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 'cam'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:50:01 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159028&cid=t_100072_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=5159029&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4683%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dprofessor-geoffrey-petts-of-the-university-of-westminster-says-they-are-not-teaching-pseudo-science-the-facts-show-this-is-not-true Jump to follow-up On 23rd May 2008 a letter was sent to the vice-chancellor of the University of Westminster, Professor Geoffrey Petts Dear Professor Petts   You may be aware an article by Zoe Corbyn, published in Times Higher Education 24 April 2008, with the title Experts criticise ‘pseudo-scientific’ complementary medicine degrees.   The subtitle of the article was Vice-chancellors should re-examine courses, say campaigners.  In the light of that, we wondered whether you had anything to add to the comments made by David Peters in todays THE.  We are preparing a response to that, and it seems fair to ask your view before we proceed. (In order to save you time, copies of the two articles are attached.)   As an expert on... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159029 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:37:57 +0100 5159029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107522&cid=t_100072_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=5086370&cid=t_100072_127_f&fid=38260&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amacf.org%2F2011%2F07%2Fhuman-cancer-gene-gets-green-light-for-patent.html In a 2:1 decision handed down by Judge Lourie, the United States Court of appeals of the Federal Circuit ruled that “On the merits, we reverse the district court’s decision that Myriad’s composition claims to ‘isolated’ DNA molecules cover patent-ineligible products of nature under § 101 since molecules as claimed do not exist in nature”. (Source: Alternative Medicine Blog) Alternative Medicine Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086370 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 17:42:05 +0100 5086370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975803&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2Findex.php%2F2011%2F06%2F28%2F2-types-of-tcm-pills-may-cause-serious-side-effects%2F News report from Singapore SINGAPORE – Three women developed adverse reactions after taking Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) supplements. The cases came to light after vigilant doctors, who suspected that their patients had suffered adverse effects after taking the supplements, submitted adverse reaction reports to the authorities. Two of the patients, aged 50 and 80, experienced significant weight gain, swollen legs, muscle aches, increased urination and excessive thirst after taking Ren Sem Tu Chon Chin Kuo Pill. This supplement is supposed to treat back and joint pain, as well as to improve blood circulation. It is manufactured in China. Another woman, aged 60, developed high blood pressure, low blood potassium level and low immunity after taking Huo Li Bao to relieve pain in h... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975803 Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4975803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968489&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffda-approved-drugs-are-not-always-effective-the-benefits-of-alternative-medicine%2F2011.06.25 On Saturday, while thousands of Boston Bruins fans gathered at Government Center to celebrate the team’s recent Stanley Cup victory, a hundred or so true die-hards met a few blocks away at a Massachusetts General Hospital conference to talk about complementary and alternative medicine for psychiatric disorders. While I hated to miss the Bruins parade, I’m glad I attended the MGH conference. I’ve always been a bit of a skeptic about so-called natural therapies for one simple reason: they don’t have to go through the same rigorous testing in clinical trials that medications do. At the same time, I realize that FDA-approved drugs don’t work for everyone. One in three adults with major depression, for example, can’t completely improve their mood and other symptoms even after trying... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968489 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:00:31 +0100 4968489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159032&cid=t_100072_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=5159033&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4541%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dfreedom-of-information-reveals-some-unusual-testimonials-for-the-university-of-westminster-when-will-professor-geoffrey-petts-do-something-about-it Jump to follow-up Universities, like most businesses, cite glowing testimonials from grateful students, I doubt whether universities are any more honest than anyone else in their choice of what to publish. When I asked to see any letters that had been sent to the university, I was sent only one and extracts from it appear in the last post on Westminster. More dangerous nonsense from the University of Westminster: when will Professor Geoffrey Petts do something about it? But I knew (don’t ask how) that there had been more than that, and a slightly widened FOIA request produced some interesting results (though I’m aware of other letters that were not supplied -not good). As always, the information came with the caveat "Copyright in our response to your request belongs to ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159033 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:50:30 +0100 5159033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952744&cid=t_100072_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F20%2Fhot-topic-does-soy-relieve-hot-flashes%2F The theme of the Upcoming Grand Rounds held at June 21th (1st day of the Summer) at Shrink Rap is “hot”. A bit far-fetched, but aah you know….shrinks“. Of course they hope  assume  that we will express Weiner-like exhibitionism at our blogs. Or go into spicy details of hot sexpectations or other Penis Friday NCBI-ROFL posts. But no, not me, [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952744 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:37:49 +0100 4952744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159034&cid=t_100072_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=4852925&cid=t_100072_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fyou-are-not-full-of.html – I remember reading probably, 25 years ago, an article in the "health" section of a magazine that claimed we're all getting ill because of the impact fecal matter in our colons. 10 kilos of the stuff, clogging us up, making us sick, causing joint pain and dulling the mind…gettting rid of it through detox and/or colonic irrigation will make you well. It's all bullsh, of course as any colon surgeon will tell you. The bottom line is that in medicine, “detoxification” has a specific meaning, and alt-med “detox” believers have appropriated the term for something that has little or nothing to do with its real medical meaning. Alt-med detox has more to do with exorcism and bad humors than real medicine. Squirting warm water up your backsid... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852925 Mon, 23 May 2011 09:00:01 +0100 4852925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775406&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2Fmaterial-world-part2-220307.mp3 One of my first posts about nonsense taught in universities was about the University of Westminster (April 2008): Westminster University BSc: “amethysts emit high yin energy”. since then, there have been several more revelations. Jump to follow-up Professor Petts The vice-cnancellor of Westminster, Professor Geoffrey Petts, with whom the buck stops, did have an internal review but its report was all hot air and no action resulted (see A letter to the Times, and Progress at Westminster). That earned Professor Petts an appearence in Private Eye Crystal balls. Professor Petts in Private Eye (and it earned me an invitation to a Private Eye lunch, along with Francis Wheen, Charlie Booker, Ken Livingstone . . ). It also earned Petts an appearence in the Guardian (The opposite of... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775406 Tue, 03 May 2011 08:10:00 +0100 4775406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734096&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhomeopathy-why-is-fraud-legal%2F2011.04.21 Imagine hearing a commercial on the radio: Send us money, and we won’t send you anything in return. No one would do that, right? How about this: Send us your money and we’ll send you an empty box. Better? Not much. Now how is that different from: Send us money and we’ll send you stuff we’ll call medicine that we claim will help you, but there’s no actual active ingredients in it at all. I don’t think there’s one bit of difference. Wouldn’t you agree that that commercial is fraud, pure and simple? The problem is that the general public doesn’t understand that the word “homeopathic” means “diluted beyond the point where it contains any active ingredients.” I’ve recently heard commercials for homeopathic vertigo treatments, eye drops for allergies, irritable bowel,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734096 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:00:16 +0100 4734096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159036&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4308%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dthe-a-to-z-of-the-wellbeing-industry-from-angelic-reiki-to-patient-centred-care This is a slightly-modified version of the article that appeared in BMJ blogs yesterday, but with more links to original sources, and a picture. There are already some comments in the BMJ. The original article, diplomatically, did not link directly to UCL’s Grand Challenge of Human Wellbeing, a well-meaning initiative which, I suspect, will not prove to be value for money when it comes to practical action. Neither, when referring to the bad effects of disempowerment on human wellbeing (as elucidated by, among others, UCL’s Michael Marmot), did I mention the several ways in which staff have been disempowered and rendered voiceless at UCL during the last five years. Although these actions have undoubtedly had a bad effect on the wellbeing of UCL’s staff, it seemed a litlle... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159036 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:29:37 +0100 5159036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714743&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcomplementary-and-alternative-medicine-can-be-a-regressive-force-against-true-science%2F2011.04.14 Science is a philosophy, a technology, and an institution. It is a human endeavor- our collective attempt to understand the world around us,  not something that exists solely in the abstract. All of these aspects of science have been progressing over the past decades and centuries, as we refine our concepts of what science is and how it works, as we develop better techniques, and organize and police scientific activities more effectively. The practice of science is not relentlessly progressive, however, and there are many regressive forces causing pockets of backsliding, and even aggressive campaigns against scientific progress. So-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is one such regressive force. It seeks to undermine the concepts, execution, and institutions of medical sc... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714743 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:00:08 +0100 4714743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704654&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwarning-dr-mehmet-oz-is-not-a-trustworthy-source-of-health-information%2F2011.04.12 When I was in medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Mehmet Oz had the reputation of being a competent and caring cardiothoracic surgeon whose research interest was reducing preoperative stress. I remember hearing about a music study of his in which soothing melodies reduced blood pressure and heart rates in patients preparing for heart surgery. I felt pleased that a surgeon was leading the charge in improving patients’ O.R. experiences, and had no inkling that 15 years later Dr. Oz would be America’s chief snake oil salesman. I have been slow to criticize Dr. Oz on my blog because of a sense of loyalty to my medical school, however yesterday he crossed the line when things got personal – a friend of mine was negatively impacted by h... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704654 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:00:23 +0100 4704654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789171&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2Findex.php%2F2011%2F04%2F12%2Faloe-vera-extract-gave-rats-tumours%2F So if you are a rat, ingesting aloe vera extract is probably a bad idea (via New Scientist) Aloe vera food supplements and drinks are supposed to help your gut stay healthy – or so herbalists claim. But now a warning flag has been raised by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP), which has found that rats given drinking water spiked with an extract of the succulent plant developed tumours in their intestines. The rodents were given relatively high doses of a whole-leaf extract of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) over two years. In rats given water containing 1.5 per cent by weight of the extract, 39 per cent of females and 74 per cent of males had malignant or benign tumours in their large intestines. None of these growths were seen in rats given pure drinking water. Mice given similar dos... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789171 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4789171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684324&cid=t_100072_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=4670309&cid=t_100072_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2011%2F04%2F01%2Flap-giraffe%2F I want one! Two weeks old, Sokoblovsky Farms   Filed under: Whatever Tagged: april fools, giraffe, giraffe-cam, lap, miniature, pet, petite (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670309 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:23:33 +0100 4670309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622283&cid=t_100072_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fsix-science-selections-4.html Map mashup reveals world’s top science cities – Combining citation data with Google Maps reveals the cities where science prospers, and those where it doesn't. 9 arguments for (against) herbal remedies – About 40% of pharmaceuticals have a herbal origin but that doesn't mean natural is all good. Here's 9 arguments often posited in support of herbal over pharma. The first one: They’re natural. (So what? Strychnine is natural.), Read on for the other 8. The long-distance shimmer – The secret to controlling an NMR spectrometer is not to let your mind wander. The mind can play tricks on even an experienced spectroscopist…Chris Blake explains the loneliness of the long-distance shimmer. Simple salt removal to get fresh water – Simple... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622283 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:00:00 +0100 4622283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159040&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4188%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dyet-more-dangerous-nonsense-inflicted-on-students-by-edinburgh-napier-university As promised in my last post about Edinburgh Napier University, I wrote to the vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Dame Joan K. Stringer DBE, BA (Hons) CertEd PhD CCMI FRSA FRSE, to invite her to respond. 7 February, 2011 Dear Professor Stringer, I should be grateful if you could let me know about your opinion of the degrees that you offer in Aromatherapy and Reflexology I have posted on my blog a bit of the material that was sent to me as result of recent FoI requests. See http://www.dcscience.net/?p=4049 I submit that degrees like this detract from the intellectual respectability of what is, not doubt, in other respects a good university, but since you are mentioned in the post, it’s only fair to give you the chance to defend yourself. In fact you’d be very welc... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159040 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:08:06 +0100 5159040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565861&cid=t_100072_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F09%2Fmulti-author-medical-blogs-at-the-end-it-is-all-about-credibility%2F Recently, Bertalan Mesko (Berci on Twitter) was asking his twitter followers whether they had a favorite Web 2.0 story.  Berci needed examples for his yearly “Internet in Medicine course” at the university of Debrecen. Doctor Ves (drVes) and Berci discussed various examples of blogs that had grown in a way: a blog that branched from blog [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565861 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:15:29 +0100 4565861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560269&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbig-herbas-research-deficit-why-it-isnt-about-the-money%2F2011.03.08 This is a guest post from Erik Davis of Skeptic North. ********** Bankers, Buyouts & Billionaires: Why Big Herba’s Research Deficit Isn’t About The Money It’s a scene from the blogosphere that’s become all too familiar. A skeptic challenges a natural health product for the lack of an evidentiary base. A proponent of that product responds that the skeptic has made a logical error — an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and in such a scenario it’s not unreasonable to rely on patient reporting and traditional uses as a guide. The skeptic chimes back with a dissertation on the limits of anecdotal evidence and arguments from antiquity — especially when the corresponding pharma products have a data trail supporting their safety and efficacy. The pr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560269 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:00:09 +0100 4560269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540565&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-science-should-override-celebrity%2F2011.03.02 Dr. Barron Lerner has written a book about breast cancer: “The Breast Cancer Wars: Hope, Fear, and the Pursuit of a Cure in Twentieth-Century America.” And he’s written a book about celebrity patients: “When Illness Goes Public: Celebrity Patients and How We Look at Medicine.” He wed the two topics in a blog post on the New York Times health blog entitled “Suzanne Somers, Cancer Expert.” Excerpts: “Earlier this week, NBC’s “Dateline” devoted an entire hour on Sunday evening to allow the actress Suzanne Somers to express her rather unconventional beliefs about cancer. It is not the first time a major media outlet has given air time to Ms. Somers, whose journey into the medical realm has been featured on a variety of news prog... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540565 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:00:58 +0100 4540565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540589&cid=t_100072_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F02%2Fnaked-therapy-or-just-cam-girl-soft-porn%2F When is psychotherapy, well, therapeutic? Is it any more therapeutic if your “therapist” starts taking off their clothes during your session? A freelance computer programmer, Sarah White, has decided that anyone can do therapy online. And not only that, she does it while she disrobes, one piece of clothing at a time. Yes, I’m serious. She calls this “Naked Therapy.” No, I’m still not kidding (and neither, apparently, is Sarah White). Be forewarned — a lot of the links in this article lead to websites with half-naked photos of a woman. I suppose the hook here is obvious — someone peddling cam-girl soft porn under the guise of something that’s “therapeutic,” because they hold a notepad and take notes while disrobing. So what a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540589 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:30:19 +0100 4540589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517170&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-dietary-supplements-are-used-as-medicines%2F2011.02.24 I was surprised to get this e-mail from a reader: Surely, Dr. Hall, the public mania for nutritional supplements is baseless. All the alleged nutrients in supplements are contained in the food we eat. And what governmental agency has oversight responsibility regarding the production of these so-call nutritional supplements? Even if one believes that such pills have value, how can the consumer be assured that the product actually contains what the label signifies? I have yet to find a comment on this subject on your otherwise informative website. My co-bloggers and I have addressed these issues repeatedly.Peter Lipson covered DSHEA (The Diet Supplement Health and Education Act) nicely. It’s all been said before, but perhaps it needs to be said again — and maybe by writing this post... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517170 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:00:56 +0100 4517170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495205&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-pseudo-homeopathic-remedy%2F2011.02.18 Never in a million years would I have dreamed I would be able to say this, but I actually recommended a homeopathic remedy today. To briefly review, for anyone who may be under the mistaken impression that homeopathic remedies actually do anything – they don’t. Here’s why in a nutshell: Homeopathy is an unscientific and absurd pseudoscience, which persists today as an accepted form of complementary medicine, despite there never having been any reliable scientific evidence that it works. So what on earth possessed me to seriously recommend it? I’ll tell you. I saw a beautiful little four-month-old today whose mother thinks he might be teething. Everyone thinks their four-month-olds are teething because they start getting more drooly as their hand-mouth coordination improves, a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495205 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:00:01 +0100 4495205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450302&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4066 The Science Museum is a wonderful place. As a child it seemed magical. So all the more disappointing to find that it houses an exhibition that promotes quackery. The exhibition is uncritical and sometimes downright dangerous.  It does not teach you anything about science, it teaches anti-science and uncritical thinking. It was not originally like this. Most of the objects in the exhibition were originally part of Henry Wellcome’s Wellcome Museum of Medical History, based at 183 Euston Road. It was moved on permanent loan to the Science Museum in 1977 where it was known as The Wellcome Museum of the History of Medicine. > Recently the Wellcome-Trust sponsored exhibition was the subject of a blog post at Purely a figment of your imagination, written by Alex D... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450302 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:06:50 +0100 4450302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394514&cid=t_100072_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Feven-more-science-news-2.html Science news snippets from the net meanderings of David Bradley Fighting malaria without DDT = FAIL – Review suggests DDT essential in fight against malaria, despite claims for green approaches. A new research paper exposes allegedly false claims and misrepresentations of science by United Nations environmental organizations to stop successful uses of DDT and other public health insecticides in malaria programs. Adverse drug reactions are not an argument against modern medicine – The number of preventable adverse events from medical treatments is far too high. And even the idiosyncratic events — freak accidents, basically — mean we must always consider the rare but possible harms of the therapies we use. But as Harriet Hall has pointed out, we cannot look at d... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394514 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:00:05 +0100 4394514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294632&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fvaginal-steam-baths-a-medical-opinion%2F2010.12.27 A spa in California is offering vaginal steam baths, in which spa-goers squat or sit on open stools over a tub of hot steam, as a cure-all for menstrual, digestion, and mood disorders: The V-Steam: Inspired by an ancient ritual practiced for many years in Korea. The steam from the herbal tea rises and absorbs into your skin & orifice. This steaming treatment stimulates the production of hormones to maintain uterine health, aids regular menstrual cycles, helps correct digestive disorders while soothing the nervous system. The natural antibiotic and anti-fungal properties are said to help maintain internal health as well as keeping your skin looking young. (30 min: $50. Series of 6: $180.) It’s a douche, folks. A $50 douche made with mugwort and 13 other herbs and having a fancy Korea... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294632 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:00:53 +0100 4294632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285202&cid=t_100072_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=4277837&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fannietv600.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F21%2Ftwittering-for-chiropractic-continuing-health-education-and-fun%2F I maintain three Twitter accounts, one for CACHE/ACEMC, one for the Index to Chiropractic Literature, and one just for fun stuff I find on the Internet. You can follow them from any page on this blog (right and left sides of the screen) at http://annietv600.wordpress.com.     http://twitter.com/cachecanada    http://twitter.com/chiroindex       http://twitter.com/atvtoronto (Source: ANNE T-V's BLOG) ANNE T-V's BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277837 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:12:19 +0100 4277837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275298&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8950 An unfortunate Singaporean woman has died after taking Chinese herbal pills sourced from Malaysia In November last year, a friend introduced her to the pills from Malaysia. The pills – round, black balls about 5mm in diameter – came in plastic bags with Chinese words claiming to be ‘homemade from secret ingredients of herbs’. It recommended that adults take four pills a day and children take half that dose. They were priced at RM18 (S$7.50) for about a month’s supply. She took them till July this year. The pills seemed to cure her pain. But in August, an annual health check found problems with her liver. The doctor told her to stop taking the pills and referred her to a specialist. She has unfortunately died before she could have a liver transplant. Recently t... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275298 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4275298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265758&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fannietv600.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F17%2Ffacebook-icl%2F Since mid-October 2010, ICL has had a facebook page, and as of mid-December, we have over 200 friends! These people live in Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain, India, Japan, Mexico and Singapore. If you would like to receive regular updates on what’s being added to the database or the Web site, click on one of the icons on this page and “friend” us. Check out the page at http://tinyurl.com/facebook-ICL.    (Source: ANNE T-V's BLOG) ANNE T-V's BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265758 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:16:42 +0100 4265758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265742&cid=t_100072_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_100072_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=4197068&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-low-can-oprah-winfrey-go-promoting-faith-healer-john-of-god-to-the-masses%2F2010.11.23 Several of the bloggers on Science-Based Medicine have been — shall we say? — rather critical of Oprah Winfrey. The reason, of course, is quite obvious. Oprah is so famous that if you mention her first name nearly everyone will know exactly of whom you speak. For the last quarter century, Oprah’s daytime TV talk show has been a ratings juggernaut, leading to the building of a media behemoth and making her one of the richest and most famous women in the world. Unfortunately, part of Oprah’s equation for success has involved the promotion of quackery and New Age woo, so much so that last year I lamented about the Oprah-fication of medicine, which scored me a writing gig in the Toronto Star. Whether it be promoting bio-identical hormones, The Secret (complete with a testimonial ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197068 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:00:00 +0100 4197068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197131&cid=t_100072_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2FBin2QKV7lnQ%2Fmore-thoughts-on-science-from-sciencebase.html My latest science news updates Alternative medicine and the law – The science, history, politics, religion, and culture that mean it is legal to sell quackery in many parts of the world. NHS.uk allowing Google, Facebook, and others to track you – The UK's National Health Service has implemented various "features" on its website that could lead to your health privacy being compromised. Death of Dudley Williams – I just heard of the sad death of one of the great scientists with whom I corresponded and wrote early in my science writing career – Dudley Williams. Cambridge's Prof Williams worked on vancomycin and antibiotics aimed squarely at defeating resistant bacteria. I wrote about his work for New Scientist, Chemistry & Industry, and Chemist... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197131 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:00:06 +0100 4197131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4186984&cid=t_100072_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fcomplementary-and-alternative-medicine-for-ms%2F I have seen it somewhere that about 50 percent of people living with multiple sclerosis use disease modifying drugs (DMD) to combat their MS. The National MS society, however, estimates that 75 percent of us use what are deemed “complementary and alternative medicine” to cope with both our MS and its symptoms. The range of treatments/therapies/interventions which fall under the complementary and alternative medicine header are vast. From alteration in diet to removal of mercury amalgam fillings, people with MS are open to trying quite the array of possible solutions to the problems thrown at us by MS. Thomas Jefferson’s old quote always comes to mind. MS complementary and alternative medicine is something to go ahead and try if “it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg”. When... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4186984 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 23:06:12 +0100 4186984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179322&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhomeopathy-fibromyalgia-a-woo-magnet%2F2010.11.18 Over the weekend, my wife and I happened to be in the pharmacy section of our local Target store. We happened to be looking for one of our favorite cold remedies, because both of us have been suffering from rather annoying colds, which have plagued both of us for the last week or two. As we perused the Cold and Flu section of the pharmacy, we were struck at how much shelf space was taken up by Airborne (which was “invented by a schoolteacher.“) Nearly three years ago Airborne had to settle a case brought against it alleging false advertising to the tune of $23 million. Despite that, Airborne is still being sold, and there are even a whole bunch of knock-off products copying it. Then, as we continued to look for our favored cold remedy, we noted that, sitting right next to the extensive... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179322 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:00:11 +0100 4179322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175702&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3695 Conclusion. Homeopathic consultations but not homeopathic remedies are associated with clinically relevant benefits for patients with active but relatively stable RA. So yet another case where the homeopathic pills turn out the same as placebos, Hardly surprising since the pills are the same as the placebos, but it’s always good to hear it from someone whose private practice sells homeopathy for money. The conclusion isn’t actually very novel, because Fisher & Scott (2001) had already found nine years ago that homeopathy was ineffective in reducing the symptoms if joint inflammation in RA. That is Peter Fisher, the Queens’ homeopathic physician, and Clinical Director of the Royal Hospital for Integrated Medicine (recently renamed to remove ‘homeopathy’ fr... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175702 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:58:30 +0100 4175702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139236&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhigh-cholesterol-and-red-yeast-rice-supplements%2F2010.11.05 People are always on the search for “natural” ways to stay healthy and reduce cholesterol. Chinese red yeast rice supplements have been touted as a natural, safer way to lower cholesterol compared to statin medications. The yeast that grows on a particular type of rice contains a family of substances called monocolins, which lower cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol production in the liver in the same manner as prescription statin drugs. Some studies have shown as much as a 15 percent drop in cholesterol. All of this sounds good until you dig a little deeper. Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that different brands of red yeast rice supplements have dramatic variation in le... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139236 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0100 4139236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086266&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprenatal-vitamins-are-they-necessary-sufficient-safe%2F2010.10.20 What is in a prenatal vitamin? Why do most doctors recommend them? Is there any evidence taking them is worthwhile? I decided recently that I would read through the ingredients of these vitamins, often touted as “essential vitamins and nutrients, crucial for the healthy development of your baby.” Hmmm. Does that mean eating traces of polyvinyl alcohol every day is beneficial? The fine print ingredients of such brands as “One A Day”, “Centrum Materna”, “Rite Aid” and even the prescription only “Prenate Elite” are a confusing mess of milligrams, international units, RDA’s, and chemicals. As the makers of Centrum explain, “It is very challenging to formulate vitamins and minerals without the use of non-medicinal ingredients which serve to keep the product stable and to... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086266 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 22:00:27 +0100 4086266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077246&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-you-have-low-t%2F2010.10.17 If you google “low testosterone” you’ll see lots of ads for testosterone replacement. Some are from pharmaceutical companies that sell testosterone, others from obvious snake-oil salesmen. Both types of ads list vague sets of symptoms, encourage you to believe that they are pathologic, and want to sell you something to make you better. For example, the pharmaceutical company Solvay gives you a handy guide for speaking to your doctor, and a quiz to see if you have “low T.” The quiz asks some questions that may be useful, but also asks very general questions about your sense of well being. (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=4077246 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:00:01 +0100 4077246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074068&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Funscientific-medicine-what%25e2%2580%2599s-the-harm%2F2010.10.14 Any promoter of science-based medicine often faces the question: “What’s the harm?” What is the harm if people try treatment modalities that are not based upon good science, that are anecdotal, or provide only a placebo benefit? There are generally two premises to this question. The first is that most “alternative” placebo interventions are directly harmless. The second is that direct harm is the only type worth considering. Both of these premises are wrong. The pages of Science Based Medicine (SBM) are filled with accounts of direct harm from unscientific treatments: Argyria from colloidal silver, death from chelation therapy, infection or other complications from acupuncture, burns from ear candleing, stroke from chiropractic neck manipulation — the list goes on. ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074068 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:00:50 +0100 4074068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040565&cid=t_100072_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=3954261&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwho-partners-with-traditional-healers-in-africa%2F2010.09.09 There’s an AIDS epidemic in Africa, and efforts to fight it are hampered by the endemic social problems of that continent. Chief among them are the lack of sufficient modern health resources, the spread of destructive rumors and myths about HIV/AIDS, and even the persistence of HIV denial in Africa (although this last factor is better than in the past). The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance are teaming up with the Traditional Health Practitioners Association of Zambia (THPAZ) to address the first problem –- the lack of health services. Most Zambians use traditional healers for primary healthcare. The WHO has therefore decided to utilize traditional healers in the fight against AIDS. There are interesting pros and cons to this policy, but it mus... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954261 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:00:20 +0100 3954261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942797&cid=t_100072_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=3934552&cid=t_100072_123_f&fid=39035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liddlekidzblog.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fback-to-school-back-to-stress.html You might be surprised at the reaction I receive whenever I tell parents and others that "Kids have stress, too!" Some people say, "I can see that. . ." and others look at me crossed-eye and say, "I wish I had their stress" (then huff & blow it off like kids do not have stress). Well, the reality is Kids do have Stress! According to Saturday's New York Times:Doctors say that frequent headaches and migraines are among the most common childhood health complaints, yet these problems get surprisingly very little attention. It is also noted that children complain more of headaches during the school year as opposed to the summer break.Many doctors note that the real issues behind these headaches may be changes in the child's sleep schedule, including getting up early for school and staying u... Liddle Kidz Infant and Pediatric Massage Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3934552 Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:01:00 +0100 3934552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911707&cid=t_100072_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_100072_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=3872552&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatients-are-avoiding-healthcare-because-of-costs%2F2010.08.16 One in five Americans didn’t seek medical care for a recent illness or injury, often because of the cost, according to a survey of adults polled by a healthcare consulting firm, and the number of people who saw a doctor fell as well. Four out of 10 adults said the cost was the main reason not to seek care, a trend that be driven by unemployment and health insurance costs, said a survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. They surveyed more than 4,000 adults. Also, 79 percent of respondents sought medical attention from a doctor or other health care professional in 2010, down from 85 percent in 2009. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872552 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3872552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3868743&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3339 Jump to follow-up Having recently been fired from Ofquack, the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). I found I was missing the constant dribble of double-speak, Then, as luck would have it, a friend emailed me to draw my attention to a lucrative job at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.  