you’re late to this spring fling: Blisstree is rewarding you for giving up your vices in favor of healthier habits. Each weekday from now until May 3, we’ll give away a different prize to one reader just for becoming our Facebook fan. And today’s prize is all about relaxation, restoration, and rejuvenation. We’re giving away one (1) Heavenly Acupressure Mat (worth $50) to one reader who simply “Likes” Blisstree on Facebook. Time to say see ya to stress. Heavenly Acupressure Mats are an easy and affordable way to enjoy the benefits of acupressure in the comfort of your own home. Each mat is made from 100% cotton, and has a total of 8,820 pain-relieving contact points that stimulate your skin... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753892 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:00:52 +0100 4753892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734435&cid=t_125633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FKDaygXPd3b4%2F Ready to relax? Well, we’ve got a new 40 Days of Giveaways prize to help you do just that. If you’re late to this spring fling: Blisstree is using the season of Lent to reward you for giving up your vices in favor of healthier habits. Each weekday from now until May 3, we’ll give away a different prize to one reader just for becoming our Facebook fan. And today’s prize is all about relaxation, restoration, and rejuvenation. We’re giving away one (1) Heavenly Acupressure Mat (worth $50) to one reader who simply “Likes” Blisstree on Facebook. Time to seriously say see you later to stress. Heavenly Acupressure Mats are an easy and affordable way to enjoy the benefits of acupressure in the comfort of your own home. Each mat is made from 100% cotton, and has a total of 8,820 p... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734435 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:30:34 +0100 4734435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684324&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdont-believe-the-hype-acupuncture-and-alternative-medicine-is-not-so-popular%2F2011.04.05 Everybody’s Doing It One argument that often comes up when skeptics and proponents of so-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) debate is the question of the popularity of various CAM practices. Advocates of CAM often claim these practices are widely used and growing rapidly in popularity. Obviously, CAM proponents have an interest in characterizing their practices as widely accepted and utilized. Even though the popularity of an idea is not a reliable indication of whether or not it is true, most people are inclined to accept that if a lot of people believe in something there must be at least some truth to it. The evidence against this idea is overwhelming, but it is a deeply intuitive, intransigent notion that can only rarely be dislodged. It might therefore be useful to g... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684324 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:00:21 +0100 4684324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684629&cid=t_125633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FVN99_RVjr1Y%2F Me: Alex, I’ll take “Mystery Illnesses” for $1,000 please. Alex Trebek: This elusive condition consists of chronic headaches, fatigue, insomnia, weakness, chemical sensitivities, irritability, gas, bloating,  intolerance to heavy exercise, and requires excessive rest. Me: What is…chronic fatigue? Alex: No, I’m sorry, chronic fatigue is incorrect. Janice? Janice: What is…hormonal imbalance? Alex: Sorry no, that’s also incorrect. Oh wait, I’m just now getting word that answer may be partially correct. But not entirely. Ted, would you like to attempt to answer? Ted: Uh, what is…actually, I’m sorry, I have no idea. And so goes the game of my life. In reality, it’s not nearly as fun or glamorous as a game show, but it’s definitely as challenging. My stor... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684629 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:16:01 +0100 4684629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159039&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4213%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dcranial-osteopathy-at-the-royal-london-hospital-for-integrated-medicine-and-inaction-by-dr-gill-gaskin Jump to follow-up Last year the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital was rebranded as the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine (RLHIM). The exercise seems to have been entirely cosmetic. Sadly, they still practise the same nonsense, as described in Royal London Homeopathic Hospital rebranded. But how different will things be at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine?. Recently I came across a totally disgraceful pamphlet issued by the RLHIM [download pamphlet]. If you haven’t come across craniosacral therapy (and who could blame you, a new form of nonsense is invented daily), try these sources. EBM-first has an up-to-date collection of references. Why Cranial Therapy Is Silly, by Stephen Barrett, M.D. What is Craniosacral Therapy? Wikipedia gives the history... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159039 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:02:48 +0100 5159039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489589&cid=t_125633_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fbattlefield-acupuncture-niemtzow-technique-needle-battlefield-acupressure-marcucci-technique-pain-control-acute-traumatic-injury-haiti%2F by L Marcucci, MD – trauma surgeon and medical acupuncturist One of the more distressing items being reported out of the developing medical catastrophe in Haiti is the lack of even rudimentary anesthesia and analgesia for the treatment of amputations and severe acute traumatic injuries. One possible strategy for treating patients in pain that is rapidly effective and has little mortality or serious morbidity risk is the use of battlefield acupuncture, a technique pioneered by Air Force Col Richard Niemtzow, MD, PhD in 2001. Because Dr. Niemtzow’s battlefield acupuncture technique is most effective when using specialized small, gold-plated needles that are not always readily available, I have adapted his work to a technique I call battlefield acupressure. But, before I describ... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489589 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:37:33 +0100 4489589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489687&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4117 Jump to follow-up The long-awaited government decision concerning statutory regulation of herbalists, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture came out today. Get the Department of Health (DH) report [pdf] It is not good news. They have opted for statutory regulation by the Health Professions Council (HPC). This is much what was recommended by the disgraceful Pittilo report, about which I wrote a commentary in the Times, and here, A very bad report: gamma minus for the vice-chancellor, and here. The DH report is merely an analysis of responses to the consultation, but the MHRA says "The Health Professions Council (HPC) has now been asked to establish a statutory register for practitioners supplying unlicensed herbal medicines. The proposal is, following cre... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489687 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:04:09 +0100 4489687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441993&cid=t_125633_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fevery-complaint-is-gift-dr-malpanis.html Most doctors get put off by patients who complain and most doctors will either ignore these patients – or fire them ! While I’d rather have smiling and happy patients as well , I also believe that every complaint is a gift – it’s a chance to learn and improve. In fact, we actively encourage our patients to provide us with feedback – and both compliments and complaints are welcome . Compliments give us a high and tell us we are doing a good job. Complaints remind us that we can do better !As a doctor, I am focused on providing high quality medical care to my patients. However, I also run a clinic, and I may not see some basic problems ( which are easy to fix) unless someone takes the trouble to point them out to me !Most patients are quite reluctant to complain to their doctor. Fo... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441993 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 05:03:00 +0100 4441993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361262&cid=t_125633_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fthoughts-on-complementary-and.html I was misusing these terms. Complementary medicine is used in addition to traditional medicine - like acupuncture. Alternative medicine is used instead of traditional medicine - like herbal remedies, prayer, etc. I am not so sure about alternative medicine. I think they are outside my comfort zone. Complementary medicine has made me skeptical in the past. But I think my horizons are expanding for many reasons. I joined a support group during chemo and someone suggested Reiki for stress reduction. I tried it once and it made me relax. I tried it a few more times but decided I didn't like the woman doing the Reiki so I quit. She actually had me try expressive arts as well. Which in looking back, was helpful.I have several friends who have tried acupuncture, Reiki, and massage for stress and ... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361262 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:20:00 +0100 4361262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318498&cid=t_125633_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Facupuncture-anyone.html Last night I went to a support group meeting where there was a presenter on acupuncture. I have never been a fan of acupuncture. Its not that I doubt its efficacy. Its just the needles. I can't look at needles while being inserted or while they are in someone's skin. (They turn my stomach.) I hate it during flu season where they always show people on TV getting shots. I have to close my eyes. I am a wimp. That's it. But at last night's meeting I learned a lot about acupuncture and spent time looking at the walls while people had needles in them. I found that my health insurance will cover it. The acupuncture practice is conveniently located. Perhaps it might help my tennis elbow, and possibly my back pain and some other issues. Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years so it defin... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318498 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:31:00 +0100 4318498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314165&cid=t_125633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FYhNR5CSHfiE%2F photo: Thinkstock So, I’m beginning to think I have adult onset claustrophobia. I don’t like to think about Santa Claus getting stuck while going down the chimney. Scuba diving is to me as oil is to water. And don’t get me started on the dreaded MRI machine. But there are a few other concrete symptoms that make me think I may have developed this tricky anxiety disorder that’s based on irrational fears: 1. Over Christmas I stayed in a Paris apartment that featured an elevator which snugly fit two medium-size roller suitcases — and nothing else. I couldn’t physically make myself get into the thing, even though the alternative was six long flights of stairs. My husband took the lift, I walked. I’ve never loved small spaces, but this was the first time... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314165 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:16:43 +0100 4314165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285202&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchinese-bloodletting-forbidden-in-california%2F2010.12.23 In November 2010, the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) finally decided to act responsibly and forbid the prevalent practice of Chinese bloodletting by licensed acupuncturists. The practice became a concern for the DCA when allegations of unsanitary bloodletting at a California (CA) acupuncture school surfaced. The incident allegedly occurred during a “doctoral” course for licensed practitioners. The instructor was reportedly demonstrating advanced needling and bloodletting techniques. During the process, he took an arrow-like lancing instrument that is called a “three-edged needle” (三棱针), sharpened it with sandpaper, cleaned it with alcohol, and then asked a student-volunteer to roll a towel around his neck. The instructor then cleaned the student’s temporal ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285202 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:00:17 +0100 4285202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272244&cid=t_125633_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fstudy-shows-acupuncture-successful-treating-lazy-eye-children%2F A new report published in the Journal of Ophthalmology is suggesting that acupuncture is more effective in treating lazy eye (amblyopia) than using a prolonged course of eye patches. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272244 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:09:04 +0100 4272244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265742&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fintegrative-medicine-as-the-butt-of-a-hoax%2F2010.12.16 In 1996, Alan Sokal got a bogus paper published in the journal Social Text. It was a parody full of meaningless statements in the jargon of postmodern philosophy and cultural studies. The editors couldn’t tell the difference between Sokal’s nonsense and the usual articles they publish. Now a British professor of medical education, Dr. John McLachlan, has perpetrated a similar hoax on supporters of so-called “integrative” medicine. He reports his prank in an article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). After receiving an invitation to submit papers to an International Conference on Integrative Medicine, he invented a ridiculous story about a new form of reflexology and acupuncture with points represented by a homunculus map on the buttocks. He claimed to have done studies showing ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265742 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:00:20 +0100 4265742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245305&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Facupuncture-via-skymall%2F2010.12.09 The worst part of flying is the takeoff and landing. Not that I am nervous about those parts of the trip, it is that I am all electronic. Once I have to turn off my electronic devices, all I am left with is my own thoughts or what is in the seat pocket in front of me. Since there is nothing to be gained from quiet introspection, I am stuck with either the in-flight magazine or SkyMall. I usually choose the latter. SkyMall, for those of you who do not fly, is a collection of catalogs bound in one volume. I have occasionally purchased products found in SkyMall and thumb through it with mild interest. This time one product caught my eye, the Aculife home acupuncture/acupressure device. I had never noticed the “health”-related products in SkyMall before, usually looking for electro... