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 'british chiropractic association'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:56:17 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294543&cid=t_244169_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F21%2Fworrying-wordpress-shut-down-a-blog-of-a-student-critizing-the-naturopath-christopher-maloney%2F Last Thursday PZ Myers, author of the very successful science blog Pharyngula tweeted that Christopher Maloney was a quack” (see first tweet below). Prior to that tweet I’d never heard of Christopher Maloney. I used to be rather indifferent about homeopaths and other people practicing CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine), thinking that it might help some [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294543 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:59:19 +0100 3294543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3118877&cid=t_244169_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=2790270&cid=t_244169_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2222 In July 2008 I wrote an editorial in the New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ), at the request of its editor. The title was  Dr Who? deception by chiropractors.  It was not very flattering and it resulted in a letter from lawyers representing the New Zealand Chiropractic Association.  Luckily the editor of the NZMJ, Frank Frizelle, is a man of principle, and the legal action was averted. It also resulted in some interesting discussions with disillusioned chiropractors that confirmed one’s worst fears.  Not to mention revealing the internecine warfare between one chiropractor and another. This all occurred before the British Chiropractic Association sued Simon Singh for defamation.  The strength of the reaction to that foolhardy action now has chiropractors wond... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2790270 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:00:43 +0100 2790270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670815&cid=t_244169_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2007 Conclusion Recent events show that the halcyon days for alternative medicine are over. When the Pittilo report first appeared, it was greeted with derision in the media. For example, in The Times Alice Miles wrote “This week came the publication of the Report to Ministers from the Department of Health Steering Group on the Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional Medicine Systems Practised in the UK. Otherwise known as twaddle.” In the Independent, Dominic Lawson wrote So now we will have degrees in quackery. What, really, is the difference between acupuncture and psychic surgery? People will no doubt continue to use it and that is their right and their responsibility. But if the government w... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670815 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:45:35 +0100 2670815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2649004&cid=t_244169_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1980 Jump to follow-up Today, 29 July 2009, a large number of magazines and blogs will publish simultaneously Simon Singh’s article. The Guardian was forced to withdraw it, but what he said must be heard (even if the word ‘bogus’ is now missing). This is an edited version if the article in the Guardian that resulted in the decision of the British Chiropractic Association to sue Singh for libel. That decision was bad for Singh, though its effects could yet be good for the rest of the world, Firstly the decision to use law rather than rational argument stands a good chance of destroying chiropractic entirely because its claims have now come under scrutiny as never before, and they have been found wanting. Secondly, the support for Singh has been so enormous that there must now b... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2649004 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:01:55 +0100 2649004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2602003&cid=t_244169_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1882 It’s good to see the BMJ joining the campaign for free speech (only a month or two behind the blogs). The suing of Simon Singh for defamation by the British Chiropractic Association has stirred up a hornet’s nest that could (one hopes) change the law of the land, and destroy chiropractic altogether. The BMJ’s editor, Fiona Godlee, has a fine editorial, Keep the libel laws out of science. She starts “I hope all readers of the BMJ are signed up to organised scepticism” and says “Weak science sheltered from criticism by officious laws means bad medicine. Singh is determined to fight the lawsuit rather than apologise for an article he believes to be sound. He and his supporters have in their sights not only the defence of this case but the reform of England&... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2602003 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:53:13 +0100 2602003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522999&cid=t_244169_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1812 Here is a short break from the astonishing festival of chiropractic that has followed the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) v Simon Singh defamation case, and the absurd NICE guidance on low back pain. Singh’s statement already has over 10000 signatories, many very distinguished, Sign it now if you haven’t already. And getting on for 600 separate complaints about exaggerated and false claims by chiropractors have been lodged with the General Chiropractic Council and with Trading Standards offices. Click to sign The BCA has exposed the baselessness of most of chiropractic’s claims more effectively than any sceptic could have done. The University of Westminster is seeing the light? It is only recently that the University of Westminster suspended entr... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522999 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:09:31 +0100 2522999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523001&cid=t_244169_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1775 Conclusion Chiropractic spinal manipulation is no more effective than placebo in the treatment of infantile colic. This study emphasises the need for placebo controlled and blinded studies when investigating alternative methods to treat unpredictable conditions such as infantile colic. More on this dishonest selectivity can be found at Holfordwatch. No doubt there will soon be more analyses of what passes, in the eyes of the BCA, for evidence, The nine papers they cite for colic are truly pathetic. Not a single one of them amounts to anything that would be recognised as evidence in the real world. And papers that do provide real evidence are not mentioned. Follow-up As always, the blogs provided a very fast response to a document that appeared only late last night.  And, as always,... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523001 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:58:20 +0100 2523001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523002&cid=t_244169_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1764 A flood of complaints against chiropractors has arrived at the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) in the wake of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) v Singh affair. It is really rather beautiful that people have put some such enormous effort into writing complaints for no gain to themselves. My own paltry two complaints to the GCC produced an interesting reaction. Yesterday I was told by the GCC “Under the provisions of the General Chiropractic Council (Investigating Committee) Rules 2000 (”the Rules”), the Committee is required to invite you to make a statement of evidence in relation to your complaint by way of statutory declaration or affidavit. If you wish to, you can discuss your complaint with a solicitor who acts on behalf of the Committee who could help y... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523002 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:20:49 +0100 2523002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473435&cid=t_244169_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1718 Jump to follow-up Peter Dixon is a chiropractor. He is chair of the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). He was also a member of the hotly-disputed NICE low back pain guidance group that endorsed (you guessed it) the use of chiropractic, a decision that has led to enormous criticism of the standards of the National Institute of health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). As a consequence largely of the decision of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) to sue Simon Singh for defamation, there has been an unprecedented interest taken in the claims made by chiropractors in general. Peter Dixon has a problem because something like 600 individual complaints about unjustified health claims have been sent to the GCC. Even when a web site does not claim to be able to benefit things like asthma and ... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473435 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:17:33 +0100 2473435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473436&cid=t_244169_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1704 Jump to follow-up This is another short interruption in the epic self-destruction of chiropractors.  In a sense it is more serious.  One expects quacks to advocate quackery.  What you don’t expect is that the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) will endorse it.  Neither do you expect the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to betray its mandate to make sure that medicines work. The saga of the NICE low back pain guidance has been the subject of a deluge of criticism, It seems doubtful that the guidance can survive, not least because of its absurd endorsement of chiropractic, at a time when chiropractic is undergoing self-immolation as a consequence of the persecution of Simon Singh by the British Chiropractic Association (see he... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473436 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:37:28 +0100 2473436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469530&cid=t_244169_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1686 Jump to follow-up That isn’t my title. It is the title of a post by Richard Lanigan, a chiropractor with whom I’ve been corresponding. He has a major grudge against the General Chiropractic Council. And in particular he is disaffected about the GCC’s chair, Peter Dixon, about whom he has written a lot, I can’t judge the details of his complaints, but they are laid out in detail on his blog, http://chiropracticlive.com/ Particular interest attaches to his recent revelation of a letter that was sent on July 8th to its members by the McTimoney Chiropractic Association. The McTimoney sect of chiropractic are the ‘true believers’ in the most mystical codswallop aspects of the subject. Oddly enough their College has been validated by the University of Wales, I... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469530 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:06:18 +0100 2469530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452540&cid=t_244169_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1630 The battle for freedom of speech is under way. Simon Singh is a great science writer and communicator. He is author of The Big Bang, The Code Book, Fermat’s Last Theorem, and, with Edzard Ernst, Trick or Treatment. They are superb books (buy from Amazon). When Singh had the temerity to express an honest opinion, based on the evidence, about that very curious branch of alternative medicine known as chiropractic, the British Chiropractic Association sued Singh for defamation.This was their substitute for producing evidence for their bizarre claims. Chiropractors seem to be particularly fond of litigation, perhaps because they are so short of evidence. Having had legal threats from them myself, I know how scary it can be, Luckily I was saved by a feisty a journal editor.  Sing... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452540 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:02:26 +0100 2452540