On August 11th I put out a tweet, just in case any of my friends were interested. How to save money. NHS Scorland (Tayside) advertises for homeopathic doctor http://bit.ly/9Ou9Yo Pathetic #fail After the story appeared in the Daily Express it occurred to me that I should apply. It seems that NHS Scotland Tayside) is determined to look idiotic in the eyes of the world.  They advertised for a homeopathic doctor,  The upper level of salary, £68,000 for two sessions a week, is a... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3868743 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:12:59 +0100 3868743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858166&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3311 Yesterday I was fired from the Conduct and Competence Committee of the CNHC. That is the organisation that was very quickly dubbed Ofquack in the blogosphere.  So now I am free to write what I like about about it. It has now become clear that voluntary self-regulation can not work. Recent events at the CNHC show how it has become a victim of its own rules [skip the background]. Background | Complaints | Why CNHC won’t work | Background The CNHC was the product of the late unlamented Prince of Wales’ Foundation for Integrated Health. The Prince’s Foundation was paid a large amount of taxpayers’ money, £900,000, by the Department of Health to come up with a scheme for voluntary self-regulation of various sorts of alternative medicine. There i... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858166 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:03:34 +0100 3858166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802386&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-letter-to-dr-josephine-briggs-about-her-support-of-naturopathy%2F2010.07.29 Josephine P. Briggs, M.D. Director, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Dear Dr. Briggs, As you know, we’ve met twice. The first time was at the Yale “Integrative Medicine” Symposium in March. The second was in April, when Drs. Novella, Gorski and I met with you for an hour at the NCCAM in Bethesda. At the time I concluded that you favor science-based medicine, although you are in the awkward position of having to appear ‘open-minded’ about nonsense. More about that below, but first let me address the principal reason for this letter: it is disturbing that you will shortly appear at the 25th Anniversary Convention of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP). It is disturbing for two reasons. First, it suggests that you know little about th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802386 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:04 +0100 3802386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3808672&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3263 Jump to follow-up Suggested twitter tag: #buckgate Number 19 Buckingham Street, London WC2N 6EF.is to be the home of the proposed "College of Medicine" that has arisen from the ashes of the late unlamented Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health (their last accounts can be seen at Quackometer). Naturally one must ask if the "College of Medicine" will propagate the same sort of barmy ideas as the Prince’s Foundation used to do,  A visit to Companies House shows the auguries are not good 19 Buckingham Street For one thing, the name College of Medicine has existed only since May 2010.  The company was registered originally 19th November 2009 as The College of Integrated Health, but after a teleconference on 5th May 2010 it changed... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3808672 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:09:09 +0100 3808672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780358&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-case-of-the-winkler-county-whistleblowing-nurses%2F2010.07.22 I can’t speak for anyone else who blogs here at Science-Based Medicine, but there’s one thing I like to emphasize to people who complain that we exist only to “bash ‘alternative’ medicine.” We don’t. We exist to champion medicine based on science against all manner of dubious practices. Part of that mandate involves understanding and accepting that science-based medicine (SBM) is not perfect. It is not some sort of panacea. Rather, it has many shortcomings and all too often does not live up to its promise. Our argument is merely that, similar to Winston Churchill’s invocation of the famous saying that “democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried,” science-based medicine is the worst form of medicine except for all the others tha... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780358 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:00:59 +0100 3780358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794945&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator-2%2Fperfect-harmony-cerec-and-galileos%2F (Source: dental blog for dentists about dentistry) dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794945 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:20:17 +0100 3794945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3737041&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Facupuncture-cme-offered-by-harvard-medical-school%2F2010.07.08 Some universities have more cachet than others. On the West Coast it’s Stanford that has the reputation as the best. Then there’s Oxford, Yale, and MIT. I would wager that in most people’s minds the creme de la creme is Harvard, where you find the best of the best. If Harvard is involved, a project gains an extra gobbet of credibility. Brigham and Women’s Hospital also has similar reputation in U.S. as one the hospitals associated with only Harvard and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) — premier university, premier hospital, premier journal. So if Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital are offering continuing medical education (CME) for acupuncture, there must be something to it, right? A course called “Structural Acupuncture for Physic... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3737041 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:00:14 +0100 3737041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3721765&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdebunking-homeopathy-cartoon-style%2F2010.07.02 Here’s a wonderful cartoon primer by Darryl Cunningham on the fundamentals of homeopathic “medicine”: To see the entire 19-page cartoon strip, click here. Well worth the read, especially for anyone who might be considering homeopathic treatment. This author also put together a nice explication of the Wakefield Autism Vaccine Fraud. *This blog post was originally published at Movin' Meat* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3721765 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0100 3721765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718400&cid=t_100072_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=3718357&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8666 Geoff writes in: A friend recently told me that this product was very effective for arthritis. I have tried it and the pain relief is excellent. However I read that this is a product that should be avoided. Can you please tell me if it is safe to take or should be avoided. I am an ex pat living in malaysia. Many thanks. Hi Geoff. First of all, I would like to point out that the Malaysian Medical Resources provides Search facilities either using the custom Google search box above centre or the WordPress search box in the upper right of the main page. If you search for “tian ma tu chung seven leaves ginsengs” (without the quotes) you would note that we mentioned this product in a previous post Beware of suspect medicines The Drug Control Authority has warned the public to stay a... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718357 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3718357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794955&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator-2%2Ftouchdown-for-digital-dentistry-cadapalooza-%25e2%2580%259910-scores%2F Dallas, TX – (June 21, 2010) – CADapalooza ’10 certainly lived up to its reputation and delivered an exceptional program this year in Dallas, Texas! Hundreds of dental professionals attended the 3-day event held at the Gaylord Texan Resort, Cowboys Stadium and D4D Technologies’ world headquarters to see the future of dentistry firsthand. The event began with a “Millin’ Around” Welcome Reception in the scenic Main Atrium at the Gaylord Texan Resort where registered attendees, manufacturers and sponsors gathered for an evening of camaraderie and celebration. D4D’s Social Media representative mingled among the crowd with her Apple iPad and invited them to follow and join our social networking sites, www.facebook.com/e4dsky, www.twitter.com/e4dsky and www.youtube.com/user/d4dte... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794955 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:55:35 +0100 3794955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695572&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-movie-promotes-energy-medicine%2F2010.06.24 It’s boring to try to ferret out reliable health information from dry medical journals. It’s easier and more fun to watch a movie. A new movie promises to change the way you think about your health. To bring you breakthroughs that will transform your understanding of how to get well and stay well. To share the discoveries of leading researchers and health practitioners about miracle cures that traditional medicine can’t explain. If this makes your baloney detector light up, good for you! The Living Matrix: A Film on the New Science of Healing is an atrociously bad movie that falls squarely in the tradition of What the Bleep Do We Know? In his book Nonsense on Stilts, Massimo Pigliucci characterized the “Bleep” movie as “one of the most spectacular examples of a horribly tangled... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695572 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:37 +0100 3695572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687100&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fherbal-remedy-for-uti-if-youre-a-lab-rat-maybe%2F2010.06.22 A patient came into the office the other day carrying a small clipping from a reputable women’s health newsletter touting new research on an herbal remedy for urinary tract infection. Having recurrent bladder infections, my patient naturally was wondering if this was something she should try. The article was entitled “Herbal Remedy Effective for Urinary Tract Infections” and began with this startling revelation: The common herbal extract forskolin can greatly reduce urinary tract infections and could potentially help antibiotics kill the bacteria that cause most bladder infections.  