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245305 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:00:28 +0100 4245305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230165&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3789 Research quangos lead to mediocrity is the headline title of a letter to The Times appeared on 6 December 2010. It is reproduced below for those who can’t (or won’t) pay Rupert Murdoch to see it. The letter is about the current buzzword, "research impact", a term that trips off the lips of every administrator and politician daily. Since much research is funded by the taxpayer, it seems reasonable to ask if it gives value for money. The best answer can be found in St Paul’s cathedral. The plaque for Christopher Wren bears the epitaph LECTOR, SI MONUMENTUM REQUIRIS, CIRCUMSPICE. Reader, if you seek his memorial – look around you. Much the same could be said for the impact of any science. Look at your refrigerator, your mobile phone, your computer, your cent... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230165 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:28:13 +0100 4230165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225523&cid=t_125633_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F0EENI4C2nG4%2F photo: Thinkstock Check out this post about the health benefits of cupuncture by Deborah Huso on AOL Health. While plenty of people who receive acupuncture for the relief of chronic pain swear by its effectiveness, the western medical community has long remained skeptical of this increasingly popular alternative treatment. More and more research studies, however, are confirming the idea that acupuncture has its place in western medicine. The latest, a study out of the University Hospital in Essen, Germany, suggests that acupuncture transforms the way the brain processes pain. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers led by Dr. Nina Theysohn from the University Hospital’s department of diagnostic and interventional radiology and neuroradiology were able to obser... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225523 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:02:11 +0100 4225523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179328&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=34474&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCasesBlog%2F%7E3%2FU1SQOTi7Q1o%2Facupuncture-is-popular-with-patients.html From the NYTimes:Because her insurer did not cover acupuncture, Ms. Kumar had to pay for the $70 weekly treatments she hoped would put her cycle on a more normal schedule.Acupuncture remains a largely out-of-pocket form of health care. Sessions with an acupuncturist run about $65 to $120, depending on where you live (and some leading acupuncturists charge as much as $300). Most ailments require at least three treatments, while some chronic issues like arthritis might require biweekly or monthly sessions, depending on the situation.In a 2007 survey, 3.1 million adults reported using acupuncture in the previous 12 months, up from 2.1 million in a 2002 survey.References:Patient Money - Acupuncture May Help, but You’ll Need to Pay - NYTimes.com.Acupuncture can spread serious diseases: bacter... Clinical Cases and Images - Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179328 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:55:00 +0100 4179328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167972&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3675 Jump to follow-up The mainstream media eventually catch up with bloggers. BBC1 TV (Wales) produced an excellent TV programme that exposed the enormous degree validation scam run by the University of Wales. It also exposed the uselessness of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Both these things have been written about repeatedly here for some years. It was good to see them getting wider publicity. Watch the video of the BBC programme, "Week In Week Out – University Challenged." “The programme examines how pop stars and evangelical Christians are running colleges offering courses validated by the University of Wales.” (I make a brief appearance, talking about validation of degrees in Chinese Medicine). In October 2008 I posted Another worthless validation: the Un... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167972 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:45:22 +0100 4167972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118955&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3632 Jump to follow-up The Prince of Wales’ Foundation for Integrated Health shut down amidst scandal in April 2010. In July, we heard that a new “College of Medicine” was to arise from its ashes. It seemed clear from the people involved that the name “College of Medicine” would be deceptive. Now the College of Medicine has materialised, and it is clear that one’s worst fears were well justified. At first sight, it looks entirely plausible and well-meaning. Below the logo one reads “There is a new force in medicine. A force that brings patients, doctors, nurses and other health professionals together, instead of separating them into tribes.” "That force is the new College of Medicine. Uniquely, it brings doctors and other health professiona... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118955 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:41:37 +0100 4118955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098185&cid=t_125633_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Famacupuncturehttp%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Facupuncture-vs-botox-for-chronic.html ACUPUNCTURE VS BOTOX FOR CHRONIC HEADACHESOvee 70% of women and 50% of men have disabling headaches. Often emotional stress is implicated, but many people have headaches at time of stress free weekends. It is difficult to label a headache by its type, as muscle contraction headaches are often confused with other headaches.Headaches often occur because of stress, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, eating cheese and wine and other tyramine foods, MSG, nitrites in  hot dogs, chocolates, flickering lights, missed meals, allergens, and vaso-dilating drugs.Many headache treatments exist and most are ineffective. The drugs  become habitual, have dangers of overdoses, often contain large amounts of caffeine, combines sedatives and nausea suppressors, and over the counter analgesics. The most c... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098185 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 01:14:00 +0100 4098185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086236&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Facupuncture-wounds-therapy-leads-to-dozens-of-deaths%2F photo: Thinkstock A new post on AOL Health today revealed that over 80 people have died over the last 45 years as a result of poorly sterilized or misplaced acupuncture needles. While most of the deaths happened in Asia, and 80 deaths over 40 years isn’t too terrifying, this is still a creepy statistic. And remember the study that suggested that most of the benefits of acupuncture are in your mind? Could the risk associated with acupuncture outweigh the benefits? If you’ve had acupuncture treatments, do you think they worked? Let us know in the comments if you think the risk is worth the reward. via AOL Health Post from: BlissTree Acupuncture Wounds: Therapy Leads to Dozens of Deaths (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086236 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:21:49 +0100 4086236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065471&cid=t_125633_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Famacupuncturehttp%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Freporting-acupuncture-clinical-trials.html REPORTING ACUPUNCTURE CLINICAL TRIALS Finally acupuncture will be able to demonstrate its power and presence. The consolidated standard of reporting trials ( CONSORT) has been revised  since first published in 2001. In the revision,  has added  an extension for acupuncture.    Worldwide experts from 63 exquisite international references have supported this addition  after surveying 90  acupuncture trials.    These guidelines are a checklist and explanations for use by journal editors and authors. this should help peer reviewers and journal editors in deliberating the merits of the acupuncture trials  presented for publication.. Authors of acupuncture clinical trials, by executing these reporting standards,  will now have... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065471 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:01:00 +0100 4065471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065487&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FV2VPyAe9jl4%2F It’s not a great time in my life. By the ancient Chinese way of thinking, Autumn is the Metal season, the season of Dryness, the season when that which lives withers, fades, falls, and disappears from sight. The green trees briefly are arrayed in the splendor of gold and red, the cool crisp winds causing the leaves to rustle like the robes of the Heavenly Emperor as He passes by. Yang is retreating, its presence in the world decreasing, the liveliness of the Ten Thousand Things changing to a final gathering and preparation for the Winter. The long sleep comes, when (as the Greeks saw it) Persephone will reside in the Underworld and Demeter in her grief will turn her face from the Earth, leaving all that lives buried in frost and snow to survive as best it can. Autumn is the season ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065487 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:42:26 +0100 4065487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040565&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbook-review-the-mayo-clinic-book-of-home-remedies%2F2010.10.07 I write a lot of critical articles. It’s nice to be able to write a positive one for a change. I received a prepublication proof of The Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies: What to Do for the Most Common Health Problems. It is due to be released on October 26 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com. Since “quackademic” medicine is infiltrating our best institutions and organizations, I wasn’t sure I could trust even the prestigious Mayo Clinic. I was expecting some questionable recommendations for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments, but I found nothing in the book that I could seriously object to. It is organized alphabetically, starting with acne and airplane ear and progressing through bedbugs, boils and bronchitis, dandruff, depression and diabetes to warts, w... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040565 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:00:43 +0100 4040565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994127&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FfTud5G8UyI0%2F Discussion With Heiner Fruehauf   Parasites and Possession Tags: Gu syndrome, herbology, Chinese medicine, Acupuncture Related articles Thoughts from the Front Line (9) The Life-giving Sword: version 2.0 (0) Strategy in Chinese Medicine: Timing and Momentum, pt. 3 (2) (Source: Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine) Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994127 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:58:52 +0100 3994127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946591&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FzSEivdcpd6o%2F There’s this message board that I spend a lot of time on. It’s a board dedicated to helping players of a particular Real-time Strategy Game (aka an RTS) get better. On it a very high ranked player has the following quote as part of his signature: “On your PC, the units seem to perform quite poorly. I think there might be something nearby the PC that is causing this problem for you. You may need a mirror to find out what it is.” In my practice I have an intake form that I use given to me by my friend and elder brother in Chinese Medicine, Ross Rosen. On it there are a group of questions that you won’t find in your typical SOAP notes. One question is particularly poignant: “How are you a problem to yourself/others?” The more time I spend trying to wo... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946591 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:15:43 +0100 3946591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946412&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fjust-browsing-a-self-help-skeptic%25e2%2580%2599s-book-review-of-womens-bodies-womens-wisdom%2F Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing by Christiane Northrup, M.D. (Bantum Books) Several years ago I visited an acupuncturist. (I know, could I be more clichéd writing that for a women’s health and wellness site – but bear with me, okay?) There were twice weekly migraines, exhaustion that sent me into a near coma-state everyday after 3 p.m., and an erratic womanly cycle that often made me question the efficacy of prophylactics. I visited the usual doctors: Primary care physician, my gynecologist, a neurologist. I had a battery of tests. My GP checked my blood pressure and ordered several blood tests. My gynecologist did a pelvic exam and even an ultrasound of my ovaries. My neurologist did an in-office EEG. Everything was “normal.”... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946412 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:00:21 +0100 3946412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942797&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3423 Conclusion At the moment, it appears that the renaming of the RLHH is empty re-branding. No doubt UCLH Trust see homeopathy as something that brings shame on a modern medical service. But to remove the name while retaining the nonsense is simply dishonest. Let’s hope that the name change will be followed by real changes in the sort of medicine practised, Changes to real medicine, one hopes. Other blogs on this topic Gimpyblog was first, with Farewell to the RLHH, hello to the RLHIM Quackometer posted An Obituary: Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, 1849-2010 Follow-up (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942797 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:01:34 +0100 3942797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911707&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3385 Systems biology is all the rage, No surprise then, to see the University of Westminster advertising a job for a systems biologist in the The Department of Molecular and Applied Biosciences. Well, no surprise there -until you read the small print. Much has been wriiten here about the University of Westminster, which remains the biggest provider of junk sciencne degrees in the UK, despite having closed two of them. Senior Lecturer in Systems Biology University of Westminster – Department of Molecular and Applied Biosciences, School of Life Sciences Cavendish Site Salary £37,886 – £50,751 (Inc. LWA) The Department of Molecular and Applied Biosciences wishes to appoint a Senior Lecturer in Systems Biology. The post-holder will teach on the undergraduate and pos... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911707 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:52:20 +0100 3911707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885344&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-selectiveness-of-science-denialism%2F2010.08.19 Statement #1: The holocaust never happened. Hitler loved Jews and respected Jewish culture. The photographic evidence of the camps, including the bodies and atrocities, were all fakes designed by the State of Israel to generate international sympathy. Statement #2: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an effective treatment for numerous medical conditions. Acupuncture has been around for centuries and is widely practiced in China and elsewhere. Science has proven its efficacy in controlled experiments. With any luck, that first statement should generate dozens of hits from watchdog groups berating me for spreading the vile lie of Holocaust denial. The second statement, or words perilously close to that effect, has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, a previously-prestigious ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885344 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:00:13 +0100 3885344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880985&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FSfMA1ARYCZg%2F   So I got several hundred words into this evenings post when I realized that it wasn’t a blog post, it was a PAPER. Like, the kind of thing you get published in the Journal of Chinese Medicine. I’m going to blame this on time spent reading “Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies” lately. Anyway, I would like to make a few points here in, well, significantly less stultified tone, and I might as well borrow from the aforementioned work to do so. I’ve been asked to talk about the emotions in Chinese medicine this week, so I’ll do that.   In my opinion, you absolutely cannot get anywhere with the modern patient (at least here in America) without addressing their psychological “physique”  in some way. Now unfortunately the brand of standardized professi... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880985 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:15:42 +0100 3880985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880802&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fstudy-fake-acupuncture-just-as-effective-as-real-acupuncture%2F photo: Thinkstock It turns out that it doesn’t matter if you get legitimate acupuncture or a sham procedure to help with arthritis — both will ease your pain. A new study suggests that a placebo effect may be at work when patients gauge the effectiveness of their treatments. 455 patients were either given real acupuncture using traditional Chinese techniques, fake acupuncture, or no treatment. Both groups who received some form of acupuncture said they had significantly less pain than before the treatment. Have you ever gotten acupuncture? Did it work? via New York Times Well Blog Post from: BlissTree Study: Fake Acupuncture Just as Effective as Real Acupuncture (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880802 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:05:37 +0100 3880802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862013&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fquackademic-medicine-infiltrates-the-new-england-journal-of-medicine%2F2010.08.12 One of the things that disturbs me the most about where medicine is going is the infiltration of quackery into academic medicine. So prevalent is this unfortunate phenomenon that Doctor RW even coined a truly apt term for it: Quackademic medicine. In essence, pseudoscientific and even prescientific ideas are rapidly being “integrated” with science-based medicine, or, as I tend to view it, quackery is being “integrated” with scientific medicine, to the gradual erosion of scientific standards in medicine. No quackery is too quacky, it seems. Even homeopathy and naturopathy can seemingly find their way into academic medical centers. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862013 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:00:31 +0100 3862013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858270&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FZz7sGh3b4pk%2F Recently I found myself “eavesdropping” on an online conversation between two professors at NCNM, namely Roger Batchelor and Ed Neal, on the subject of the Pericardium in the Classics. What came out of it was more than a little enlightening and inspired me to talk about the Pericardium a bit this week.   The essential point of the discussion was as follows: what we call Pericardium in the modern Chinese medicine disciplines is referred to as (quoting Ed’s translation here) “Mai vessel of the heart encircling luo vessel (network), following the hand (upper) Jue Yin six confirmation terrain, relating to the function whose (domain of responsibility) is the heart.” Usually this is shortened to Xin Bao, or Heart Wrapper or Heart Encirclement. Usually this is assumed to eq... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858270 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:18:50 +0100 3858270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3848955&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FDL9rHuXALEE%2F   I’d like to announce a new project here at Deepest Health.  We like projects.  This one is called the Year of Diligent Action, or, YODA. Project motivations It’s not enough to believe that something is true.  It’s not enough to read an oath every morning.  It’s not enough to know what you must to do be what you want to be.  You must act.  Honestly, though, when one is pursuing excellence – even simple action is not enough.  One must develop a regular habit of action in line with principle.  It was Aristotle who said, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” This project is all about finding the truth in that statement. So what excellence?  What principles?   Since beginning school at NCNM, I have ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3848955 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:56:48 +0100 3848955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798679&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FawtymodYNBs%2F I’m going to do something a little different this week and write something a bit more personal this week, something a bit more, well, extemporaneous. I’ve been working on being sick for the last couple of weeks and of course the day it comes to a head is the day I have an article that needs writing. So, I’m going to aim for a little less polish and a little more from the hip this time, and my apologies if it’s not the most pristine bit of prose you’ve ever read because, well, I’m a bit under the weather. It’s likely to be more questions than answers today, but for some reason I felt that rather than pontificating I needed to show the other side a bit. Here we go.   A collection of thoughts about being in practice.   1. It’s hard being a nat... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798679 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:06:33 +0100 3798679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753944&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FfrIUnkRRHj0%2F After posting an earlier post discussing the first of my five maxims, a request came up to present the rest of them. Never one to shy from a good request, today I’d like to present Reynolds’ Second Maxim, which is “Don’t hear horses and think zebras” which could also be phrased “Thou shalt not overcomplicate!” “This will be the seventh time we have destroyed Zion…” I remember going to the movies to see “The Matrix Reloaded” during the course of which a neat and tidy story which everyone was familiar with was exploded into about a million little subplots and alternate storylines with a new cast of characters that became hard to keep track of and events and motivations that didn’t make a great deal of sense. That a... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753944 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:24:04 +0100 3753944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733181&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FbBG8PXmqLTM%2F Let’s conclude this series on strategy in Chinese medicine with our final two points.   Treating Erratically Martin Luther once said that Mankind is like a drunkard who upon falling off his horse on one side overcompensates and promptly falls off the other side. In Chinese medicine, the opposite of sticking with the same protocol no matter the situation is constantly changing what you’re doing. Now, I want to draw an important distinction here. The speed with which you have to make adjustments will depend on many factors, especially the modality being used. The very nature of acupuncture is such that you’re both creating and reacting to changes in the patient’s energy field, which by its nature is subtle. This just naturally leads to treatments in most cases being ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733181 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:42:21 +0100 3733181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718400&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F%25e2%2580%259cnaturopathic-oncology-a-new-specialty-of-pseudoscience%2F2010.07.01 On “wholistic” medicine If there’s one aspect of so-called “alternative medicine” and “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) is that its practitioners tout as being a huge advantage over what they often refer to sneeringly as “conventional” or “scientific” medicine is that–or so its practitioners claim–alt-med treats the “whole patient,” that it’s “wholistic” in a way that the evil reductionist “Western” science-based medicine can’t be. Supposedly, we reductionistic, unimaginative physicians only focus on disease and ignore the “whole patient.” Of course, to me this claim is belied by the hectoring to which my own primary care physician has subjected me about my horrible diet and lack of exercise on pretty much every visit I’ve had wi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718400 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:00:53 +0100 3718400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690974&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FB6cDgBsZyCI%2F The past two weeks we’ve been discussing timing as it pertains to acupuncture and herbology. Let’s now tackle momentum. As you may recall, the quote we have been referencing from the Art of War is this: “When a falcon strike breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing. When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of momentum.” What Sun Zi is talking about here is the accomplishing of something difficult, moving mountains as it were. In Chinese medicine this can be compared to dealing with difficult and intractable cases, the likes of which unfortunately are rapidly increasing in number here in the U.S. These cases are often created by incorrect or ineffectual treatment of a condition that is made orders of magnitude more complicated by the failed treatmen... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690974 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:39:47 +0100 3690974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644885&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FBI9oTIC2MlQ%2F This week I’d like to introduce a vital concept from the world of Classical Chinese military strategy, namely that of timing and momentum.  In the Chinese military classic The Art of War, Sun Zi states: “When a falcon strike breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing. When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of momentum.” In everything we do, whether using acupuncture, herbs, tui na, or even speaking with a patient, following this concept is what allows us to accomplish great things on behalf of our patients, while not following it will lead to frustration and lack of results. Let’s break this into two subjects and cover them individually. Timing In the current culture of TCM, the evidence-based protocol is king. A hypothetical example: &#822... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644885 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:55:57 +0100 3644885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641349&cid=t_125633_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F08%2Fthought-provoking-posts-on-science-health-and-beliefs%2F The blogosophere is pretty hot right now – some really interesting topics being discussed, enough to make me think again about my own biases. The first one is the popular Science-Based Medicine blog that rarely fails to challenge those that prefer ‘belief’ over ‘evidence’ – do not proceed to this blog if you think homeopathy or reiki is ‘good for your health’, this blog does not mince words!  Three posts have particularly caught my eye recently – this one on some of the reasons people (even scientists!) find it hard to change tack when new evidence is found; this one on the misinterpretation of acupuncture trials; and this one on the role of adenosine in pain relief. The first post really struck me as I look at my own bias towards nonb... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641349 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 07:58:15 +0100 3641349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641152&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FhHdOBR_78Hc%2F by G. Michael Reynolds, DOM If there’s one lesson that everyone learns very quickly once they start treating, it’s that modern patients have complex conditions that don’t readily fit into any of the ready-made boxes we have formed for them, whether from a Classical or TCM standpoint. Patients usually have multiple ailments all stacked on top of each other like a messy garage. Like said messy garage, some things are new, some things have been there a long time, some things no one knows where they came from, and sometimes there are even animals and insects hiding out. All of this is what you have on your plate the second a patient comes into your clinic, sits in front of you and says “my shoulder hurts” (the ubiquitous ailment). We’re all familiar with tha... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641152 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:03:37 +0100 3641152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635916&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FhHdOBR_78Hc%2F by G. Michael Reynolds, DOM If there’s one lesson that everyone learns very quickly once they start treating, it’s that modern patients have complex conditions that don’t readily fit into any of the ready-made boxes we have formed for them, whether from a Classical or TCM standpoint. Patients usually have multiple ailments all stacked on top of each other like a messy garage. Like said messy garage, some things are new, some things have been there a long time, some things no one knows where they came from, and sometimes there are even animals and insects hiding out. All of this is what you have on your plate the second a patient comes into your clinic, sits in front of you and says “my shoulder hurts” (the ubiquitous ailment). We’re all familiar with tha... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635916 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:03:37 +0100 3635916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633500&cid=t_125633_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F06%2Fthe-second-agreement-dont-take-anything-personally%2F Don’t take anything personally. That’s the second agreement of Don Miguel Ruiz’s classic, “The Four Agreements.” I need a reminder today. So I open his book to that chapter and read: Whatever happens around you, don’t take it personally… Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. All people live in their own dream, in their own mind; they are in a completely different world from the one we live in. When we take something personally, we make the assumption that they know what is in our world, and we try to impose our world on their world. Even when a situation seems so personal, even if others insult you directly, it has nothing to do with you. What they say, what they do, and the opinions they give are according to the ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633500 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:35:01 +0100 3633500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629758&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FFbSoXJesHM8%2F         Greetings Deepest Health readers. My name is G. Michael Reynolds, DOM and this is, officially, my maiden voyage on DH. As you may have heard, I’ve recently joined forces with Eric so that with our combined efforts we might be able to accomplish significantly more than we could going it alone. I am the author of the soon-to-be-retired Chinese medicine blog The Life-giving Sword which will be absorbed into DH as a weekly column by the same name, still written by yours truly. My column is scheduled to appear here on Wednesdays with a shorter blog post likely to appear on Mondays for now. I’ll get to what sorts of things I’ll be talking about in a minute.   First, let’s talk about the name. The Life-giving Sword is actually the name of a book on philosophy... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629758 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:22:00 +0100 3629758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625499&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpain-relief-study-has-potential-with-a-spin%2F2010.06.03 The development of drugs and other treatments for specific symptoms or conditions relies heavily on either serendipity (the chance finding of a beneficial effect) or on an understanding of underlying mechanisms. In pain, for example, there are limited ways in which we can block pain signals –- such as activating opiate receptors, or inhibiting prostaglandins. There are only so many ways in which you can interact with these systems. The discovery of a novel mechanism of modulating pain is therefore most welcome, and has the potential of leading to entirely new treatments that may have a better side effect profile than existing treatments and also have an additive clinical effect. A recent study by Nana Goldman et. al., published in Nature Neuroscience, adds to our understanding of pain re... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625499 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:53 +0100 3625499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592408&cid=t_125633_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FdHy_o-316kw%2F Here’s a finding that’s likely to cause a sticking point for Pfizer. Acupuncture worked as well as Effexor in combating hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms that can accompany breast cancer treatments, and its benefits last longer without causing side effects, according to research presented at an American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology meeting in Boston After 12 weeks of treatment, symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats were reduced for 15 additional weeks for women who had undergone acupuncture, compared with two weeks for those who had taken Effexor, which is best known as an antidepressant. “It was a more durable effect,” lead researcher Eleanor Walker of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit tells Reuters. The patients who were treated wit... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592408 Mon, 24 May 2010 12:12:17 +0100 3592408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581608&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fscience-media-misinterprets-new-acupuncture-studies%2F2010.05.20 Two recent acupuncture studies have received some media attention, both purporting to show positive effects. Both studies are also not clinical efficacy trials, so cannot be used to support any claims for efficacy for acupuncture –- although that is how they are often being presented in the media. These and other studies show the dire need for more trained science journalists or science blogging –- they only make sense when put into a proper context. No media coverage I read bothered to do this. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581608 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3581608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545503&cid=t_125633_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fis-is-possible-to-improve-ovarian.html Image via WikipediaI had just advised a young woman who had oopause ( poor ovarian reserve) to try empirical therapy, with DHEA, wheat germ , yoga and acupuncture , before we started her IVF treatment. She wanted to know the rationale behind my advise. " Doctor, on one hand you are saying that I have poor ovarian reserve, which means that I only have few eggs left in my ovaries. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have and I cannot make any new eggs any more. In that case, how will taking all these medicines help me to grow more eggs during my IVF cycle ? "This was my reply." Yes, it is true that we cannot make you grow new eggs. Your ovary contains all the eggs you will ever have. These eggs are in a resting phase, and are contained in primordial follicles. Each month some of ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545503 Sat, 08 May 2010 12:38:00 +0100 3545503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545411&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F177573%2F East Pricks West: Will the U.S. health care system and Western medicine every fully embrace and cover the costs of acupuncture treatments? Slowly, things are changing, according to a recent New York Times article. Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545411 Sat, 08 May 2010 00:30:41 +0100 3545411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538230&cid=t_125633_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fivf-and-alternative-medicine-best-of.html Many IVF patients these days use acupuncture and will often ask me whether it's fine to do so or not . I advise patients to explore additional alternative medicines options such as yoga as well. Some of my patients think that the fact I am advising this stuff means I must be a quack. Others are happy that I have an open mind and am willing to explore alternatives with them.I never want my patients to feel they have left any stone unturned. The truth is that many patients will explore alternative medicine without telling their doctor. I prefer taking a proactive approach, so they know I am on their side, and that they do not need to hide anything from me !I am quite happy with this approach if the intervention is simple , harmless and inexpensive. I then feel that it's worth trying, even if... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538230 Thu, 06 May 2010 10:01:00 +0100 3538230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460167&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2923 There is something very offensive about the idea that a ‘bachelor of science’ degree can be awarded by a university, as a prize for memorising gobbledygook. Once the contents of the ‘degrees’ has been exposed to public ridicule, many universities have stopped doing it. All (or nearly all) of these pseudo-degrees have closed at the University of Salford, the University of Central Lancashire, Robert Gordon University, the University of Buckingham, and even at the University of Westminster (the worst offender), one course has closed (with rumours of more to follow). I’ve already written about the course in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University of Salford (Chinese medicine -acupuncture gobbledygook revealed) and at the University of Westminster: see... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460167 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:51:20 +0100 3460167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443650&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fself-help-test-drive-can-rain-really-brainwash%2F This is the fourth post in a five-part series by contributor Carole Braden about her experiences with relaxation CDs from Centerpointe Research Institute. Find part three of her series here. The “solution” – as every piece of correspondence from the Centerpointe Institute calls these latest Holosync additions to my iTunes library – did not deliver instant and gratifying transformation. Nope. I would like to report that, within four short weeks of strapping myself into my regulation stereo headphones, I found myself utterly footloose and fancy-free with a sweet little bun baking in my (obviously miscalibrated) oven, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, in addition to being certifiably unpregnant, I became, well, bothered. Per the instructions, I’d begun listening to “The Div... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443650 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:01:09 +0100 3443650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440745&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Ffight-your-allergies-au-naturel%2F Spring allergies blow. This may be one of the loveliest times of year, but let’s face it – some of us are just plain miserable. Stuffy nose, dry cough, itchy eyes – your face feels like a punching bag. Sound familiar? Instead of spending your paycheck on over-the-counter meds, check out these natural remedies courtesy of The Huffington Post that may actually let you enjoy smelling the flowers this season. Eat This When you feel a flare-up coming on, avoid foods that build up mucus like raw and cold foods  (sushi), dairy products (ice cream), corn (even corn syrup), simple sugars, grains (wheat, rye, or barley), boozing, and smoking. Instead, try whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice. Many fruits contain bromelain, a natural antihistamine, so eat pineapples, papayas, cra... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440745 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:34:28 +0100 3440745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3399036&cid=t_125633_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Famacupuncturehttp%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Ffinal-proof-that-acupuncture-works.html Finally, scientists are now documenting with brain imaging studies and other high-tech tools how acupuncture arouses areas of the brain that register pain and are activated in recuperation.As a medical physician for over 51 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary. This results in astounding healing in pain management, addictions to cigarettes and food, and a host of other maladies. Visit drneedles is blogging" at the end of each blog for a complete alphabetical list of all my ... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3399036 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:39:00 +0100 3399036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3385241&cid=t_125633_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fis-acupuncture-safe.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3385241 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:08:00 +0100 3385241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374098&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Facupuncture-for-kids-sort-of%2F photo: Thinkstock Sticking kids with needles usually doesn’t go over too well. And traditional acupuncture for adults involves tiny, skin-puncturing needles. (They don’t go deep.) However, Shonishin (show-NEE-shin) is an ancient Japanese therapy that’s completely non-invasive. Without a single needle, Shonishin allegedly strengthens the developing organ systems of newborns to ten-year-olds. Pediatric specialists in Asia have been using Shonishin on children for hundreds of years, but its practice emigrated to U.S. within the last two decades. Using small metal tools, a practitioner painlessly and gently taps, rubs, and brushes (but never penetrates) a youngster’s skin. This 10-20 minute treatment has been known to treat colds, viruses, infections, poor digestion, se... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374098 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:50:55 +0100 3374098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3266931&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2747 Every single request for information about course materials in quack medicine that I have ever sent has been turned down by universities, It is hardly as important as as refusal of FoI requests to see climate change documents, but it does indicate that some vice-chancellors are not very interested in openness. This secretiveness is exactly the sort of thing that leads to lack of trust in universities and in science as a whole. The one case that I have won took over three years and an Information Tribunal decision against the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) before I got anything. UCLAN spent £80,307.95.(inc VAT at 17.5%) in legal expenses alone (plus heaven knows how much in staff time) to prevent us from seeing what was taught on their now defunct “BSc (Hons) homeopa... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3266931 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:59:15 +0100 3266931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243842&cid=t_125633_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F05%2Fnewsweek-do-antidepressants-work-for-many-people-yes%2F I admire Newsweek writer Sharon Begley’s work … especially when she explains ways we can try to rewire our brain. But I found last week’s cover story irresponsible. If, for no other reason, than its title and subtitle: “The Depressing News About Antidepressants: Studies Suggest That the Popular Drugs Are No More Effective Than a Placebo. In Fact, They May Be Worse.” Then I may as well kill myself. That’s how I would have read the article four years ago, before I started questioning all the information available today on mood disorders and drug treatment, before I started working with a physician from Johns Hopkins who could help me tease out the hope from articles like this, so I wasn’t tempted to take my life upon reading there was no way out of ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243842 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:39:19 +0100 3243842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239787&cid=t_125633_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FBOHRlH_EqJQ%2Fcomplimentary-alternative-medicine-cancer Seems like alternative medicine and diets never get rational airtime. Some people slam them, writing off as quackery anything non-allopathic. Others become super cheerleaders letting alternative medicine and diets engulf their identity in a creepy almost cult like fashion. Neutral patients are left in the middle with little rational, scientific based information nor sensible peer support conversations about “natural” health and healing. On discussion boards it seems everyone’s either adamantly defending products and regimens with absurd anecdotes (quite different from sensible coping strategies) or they’re bashing the hell out things. Few readers learn anything other than propaganda for or against. I’m a big fan of patients being proactive, whether it is about alternative... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239787 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:35:16 +0100 3239787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236060&cid=t_125633_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FBOHRlH_EqJQ%2Fcomplimentary-alternative-medicine-cancer Seems like alternative medicine and diets never get rational airtime. Some people slam them, writing off as quackery anything non-allopathic. Others become super cheerleaders letting alternative medicine and diets engulf their identity in a creepy almost cult like fashion. Neutral patients are left in the middle with little rational, scientific based information nor sensible peer support conversations about “natural” health and healing. On many cancer chatrooms and discussion boards smart patients share tips on how to best manage chemo side effects or the pros and cons of surgical procedures. But on discussion boards where someone mentions alternative medicine all bets are off: everyone’s either adamantly defending products and regimens with absurd anecdotes (quite different from... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236060 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:24:11 +0100 3236060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231780&cid=t_125633_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FBOHRlH_EqJQ%2Fcomplimentary-alternative-medicine-cancer Seems like alternative medicine and diets never get rational airtime. Some people slam them, writing off as quackery anything non-allopathic. Others become super cheerleaders letting alternative medicine and diets engulf their identity in a creepy almost cult like fashion. Neutral patients are left in the middle with little rational, scientific based information nor sensible peer support conversations about “natural” health and healing. On many cancer chatrooms and discussion boards smart patients share tips on how to best manage chemo side effects or the pros and cons of surgical procedures. But on discussion boards where someone mentions alternative medicine all bets are off: everyone’s either adamantly defending products and regimens with absurd anecdotes (quite different from... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231780 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:59:09 +0100 3231780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197546&cid=t_125633_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fbattlefield-acupuncture-niemtzow-technique-needle-battlefield-acupressure-marcucci-technique-pain-control-acute-traumatic-injury-haiti%2F by Lisa Marcucci, MD – trauma surgeon and medical acupuncturist (Healthcare professionals only – questions or feedback on the use of this technique in Haiti can be sent to insidesurgery dot com then at sign then gmail followed by com). One of the more distressing items being reported out of the developing medical catastrophe in Haiti is the lack of even rudimentary anesthesia and analagesia for the treatment of amputations and severe acute traumatic injuries. One possible strategy for treating patients in pain that is rapidly effective, and has little mortality or serious morbidity risk is the use of battlefield acupuncture, a technique pioneered by Air Force Col Richard Niemtzow, MD PhD in 2001. Because Dr. Niemtzow’s battlefield acupuncture technique is most effective ... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197546 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:37:33 +0100 3197546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3137558&cid=t_125633_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FoyHN9uIrVs8%2F Women who have had breast cancer may see themselves feeling more sensual and able to enjoy sex if they have acupuncture to treat some of the frustrating side effects of some cancer treatments, such as hot flashes and night sweats, say researchers. Hormone therapy, used to treat some types of breast cancers, is often taken for up to five years after a woman has completed chemotherapy. However, the side effects are often more than simply annoying. They can have a significant impact on quality of life. Not being able to sleep well is the root of many problems at the best of times, but it can be much more difficult when you’re trying to win a battle against a potentially fatal disease. There are medications currently available to counter some of the side effects but they are not always e... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3137558 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:06:22 +0100 3137558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3118877&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2544   Snow on December 18th                             Roaring fire Lindy contributes acute comments regularly here.  She is also an accomplished musician.  She has kindly allowed me to post here four of her re-written carols. Adam lay ybounden  |  Hark the Herald  |  Holly and the Ivy  |  Merry Gentlemen Adam lay ybounden The Middle English dialect is not easy to follow, so the original is reproduced in the right hand column.  The original, sung by choir of King’s College Chapel, is on YouTube. Atoms lay y’bounden In primordial soup; Six billion years did pass A’fore they coul... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3118877 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:40:12 +0100 3118877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3178780&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2Flondon-news-220307_NEW.wmv This article was meant to celebrate their collective efforts and to celebrate the fact that those efforts are beginning to percolate upwards to influence the powers that be. It seems invidious to pick on one example, but if you want an example of beautiful and trenchant writing on one of the topics dealt with here, you’d be better off reading Andrew Lewis’s piece "Meddling Princes, Medical Regulation and Licenses to Kill” than anything in a print journal. I was a bit disappointed by removal of the comment about the Prince of Wales.  In fact I’m not particularly republican compared with many of my friends.  The royal family is clearly good for the tourist industry and that’s important.  Since Mrs Thatcher (and her successors) destroyed larg... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3178780 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:01:58 +0100 3178780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096810&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fcracking-down-on-quackery%2F Professor David Colquhoun from University College London in the United Kingdom wrote an editorial that is sure to ruffle some feathers in many healthcare circles. The editoral, which appeared in this week’s Christmas issue of BMJ.com, said that the medical establishment’s acceptance of holistic approaches to medicine was embarrassing. In the early 1900s, doctors tried to eliminate snake oil and secret remedies from being sold as cure-alls to unsuspecting consumers. While they may have eliminated some of it, not long after, in the 1970s or so, alternative and complementary medicines gained popularity, although many in the so-called mainstream medicine considered them to be snake oil as well. And, not only were homeopathy, naturopathy, acupuncture, reflexology and many  other tr... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096810 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:36:45 +0100 3096810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912193&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2351 Conclusion I was told by the Univerity of Kingston that “The course is one which the University has validated and continues to be subject to the University’s quality assurance procedures, such as internal subject reviews, annual monitoring and external examining” The only conclusion to be drawn from this is that “quality arrurance procedures” work about as well in universities as they did in the case of baby Peter. No doubt they were introduced with worthy aims. But in practice they occupy vast amounts of time for armies of bureaucrats, and because the brain does not need to be engaged they end up endorsing utter nonsenes. The system is broken. Resistance is futile.  You can see a lot of the stuff here It is hard to keep secrets in the internet age. Thanks ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912193 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:15:26 +0100 2912193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2857412&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2310 More boring politics, but it matters.  The two main recommendations of this Pittilo report are that Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine should be subject to statutory regulation by the Health Professions Council Entry to the register should normally be through a Bachelor degree with Honours For the background on this appalling report, see earlier posts. A very bad report: gamma minus for the vice-chancellor The Times (blame subeditor for the horrid title), and some follow up on the Times piece The Health Professions Council breaks its own rules: the result is nonsense Chinese medicine -acupuncture gobbledygook revealed Consultation opens on the Pittilo report: help stop the Department of Health making a fool of itself  Why degrees in Chinese med... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2857412 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:23:19 +0100 2857412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2685387&cid=t_125633_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F10%2Fmore-about-acupuncture-press-needles-as-a-placebo%2F Slightly tangential to my normal topics, I located this article today on a placebo procedure that may work for acupuncture. Many people will be aware that in acupuncture, it’s really difficult to truly conduct a double-blind trial where both the person receiving and the person giving the treatment are unaware of which is the ‘active’ treatment. In fact ongoing criticism of many studies such as those reviewed in Cochrane reviews (and the recent post I made of Ernst’s review of 32 Cochrane reviews) is that in giving the ‘placebo’ treatment, the comparison is not really between acupuncture and placebo acupuncture, but it is instead of acupuncture with ’something else’, and in doing this, much of the ‘active’ component of acupuncture ... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2685387 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:08:26 +0100 2685387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670962&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2F7yVJz1-C864%2F I’m continuing to be neck deep in business planning. Today we finalized a bunch of copy for our website, came closer to opening a business bank account, got a bunch of things finalized with the lawyer, and had our first “official” meeting as a LLC (hilarious – board meeting with two people at the kitchen table). I’m going to start getting all of these steps together and all the tips and tricks I came up with to give as a free PDF to folks on Deepest Health someday soon. That is, when things calm down a bit. Hopefully, soon, I’ll get some time to actually get back into learning the MEDICINE. :) I’d like to let Portland-area Chinese medicine enthusiasts (and folks with plenty of frequent flier miles) know about some fantastic opportunities coming yo... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670962 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:19:52 +0100 2670962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662360&cid=t_125633_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Facupuncture-growing-in-popularity.html Recently the Sleep Education Blog has reported on two reviews and a new study of acupuncture for insomnia; the evidence to support its use remains limited.But a new government report shows that acupuncture is growing in popularity. The report examined the use of complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) in the U.S. in 2007.It found an overall decrease in visits to CAM providers in 2007 compared with 1997; but visits to acupuncturists increased by three times. People in the U.S. made an estimated 17.6 million visits to acupuncturists in 2007.Why is there a growing interest in acupuncture? The report outlined a few reasons.First, more states now license this practice; as a result the number of licensed providers has increased in the last decade. Insurance coverage for CAM therapies also has i... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662360 Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:03:00 +0100 2662360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660485&cid=t_125633_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fnew-study-of-electroacupuncture-for.html Last week the Sleep Education Blog reported on a recent review of acupuncture for insomnia. The Hong Kong researchers found that study results are “somewhat promising,” but inconclusive.Now the same research team has published the results of their own study. It appears in today’s issue of the journal Sleep.The study involved a community sample of 60 Chinese adults with a mean age of 48 years; 77 percent were women. They reported having insomnia three or more nights per week; their struggle with insomnia had been ongoing for an average of nine years.Half of the group received electroacupuncture. Fine needles were inserted at special points of the body – called “acupoints.” This included locations on the head and ears.Then an electric stimulator was connected to the needles, deli... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660485 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:42:00 +0100 2660485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657723&cid=t_125633_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FNwUIs3qXV4o%2F Let’s play Jeopardy! Answer: 33.9 billion on CAM. {cue the Jeopardy! music} Question: How much did Americans spend on complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) in 12 months? On top of the trillions of dollars (with a “tr”) spent annually on health care in the United States, Americans are spending almost 34 billion - with a “b” - on alternative treatments. According to the NIH/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, about 38% of Americans use some sort of CAM to either stay healthy or help manage or treat illness or symptoms of illness. CAM covers a wide variety of practices, too numerous to mention. But the most commonly known are: acupuncture chiropractics homeopathy supplements The Center broke down the costs even further: $22 bill... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657723 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:16:53 +0100 2657723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657925&cid=t_125633_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F31%2Ffriday-funnies-return%2F And you thought I’d abandoned y’all… Never fear, I can’t miss my weekend preparation, so here we go again! I’m no fan of ergonomics for ‘preventing pain’, despite my couple of postgraduate papers in it! So when I found these couple of cartoons, I’m sorry I couldn’t stop myself… I’ve been needling acupuncturists for a while now – perhaps after this I should stop? OK, OK, I’m retreating NOW! Have a great weekend! (Source: HealthSkills Weblog) HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657925 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:22:46 +0100 2657925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634047&cid=t_125633_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Facupuncture-for-insomnia-another-review.html Is acupuncture an effective treatment for insomnia? In February the Sleep Education Blog reported on a scientific review of the evidence.The researchers were from Emory University; they found that acupuncture has potential as an insomnia treatment. But there is only limited evidence to support its use.A new review from Hong Kong provides another perspective. The review looked at both Chinese and English studies.Data from 20 studies were analyzed; the studies compared traditional needle acupuncture against “benzodiazepines.” These hypnotic sedatives are one type of medication used to treat insomnia; but newer “nonbenzodiazepines” are more commonly used today.The majority of the studies concluded that acupuncture was more effective than benzodiazepines. Acupuncture was effective at a... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634047 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:07:00 +0100 2634047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2616877&cid=t_125633_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F20%2Fits-been-a-while%2F Regular visitors to my blog will have wondered about the break in transmission – and I’m sorry, it’ll continue for another fortnight. The past fortnight I’ve been recovering from having my tonsils removed – something that I am now convinced should happen when you’re young enough to think that jelly and icecream is a fabulous treat, and have quite a lot more ‘bounce-back’ than I had.  Not a pleasant experience, but hopefully one that will pay off in time.  This coming fortnight I’m going to Rotorua to the NZ Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting.  It’ll be a busy time because I’m giving three papers and running the occupational therapy workshop – oh and a bit of sight-seeing as well, with any luck.  I was a kid las... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2616877 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:19:05 +0100 2616877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613856&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1899 Jump to follow-up .The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the first place I asked to see teaching materials that were used on its homeopathy “BSc” course. The request was refused, and subsequent internal appeals were refused too, Clearly UCLAN had something to hide. An appeal to the information commissioner took almost two years to be judged, but the case was won. The eventual decision by the Information Commissioner rejected all the grounds that UClan had used to evade the Freedom of Information Act. UClan appealed against the judgement and I still haven’t got the stuff but that hardly matters now, because the course in question shut its doors. In any case, plenty of stuff from similar courses has leaked out already. Meanwhile, in September 2008,... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613856 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:21:41 +0100 2613856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610924&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1899 .The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the first place I asked to see teaching materials that were used on its homeopathy “BSc” course. The request was refused, and subsequent internal appeals were refused too, Clearly UCLAN had something to hide. An appeal to the information commissioner took almost two years to be judged, but the case was won. The eventual decision by the Information Commissioner rejected all the grounds that UClan had used to evade the Freedom of Information Act. UClan appealed against the judgement and I still haven’t got the stuff but that hardly matters now, because the course in question shut its doors. In any case, plenty of stuff from similar courses has leaked out already. Meanwhile, in September 2008, UCLAN announced an in... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610924 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:21:41 +0100 2610924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598176&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F2zi4YM3IR68%2F Several weeks ago, I wrote about the need for a new paradigm, one that integrates Eastern inductive and Western reductive methodology so that efficacy can truly be measured in alternative medicine trials. In that post, which was part of the DWIHC Comparative Effectiveness Research Series, I argued that Western researchers continue to try to squeeze a square peg into a round hole, and in doing so, ignore the subjective element that is an inherent part of the fabric that we call Eastern medicine. This past week, I ran across a study in Menopause that not only supports this contention but also challenges us to more closely examine the limitations of current investigations into alternative therapies. ACUFLASH (the Acupuncture on Hot Flashes among Menopausal Women Study) was a randomized, contr... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598176 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:07:48 +0100 2598176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511286&cid=t_125633_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FXJhoa8MEBe4%2F Undergoing surgery is difficult enough, between worrying about the actual procedure, worrying about what the surgeon may find or do, and of course, worrying about pain after the surgery. And, for many people (up to 80%), comes worry about being nauseous and vomiting after surgery. This nausea and vomiting doesn’t affect everyone, but it’s not an unusual complication after surgery and it’s due to the anesthetic. Acupressure, similar to acupuncture but using pressure points instead of needles, has been found to be successful in helping many people relieve pain and other discomforts, so researchers wanted to see if they (acupressure and acupuncture) could help relieve the nausea and vomiting. According to an article from Health Behavior News Service, Wrist Acupuncture or Acu... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511286 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:15:47 +0100 2511286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469751&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FycBixXuIHOk%2F As I said before, I’ve been spending a significant amount of time studying for and taking my NCCAOM board exams.  As I said in my last post… “…I’ve successfully completed the foundations and biomedicine exams already.  I found them to be much different from what I was expecting. I know I am not allowed to share much about my experience - but I’ll just say that I don’t think any commercially available study aid helped me…” This includes the much lauded TCMTests.com.  Don’t get me wrong, I think they offer a great service.  If nothing else, they allow you to have some degree of comfort with the format and general content of the test.  However, the specific topics covered in the real test were not touched on much by the practice... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469751 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:23:57 +0100 2469751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452541&cid=t_125633_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1606 This article, which was some time in gestation, appeared shortly afte the last degree in homeopathy in the UK closed its doors. So perhaps it should have been called The Return of Reason. What’s interesting is that it has become commonplace for the mainstream newspapers to print articles like this and to dump some of their whackier lifestyle articles. The print version had a much better title too, The Retreat from Reason, with a two-page spread.. They published the entire ‘Patients’ Guide to Magic Medicine‘ as a sidebar on page 4. To these has now been added, inspired by Jack of Kent, Libel: A very expensive remedy, to be used only when you have no evidence. Appeals to alternative practitioners because truth is irrelevant One part of the article that I particular... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452541 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:18:35 +0100 2452541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452542&cid=t_125633_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1593 Jump to follow-up The first post was NICE falls for Bait and Switch by acupuncturists and chiropractors: it has let down the public and itself. That was followed by NICE fiasco, part 2. Rawlins should withdraw guidance and start again. Since then, something of a maelstrom has engulfed NICE, so it’s time for an update. It isn’t only those who are appalled that NHS should endorse voodoo medicine on the basis of very slim evidence who are asking NICE to rethink their guidance on low back pain. Pain specialists are up in arms too, and have even started a blog, ‘Not Nearly as NICE as you think …‘, to express their views. Equally adverse opinions are being expressed in the Britsh Medical Journal. A letter there is signed by over 50 specialists in pain medicine. It ... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452542 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:20:28 +0100 2452542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441449&cid=t_125633_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1542 Conclusions Relative to “best care” in general practice, manipulation followed by exercise achieved a moderate benefit at three months and a small benefit at 12 months; spinal manipulation achieved a small to moderate benefit at three months and a small benefit at 12 months; and exercise achieved a small benefit at three months but not 12 months. In other words, none of them worked very well. The paper failed to distinguish between manipulation by physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths and so missed a valuable chance to find out whether there is an advantage to employing people from alternative medicine (the very problem that this NICE guidance should have dealt with) Steve Vogel, another member of the guidance development group, is an osteopath. Osteopathy has cast off it... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441449 Fri, 29 May 2009 18:09:14 +0100 2441449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441306&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fnice-recommends-cure-for-all-known.html Sufferers of chronic mental illness were celebrating today when they heard that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has finally recommended that the Kadir-Buxton method for treating mental illness should be made available immediately by the NHS.Advice issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) recommends that the millions of people with mental health problems lasting more than six weeks should receive the Kadir Buxton treatment without delay. Experts praised Nice's first guidance on tackling mental illness as a breakthrough in treating a problem that costs the country an estimated £5.1bn every year, including £1bn of the NHS budget, and leads to the loss of around 5m working days. Mental health issues affect up to one in three adults each year and l... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441306 Wed, 27 May 2009 08:01:00 +0100 2441306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441450&cid=t_125633_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1516 First the MHRA lets down the public by allowing deceptive labelling of sugar pills (see here, and this this blog). Now it is the turn of NICE to betray its own principles. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) describes its job thus “NICE is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health.” Its Guidance document on Low Back Pain will be published on Wednesday 27 May 2009, but the newspapers have already started to comment, presumably on the assumption that it will have changed little from the Draft Guidance of September 2008. These comments may have to be changed as soon as the final version becomes available. The draft guidance, though mostly sensible, has two re... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441450 Mon, 25 May 2009 15:24:25 +0100 2441450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774806&cid=t_125633_130_f&fid=38947&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealpt.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fmore-evidence-of-acupunctures-lack-of.html Acupuncture (sticking needles at specific points to a certain depth in the skin) is not an effective treatment for chronic low back pain. This may sound surprising as the media has jumped all over a new study that supposedly shows that acupuncture is more effective than "usual care". Unfortunately - as the media usually does - they've misinterpreted the results of the study. In fact the study showed that there is no difference in the effectiveness between "fake" and "real" acupuncture. Meaning, there is no effect of acupuncture.Steven Novella over at Science-based Medicine does a masterful job of explaining this in detail. Please visit his post on this study to become enlightened by logical and scientifically based thoughts and discussion - as opposed to hype.Jason L. Harris (Source: Evide... Evidence Based Rehab blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774806 Wed, 20 May 2009 16:13:00 +0100 2774806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405136&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Facupuncture-more-wibble-from-times.html Emeritus Professor of WibbleThe mainstream media’s love affair with alternative “medicine” has always puzzled doctors. Acupuncture in particular has a huge fan base, even though there is not a jot of evidence to show that it is anything more than an elaborate placebo. Has something changed? Today, the Times reports on a research paper from the respected Archives of Internal Medicine:Scientists find acupuncture can help to relieve chronic back painNot really. That is not what the paper shows.If you look at the paper itself, rather than The Times treatment of it, the conclusion is that:It remains unclear whether acupuncture or our simulated method of acupuncture provide physiologically important stimulation or represent placebo or nonspecific effects.Annals of Internal MedicineQuite. P... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405136 Mon, 11 May 2009 21:49:00 +0100 2405136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365006&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1372 Jump to follow-up It seems that bits of good news don’t come singly. First honours degrees in acupuncture vanish, Now a big chain of shops selling Chinese herbs and acupuncture has gone into administration. It seems that, at last, people are getting fed up with being conned out of their hard-earned money Herbmedic Barking A local [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365006 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:37:52 +0100 2365006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2321570&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FhK6Wsppumv0%2F Well, it’s finally come to this - the final quarter of my formal institutional training in Classical Chinese Medicine. Wow.  I mean, really, wow.  There are quite a few of you out there who are in the same boat I am - looking graduation in the face.  It’s exciting, yes, but it’s also a little hard on the nerves.  In my case, I have a number of personal and professional obligations criss-crossing through my schedule.  They all have to be satisfied if I am going to end my NCNM career with a bang.  I spent several hours today thinking about how best to approach the sheer cliff that is my next twelve weeks. Along with my normal class obligations, my Student Government (SGA) duties, my family life and my thesis writing (and a whole lot more I won’t list here) - I h... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2321570 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:33:48 +0100 2321570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414826&cid=t_125633_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1284 The Health Professions Council (HPC) is yet another regulatory quango. The HPC’s strapline is “Working with health professionals to protect the public” At present the HPC regulates; Arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists/podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, prosthetists/orthotists, radiographers and speech & language therapists. These are thirteen very respectable jobs. With the possible exception of art therapists, nobody would doubt for a moment that they are scientific jobs, based on evidence. Dietitians, for example, are the real experts on nutrition (in contrast to “nutritional therapists” and the like, who are part of... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414826 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:18:12 +0100 2414826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2263868&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6378 These crazy Japanese. Now they are using acupuncture to supposedly “calm” tuna so that they don’t thrash about so much before they die, resulting in better tasting sushi! The company in Osaka that patented the technique claimed that calm tuna thrashed about less in their death throes. Once the fish have received the brief treatment the blood becomes purer and the flesh has a better flavour, Toshiro Urabe, the president of the Osakana Planning Company, said. So acupuncture has found it’s way not only in humans but in animals and indeed your pets. MMR posts on acupuncture from the Malaysian Medical Resources Acupuncture for better sushi (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2263868 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2263868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205541&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1170 It is almost six months now since I posted Quackery creeps into good universities too -but through Human Resources. One example given there was the University of Leicester. This is an excellent university.  It does first class research and it was the alma mater of the incomparable David Attenborough who [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205541 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:19:10 +0100 2205541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207949&cid=t_125633_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Facupuncture-for-insomnia-is-there-point.html Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine. It has been around for thousands of years. Can it be used to treat insomnia today? A new scientific review takes a look at the evidence. The authors looked at 30 studies. What did they find? Acupuncture improved some aspects of sleep in 93 percent of the studies.But the quality of the studies varied greatly. Only a few studies compared acupuncture with an unreal, “sham” control treatment. These studies produced mixed results.Most of the studies relied on subjective sleep reports. Few studies recorded objective sleep data.Acupuncture techniques also varied greatly. This makes it hard to compare the results.The authors conclude that acupuncture has potential as an insomnia treatment. But there is only limited evidence to support its ... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207949 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:43:00 +0100 2207949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182626&cid=t_125633_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Febm-and-bbm.html As an IVF specialist, I often need to give bad news to patients. A particularly frustrating problem is telling patients with poor ovarian reserve that they have a poor chance of getting pregnant. This condition is called oopause; and many of these patients need donor eggs in order to achieve a pregnancy.However, it can be hard to come to terms with this, and many will search for options and alternatives as to what they can do to improve their ovarian response. There is a lot of anecdotal information about what other women with high FSH levels have done to have a baby with their own eggs, including options such as alternative medicine, such as herbs, acupuncture and yoga. In fact, there are many Bulletin Boards, Forums and websites put up by patients, which discuss these options.I encourage... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182626 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:42:00 +0100 2182626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2169056&cid=t_125633_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fhistory-of-acupuncture-otzi-wins.html HISTORY OF ACUPUNCTURE, OTZI WINSAcupuncture is over 5,000 years old. It was not just practiced in China. The Egyptians talked about vessels that resembled the 12 meridians in 1550 B.C.. in their medical treatises called the Papyrus Ebera. The South African Bantu tribesman scratched parts of their bodies to cure disease.The Arabs cauterized their ears with hot metal probes.The Eskimos used sharp stones for simple acupuncture. Brazilian cannibals shot tiny arrows with blow pipes to diseased parts 