But the article advised that the “popular” remedy was not FDA approved for this indication, so you should “ask your doctor.” (more…) *This blog post was... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687100 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3687100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687108&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3200 Western herbal medicine need not be mystical nonsense, but it usually it is,  Plants often contain chemicals that have pharmacological actions, with all the possibilities for good and for harm that implies (see Plants as medicines).  It would be quite possible to teach about the plant constituents and their actions in an entirely scientific way, but it seems that this is not what courses in herbal medicine choose to do.  That is why they shouldn’t be called Bachelor of Science degrees. We have recently revealed the ancient nonsense taught at Middlesex University in its "BSc (Hons)" degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dangerous Chinese medicine taught at Middlesex University as well as similar dangerous gobbledygook from the University of Westminster:... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687108 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:17:47 +0100 3687108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625499&cid=t_100072_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=3617836&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffor-cancer-survivors-yoga-may-ease-sleeplessness-and-fatigue%2F2010.06.01 People who’ve been diagnosed cancer can be heartened by the results of a study that will be presented June 5 at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting. The researchers found that the practice of yoga helped cancer survivors improve sleep quality and reduce fatigue. The lead researcher, Dr. Karen Mustian, professor of Radiation Oncology and Community and Preventive Medicine at the University of Rochester in New York,  followed 410 patients who had already completed treatment for cancer but who experienced sleep disturbance that required medication. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617836 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3617836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599434&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3095 Conclusion Holism in medicine is an open ended and exquisitely complex understanding of human biology that over time has lead to spectacular improvements in the length and quality of life of patients with cancer. This approach encourages us to consider the transcendental as much as the cell and molecular biology of the human organism. Alternative versions of “holistic medicine” that offer claims of miracle cures for cancer by impossible dietary regimens, homeopathy or metaphysical manipulation of non-existent energy fields, are cruel and fraudulent acts that deserve to be criminalized. Such “alternative” versions of holism are arid and closed belief systems, locked in a time warp, incapable of making progress yet quick to deny progress in the field of scientific medicine. Fo... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599434 Tue, 25 May 2010 21:16:07 +0100 3599434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581608&cid=t_100072_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=3569819&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3061 One member of parliament, above all others, has championed reason for the last 13 years, But Evan Harris was not re-elected in Oxford West and Abingdon. On May 6th he got 23,730 votes, a mere 176 votes fewer than his conservative rival. Click picture to see hero movie (be patient) (or right click to download mpg file) Let me declare an interest. Evan Harris is one of the most principled men I have ever had the pleasure to meet. His stands on human rights, civil rights and libel law reform have been exemplary. He is also one of the few (and now fewer) members of parliament who understands how science works and its importance for the future of the UK. He has been a tireless advocate for the idea that policy should be based on evidence (as opposed to guesswork).. Harris is also an atheist,... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3569819 Mon, 17 May 2010 10:46:00 +0100 3569819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3563972&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3050 This study, of almost 500,000 people in ten European countries, found barely any relationship between intake of fruit and vegetables and cancer risk. This may be disappointing, but it can only harm patients to ignore the evidence when, as in this case, it exists. There are plenty of reasons to eat well, but apparently avoiding cancer is not one of them. It seems to be a bit more complicated than that. Dr Daniel says "IM in the UK is still clouded by complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) detractors owing to an important misunderstanding: IM is not CAM.".  I beg to differ. The content of the course is about alternative as you can get. It included teachers who have advocated the Q-link pendant to "protect" you from evil radio waves. It is not long since Ben Gol... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3563972 Thu, 13 May 2010 20:49:38 +0100 3563972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538091&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-science-based-view-of-the-complexity-of-cancer%2F2010.05.06 [Recently] I participated in a panel discussion at the Northeast Conference of Science and Skepticism (NECSS) with John Snyder, Kimball Atwood, and Steve Novella, who also reported on the conference. What I mentioned to some of the attendees is that I had managed to combine NECSS with a yearly ritual that I seldom miss, namely the yearly meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting. There are two huge cancer meetings every year — AACR and the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO). AACR is the meeting dedicated to basic and translational research. ASCO, as the word “clinical” in its name implies, is devoted mainly to clinical research. Personally, being a translational researcher myself and a surgeon, I tend to prefer the ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538091 Thu, 06 May 2010 12:00:09 +0100 3538091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519468&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3023 Hot off the press The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) has been spreading misinformation about medicine since 1993.  It has featured often on this blog. Now it has closed its doors. An announcement has appeared on the FIH website 30 April 2010 The Trustees of The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health have decided to close the charity. The announcment goes on "Whilst the closure has been planned for many months and is part of an agreed strategy, the Trustees have brought forward the closure timetable as a result of a fraud investigation at the charity." "The Trustees feel that The Foundation has achieved its key objective of promoting the use of integrated health. Since The Foundation was set up in 1993, integrate... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519468 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:17:21 +0100 3519468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460167&cid=t_100072_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=3443656&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8480 Discussion about Cancer in the USJ forums. Here are some of the rather outlandish beliefs of people participating in the forum “There’s no cure for cancer, chemo is not a cure, it is just a temporary measure to slow down the spread of cancer cells.” (absolute crock) “The fact is it has a lot to do with diet, you can’t just throw everything into your stomach. There are many reports on thestar newspaper that avoided cancer after changing their diet without going through the ‘cancer specialist’.” (there’s a very strong obsession with our local population about disease and diet - everything must be linked to food) “The star articles was cancer patients and not healthy patients. They were saved from the cancer by changing their diet an... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443656 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3443656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429197&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2881 Conclusions I’ll confess to feeling almost a little guilty for having appeared to persecute the particular individuals involved in thie episode. But patients are involved and so is the law, and both of these are more important than individuals,  The only unfair aspect is that, while it seems that even the Prince of Wales’ Foundation for Integrated Health has rejected Daniel and Atkinson, that Foundation embraces plenty of people who are just as deluded, and potentially dangerous, as those two.  The answer to that problem is for the Prince to stop endorsing treatments that don’t work. As for the University of Buckingham. Well, despite the right wing maverick Kealey and the ‘anti-evidence’ Miles, I really think they’ve done the right thing. They’ve li... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429197 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:37:46 +0100 3429197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3399054&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fd4d-technologies-announces-the-e4d-podcast-channel-%25e2%2580%2593-now-available-on-itunes%2F Dallas, TX – (March 10, 2010) – D4D Technologies announced today that their in-house production, the E4D Podcast, is now available for download on its very own iTunes channel! Now you can be up-to-date anywhere and anytime on all the exciting news about E4D and learn how D4D Technologies is staying on the cutting edge of CAD CAM Dentistry. iTunes is a free online application for your Mac or PC that organizes and plays digital music and video on your computer. It syncs all your media with your iPod, iPhone and Apple TV and the iTunes Store puts thousands of free podcasts at your fingertips, A podcast is an episodic program delivered via the Internet and can be audio files, video files, documents or any combination of the three. The E4D Podcast is an exciting new feature from D4D Technol... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3399054 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:25:36 +0100 3399054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395084&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8428 They call it Bullshit. Here’s the Youtube series (via Dr Anony) from the Malaysian Medical Resources Penn and Teller on Alternative Medicine (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395084 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3395084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3385241&cid=t_100072_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=3350245&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8388 I notice some of the alternative centres in town including “foot reflexology” centres offer Ear Candling as a service. I can’t imagine how “lighting one end of a hollow candle and placing the other end in the ear canal” can improve one’s well being other than it being a placebo effect. Now the FDA has come out with a warning to Stay Away from Ear Candling FDA believes that injuries associated with ear candles are likely underreported, and encourages consumers and health care professionals to report such injuries to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program Over the past decade, FDA has received reports of burns, punctured eardrums, and blockage of the ear canal which required outpatient surgery from the use of ear candles. In its testing, Hea... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350245 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3350245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338334&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fpress-release-sirona-launches-new-cerec%25c2%25ae-software-with-biogeneric-capabilities%2F Easily and Precisely Reconstructs Natural Occlusion Automatic Design Procedure is Fast, Reliable, and Compatible with all Restorative Indications Charlotte, NC (February 25, 2010) – Sirona Dental Systems, LLC (Nasdaq: SIRO), the company that pioneered digital impressions and dental CAD/CAM 25 years ago and the world’s leading producer of dental CAD/CAM and digital impression systems, is pleased to introduce user-friendly software developed for its CEREC® chairside system.  The new software is based on Sirona’s patented Biogeneric technology. Like fingerprints, no two human teeth are identical and each tooth has its own unique characteristics.  A group of researchers led by Professor Dr. Albert Mehl (Zurich University) and Professor Dr. Volker Blanz (Siegen University) ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338334 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:07:02 +0100 3338334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331452&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fpress-release-sensable-delivers-more-dental-restorations-speed-and-convenience-with-new-release-3-of-sensable-dental-lab-system%2F Release 3 Brings Accelerated Performance, More Types of Fixed and Removable Prosthetics, Support for Milling, Impression Scanning and More WOBURN, Massachusetts – February 25, 2010 - SensAble Technologies, Inc®, a leading provider of  touch-enabled 3D modeling systems, dental CAD/CAM solutions and haptic devices, has announced Release 3 of the SensAble Dental Lab System (SDLS), with significant enhancements to this integrated system for creating dental restorations efficiently and more cost-effectively. Release 3 dramatically speeds the scan, design and fabrication processes for partial dentures as well as crowns and bridges; provides support for milling; adds support for impression scanning and the SensAble OpenScan™ interface; and expands SensAble’s unique software intelligen... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331452 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:09:01 +0100 3331452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318548&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2F3659%2F E4D Flash Desktop Scanner E4D CAD/CAM Materials & eMax Visit E4D online here. Thanks to Dr. Tom Hedge for providing video coverage of select vendor booths at the Chicago Midwinter Dental Conference! (Source: dental blog for dentists about dentistry) dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318548 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:16:03 +0100 3318548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314811&cid=t_100072_165_f&fid=36770&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmetaot.com%2Fblog%2Fthank-you cam balkon küpe?te korkuluk (Source: meta-ot blogs) meta-ot blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314811 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:51:18 +0100 3314811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231440&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8281 A recent medical review advises that Herbal remedies, heart drugs don’t mix Some herbal remedies may increase the potency of prescription drugs for heart disease or make them less effective, a team of experts concluded. Mixing herbs and drugs also could cause serious heart rhythm problems and bleeding, according to the review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Use of herbal supplements among elderly patients is especially concerning because they typically have more than one disease, take multiple medications and already are at greater risk of bleeding, the report said. Previous studies have sounded alarms about use of herbal supplements which are not regulated like traditional medicines. This review examined how supplements and cardiovascular drugs may i... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231440 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3231440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220497&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8270 Those with epilepsy or seizures should take heed of a current warning that Gingkgo biloba may increase the tendency to get fits ot sezures. The BBC reports People with epilepsy should be warned that using a popular herbal remedy may increase the risk of seizures, researchers say. German scientists, writing in the Journal of Natural Products, said they had found 10 written reports of seizures linked to ginkgo biloba. They said they were convinced the herb could have a “detrimental effect”. A leading UK epilepsy charity said the evidence was not yet compelling, although it said care was needed. Related MMR posts on Ginkgo: In a GEM of a study, another alternative treatment bites the dust Another unclear study on Ginkgo Gingko may not aid memory in healthy older adults Ginkgo an... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220497 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3220497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167272&cid=t_100072_123_f&fid=39035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liddlekidzblog.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fblog-post.html Massage for Children with Cancer | Pediatric Oncology MassagePediatric Oncology Massage requires specific skills to adapt massage and nurturing touch techniques suited for the child’s specific cancer treatment and treatment plan.Healthcare professionals including massage therapists who wish to provide massage for pediatric oncology patients should consider specific specialized training in this area. The comprehensive Touch Therapy for Liddle Kidz with Cancer (Massage for Children with Cancer) Course for massage therapists and healthcare professionals provides educational and professional training to those who wish to enhance their skills. Through this advanced training, participants learn to provide massage therapy, nurturing touch techniques and touch therapy for children who have been ... Liddle Kidz Infant and Pediatric Massage Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167272 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:05:00 +0100 3167272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149064&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2628 The purpose of this post is to reveal a few samples of things that are taught on a homeopathy ‘degree’ course. The course in question was the "BSc Hons homeopathy course at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). Entry to this course was closed in 2008 and, after an internal review, UCLAN closed almost all of the rest of its courses in alternative medicine too. The university is to be commended for this . The purpose of making public some of what used to be taught is not to embarrass UCLAN, which has already done the sensible thing, but to make it clear that the sort of thing taught on such courses is both absurd and dangerous, in the hope of discouraging other courses .Three years after I first asked for teaching materials, the Information Commisioner ruled th... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149064 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:56:33 +0100 3149064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071160&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2485 Conclusion 62 It is for these reasons that we uphold the Decision Notice. We record our gratitude for the helpful and succinct submissions of counsel on both sides and the incisive contribution of Professor Colquhoun. We wish to add that, whilst we have not accepted the great majority of the arguments advanced by UCLAN, we do not in any way seek to cast doubt on the veracity of the evidence of its witnesses, nor the honesty and loyalty with which they have sought to serve its interests. 63 Our decision is unanimous. Signed David Farrar Q.C.   Watch this space to see what can now be revealed. Follow-up (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071160 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:34:49 +0100 3071160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037067&cid=t_100072_135_f&fid=35274&url=http%3A%2F%2Facidrefluxweb.com%2F%3Fp%3D4203 Back do to popular demand. Ok, well maybe not popular but one person did ask. I haven’t done a Hildy Came for a while. So here is Hildy Go Fetch for a nice Sunday morning. (Source: acidrefluxweb.com) acidrefluxweb.