of their bodies to cure disease. Primitive sharp stones and bamboo were later replaced by fish bones, bamboo clips and later various shapes of needles made of metal. Today very fine hair thin needles are used. With advanced technology and precision instruments, these needles are placed at specif... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2169056 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:50:00 +0100 2169056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167636&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6114 A a meta-analysis recently published online in BMJ suggests that acupuncture only provides limited benefit “at best” for pain relief. The data was pooled from 13 trials in which some 3000 patients with acute or chronic pain were randomized to acupuncture, placebo acupuncture, or no acupuncture. Overall, acupuncture showed a small benefit over placebo acupuncture, and placebo appeared moderately better than no acupuncture. Read the original study here: Acupuncture treatment for pain: systematic review of randomised clinical trials with acupuncture, placebo acupuncture, and no acupuncture groups BMJ 2009;338:a3115 from the Malaysian Medical Resources Acupuncture of Limited Benefit for Pain Relief (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167636 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2167636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2144897&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D984 This letter appeared in the Times on Friday 30 January, 2009. It was prompted by the news from the University of Salford, but its main purpose was to try to point out to the Department of Health that you can’t hope to regulate alternative treatments in any sensible way while continuing to push under [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2144897 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:24:14 +0100 2144897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2138348&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D945 Jump to follow-up Acupuncture in the BMJ A new review appeared in the BMJ today. It is by Madsen et al., from the Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen. Here are the conclusions. The analgesic effect of acupuncture is small and cannot be distinguished from bias resulting from incomplete blinding. The analgesic effect of placebo acupuncture is moderate but very [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2138348 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:27:55 +0100 2138348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2128935&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D5973 strWebsiteID = window.document.location.toString();strSplitWeb = strWebsiteID.split("/")strWebsiteID = strSplitWeb[2];document.write(”“); from the Malaysian Medical Resources VIDEO: Cleaner Air Increases Life Expectancy, Sham Acupuncture Just as Effective as True Acupuncture, School-Based Physical Activity Programs Beneficial (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2128935 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2128935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2125749&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D885 Congratulations to the vice-chancellor of the University of Salford, Michael Harloe. Times Higher Education announced on 15th January 2009 Salford to shut complementary medicine BSc. “The University of Salford is to stop offering undergraduate degrees in acupuncture and complementary medicine because they are no longer considered “a sound academic fit”.” This is the first time that [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2125749 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:52:36 +0100 2125749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2075526&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D675 The National Health Executive (”the Independent Journal for Senior Health Service Managers) asked for an article about quackery. This is a version of that article with live links. Download the pdf version. On May 23 th 2006 a letter was sent to the chief executives of 467 NHS Trusts. It was reported as a front page [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075526 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:27:28 +0100 2075526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2022033&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D555 It may be only post-1992 universities that run degrees in nonsense, but you can find plenty even in the highest places. Like St Bartholomew’s (founded in 1123).  That well known source of misleading medical advice, The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health (FiH), published last March, “Teaching integrated health at Barts and the London“. This consists [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2022033 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:26:07 +0100 2022033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017826&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F477034875%2Fweek-in-review.html Embryo adoption reopens controversy. Back to the question of when does human life begin, and so what are our responsibilities toward all those frozen embryos out there.Sports gene test available for little kids. So little Johnny has the genes to be a sprinter, push him in that direction (whether he enjoys it or not)? One can also think of more disturbing uses, like using such a test for embryo election (excuse me, I’ve been in a reproductive rights course this semester, so these issues are top of mind!).Overseas clinical trials under the microscope—concern whether medical and ethical practices are being adhered to in developing countries. Out of sight, out of mind?Studies show arrogance and abusive behavior by doctors contributes tomedical mistakes, preventable complications, and even ... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017826 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:31:25 +0100 2017826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947844&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D351 Today brings a small setback for those  of us interested in spreading sensible ideas about science.  According to a press release “The BMJ Group is to begin publishing a medical journal on acupuncture from next year, it was announced today (Tuesday 11 November 2008). This will be the first complementary medicine title that the BMJ Group has [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947844 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:57:50 +0100 1947844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939944&cid=t_125633_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2F442825857%2F I approved several comments a few minutes ago. I have some ambivalence about the acupuncture post… on one hand I do not personally believe that acupuncture– something I do happen to ‘believe in’– has any promise for treating addiction. On the other hand I learned long ago that there is nothing to be gained by standing between a patient and his/her ‘alternative medicine caregiver’. There is no way to convince a person who takes nutraceuticals that they are wasting their money; there is no way to convince a person that the chiropractor simply cannot move vertebrae around (he can’t!); and there is no way to convince a person that the acupuncture treatment is not going to fix his addiction. I remember an argument when I was an anesthesiologist, w... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939944 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:33:39 +0100 1939944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1908967&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D261 It was a great delight to visit Amsterdam on 25 October to speak at a meeting off the Vereniging tegen de Kwaksalverij (Society against quackery).  Unfortunately their excellent web site is in Dutch, so the best you can do at the moment is to use the Google translation, with its frequently hilarious renderings.  Better translations [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1908967 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:31:21 +0100 1908967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876630&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D259 It seems that validation committees often don’t look beyond the official documents. As a result, the validations may not be worth the paper they are written on. Try this one. One of the best bits of news recently was the downfall of Matthias Rath.  He’s the man who peddled vitamin pills for AIDS in Africa, and encouraged [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876630 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:07:27 +0100 1876630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1853935&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D258 We know all about the sixteen or so universities that run “BSc” degrees in hokum. They are all “post-1992″ universities, which used to be polytechnics. That is one reason why it saddens me to see them destroying their own attempts to achieve parity with older universities by running courses that I would regard as plain [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1853935 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:33:59 +0100 1853935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1760355&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D252 After the announcement that the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan) was suspending its homeopathy “BSc” course, it seems that their vice chancellor has listened to the pressure, both internal and external, to stop bringing his university into disrepute. An internal review of all their courses in alternative medicine was announced shortly after the course  closure.   Congratulations [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1760355 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:07:16 +0100 1760355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1764448&cid=t_125633_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D252 After the announcement that the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan) was suspending its homeopathy “BSc” course, it seems that their vice chancellor has listened to the pressure, both internal and external, to stop bringing his university into disrepute. An internal review of all their courses in alternative medicine was announced shortly after the course  closure.   Congratulations [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1764448 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:20:14 +0100 1764448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750162&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D4247 Harriet Hall reviews Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst in Science-based Medicine The authors had made this strong statement: While there is tentative evidence that acupuncture might be effective for some forms of pain relief and nausea, it fails to deliver any medical benefit in any other situations and its underlying concepts are meaningless. With respect to homeopathy, the evidence points towards a bogus industry that offers patients nothing more than a fantasy. Chiropractors, on the other hand, might compete with physiotherapists in terms of treating some back problems, but all their other claims are beyond belief and can carry a range of significant risks. Herbal medicine undoubtedly offers some interesting remedies, but... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750162 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1750162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717883&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D247 My original piece on Integrative Baloney@Yale was posted on May 16th, after I got back from a visit there. The talk I gave there included a short video. My movie, Integrative baloney@Yale, was made entirely from clips taken from Yale’s own YouTube movies which showed something approaching three hours of its “1st [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717883 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:11:16 +0100 1717883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692173&cid=t_125633_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D4025 Doctors in the past has used Sterile Water Injections as a placebo. Yeah, for the patient who insists on that “miracle injection” sometimes that’s what the doctor may administer Recently Swedish workers looked at Acupuncture versus subcutaneous injections of sterile water as treatment for labour pain (Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2008;87(2):171-7) The main results of this study were that sterile water injections yielded greater pain relief (p (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692173 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1692173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1688967&cid=t_125633_127_f&fid=34828&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrclouthier.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F08%2Finfertilitylets-try-more-natural-route.html After reading this article i might suggest some alternatives. They are as follows:1. Dietary changes2. Saliva testing to assess hormonal balance3. Acupuncture for fertility4. Neuroemotional technique for emotional issues related to pregnancy and mothering5. Clinical nutritional approaches that balance the bodies biochemistryIf you need any help in areas that seem to work a little better, let us know. (Source: Dr. Steve Clouthier) Dr. Steve Clouthier blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1688967 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:18:00 +0100 1688967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1655851&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D241 The article below is an editorial that I was asked to write for the New Zealand Medical Journal, as a comment on article in today’s edition about the misuse of the title ‘doctor’ by chiropractors. Titles are not the only form of deception used by chiropractors, so the article looks at some of [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1655851 Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:00:31 +0100 1655851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1652774&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D240 This, I fear, is pure plagiarism, Robert Shrimsley’s piece in today’s Financial Times was so funny that it just begged to be quoted. Here it is. Surely this is a call to action. The news that Radovan Karadzic has been hiding out as some kind of homeopath has confirmed all prejudices about alternative medicine. [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1652774 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:31:58 +0100 1652774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1561528&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D239 During the last year, there has been a very welcome flurry of good and informative books about alternative medicine. They are all written in a style that requires little scientific background, even the one that is intended for medical students. CAM, Cumming | Trick or Treatment | Snake Oil Science | Testing treatments [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1561528 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:47:08 +0100 1561528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1532074&cid=t_125633_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D235 A report has appeared on Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine. The report is written by people all of whom have vested interests in spreading quackery. It shows an execrable ability to assess evidence, and it advocates degrees in antiscience It would fail any examination. Sorry, Prof Pittilo, [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1532074 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:05:15 +0100 1532074