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037067 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:34:06 +0100 3037067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033591&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2467 We have listed many reasons hear why you should never trust Boots.  Here are the previous ones. Can you trust Boots? Don’t Trust Boots Boots reaches new level of dishonesty with CoQ10 promotion This post is about a "functional food".  That is about something a bit more serious than homeopathy, though I’ll return to that standing joke in the follow-up, because of Boots’ latest shocking admission.. Alternative medicine advocates love to blame Big Pharma for every criticism of magic medicine.  In contrast, people like me, Ben Goldacre and a host of others have often pointed out that the differences seem to get ever smaller between the huge Alternative industry (about $60 billion per year), and the even huger regular pharmaceutical industry (around $6... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033591 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:41:39 +0100 3033591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3023080&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8076 CONCLUSION: The best evidence available to date does not demonstrate convincingly that reflexology is an effective treatment for any medical condition. Now I wonder if the MOH will implement “foot reflexology” in their designated CAM hospitals? from the Malaysian Medical Resources Reflexology fails the test (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3023080 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3023080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008126&cid=t_100072_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fhomeopathy-really-doesnt-work.html Conclusion: Overall the results of this review found no evidence of effectiveness for homeopathy for the global symptoms, core symptoms or related outcomes of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Homeopathy for headache? – Results: There is insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of homeopathy for managing headache; studies published to date are flawed. Homeopathic medicines for adverse effects of cancer treatments – Conclusion: There is no convincing evidence for the efficacy of homeopathic medicines for other adverse effects of cancer treatments. Homeopathy in allergies and respiratory conditions – Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to judge whether or not homeopathy is useful in the treatment of allergic, ENT and respiratory conditions. Quackwat... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008126 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:45 +0100 3008126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2950712&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8031 Interesting post by Dr. Rob who says it’s because Alternative medicine promises Magic The answer, I believe, is summed up in a single word: magic. There are three facts that explain why so many people turn to alternative therapies: 1. People want their problems to magically go away. 2. Conventional medicine is not magical. 3. Alternative medicine promises magic. from the Malaysian Medical Resources Why do people use alternative medicine? (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2950712 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2950712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912193&cid=t_100072_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=2890648&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2329 Two weeks left to stop the Department of Health making a fool of itself. Email your response to tne Pittilo consultation to this email address HRDListening@dh.gsi.gov.uk I’ve had permission to post a submission that has been sent to the Pittilo consultation. The whole document can be downloaded here. I have removed the name of the author. It is written by the person who has made some excellent contributions to this blog under the pseudonym "Allo V Psycho". The document is a model of clarity, and it ends with constructive suggestions for forms of regulation that will, unlike the Pittilo proposals, really protect patients Here is the summary. The full document explains each point in detail. Executive Summary Statutory regulation lends prestige, but needs to be balanced ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890648 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:37:04 +0100 2890648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2875993&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7967 A Cochrane review suggests that some Chinese herbal medicines may help to prevent diabetes (together with lifestyle changes) but more research is needed The researchers considered data from 16 clinical trials including 1,391 people who received 15 different herbal formulations. According to their findings, combining herbal medicines with lifestyle changes is twice as effective as lifestyle changes alone at normalising patients’ blood sugar levels. Those given the herbal formulations were less likely to develop full blown diabetes during the study period. Trials included in the review lasted from one month to two years. No adverse effects were reported in any of the trials. “Our results suggest that some Chinese herbal medicines can help to prevent diabetes, but we really need ... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2875993 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2875993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842485&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7920 Australia’s judicial system has found baby Gloria’s parents guilty of failing to get proper medical attention for their child who had ezcema and have been sentenced to jail (via Digg.com) The couple’s infant daughter died from an infection her weakened immune system could not fight off in May 2002, after her parents watched her health “deteriorate before their eyes.” The Sams, from Earlwood, were found guilty by a Supreme Court jury in June of their daughter’s manslaughter by gross criminal negligence. The jury found the couple had breached their duty of care as parents by persisting with alternative remedies for their daughter’s skin condition which “plainly weren’t working” instead of seeking conventional medical help. Adults c... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842485 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2842485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832115&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7911 For those who take red yeast rice to lower cholesterol or are thinking of doing so, you might want to read this article in Science-Based Medicine While red yeast rice reduces LDL cholesterol levels and reduces the rate of major coronary events. The Medical Letter consultants concluded that it works, but they don’t recommend it. Why? Read on… from the Malaysian Medical Resources Red Yeast Rice and cholesterol (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832115 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2832115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803861&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7893 Physician’s First Watch reports Chinese Herb Appears Better Than Standard Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) extract offers better symptom relief than sulfasalazine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, reports Annals of Internal Medicine. (TwHF — also known as “thunder god vine” or “lei gong teng” — is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory conditions.) U.S. researchers randomized some 120 adults with active rheumatoid arthritis to receive the extract (180 mg) or sulfasalazine (2 g) daily for 24 weeks. Participants were allowed to use stable prednisone dosing (up to 7.5 mg/day) but not disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. In intent-to-treat analyses, significantly more patients assigned to TwHF v... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803861 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2803861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778414&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2165 Being interested in science communication, I was pleased when the BMJ asked me to review Unscientific America , by Chris Monney and Sheril Kirshenbaum. The BMJ provides a link that allows you access to the whole review. They have made very few changes from the submitted version, which is reproduced below (with live links in the text. I very soon discovered that the book had already caused ructions in the USA, as a result of its advocacy of appeasement of religious groups. In particular there was all out war with P.Z.Myers, whose very popular blog, Phayngula. documented the battle in detail). It is an American book through and through, and in the USA the biggest threat to reason comes from the far-right religious fundamentalists who preach young-earth creationism. It is said that 46% of U... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778414 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:08:19 +0100 2778414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757755&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2131 This report outlines areas of potential consensus to guide research funders, researchers, commissioners and complementary practitioners in developing and applying a robust evidence base for complementary practice.” As happens so often, there is implicit in this sentence the assumption that if you spend enough money evidence will emerge. That is precisely contrary to the experence in the USA where spending a billion dollars produced nothing beyond showing that a lot of things we already thought didn’t work were indeed ineffective. And inevitably, and tragically, NICE’s biggest mistake is invoked. “It is noteworthy that the evidence is now sufficiently robust for NICE to include acupuncture as a treatment for low back pain.” [p ] Did the advisory group not read... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757755 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:33:41 +0100 2757755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719653&cid=t_100072_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F21%2Ffriday-foolery-1-on-homeopathy-nutritionists-and-toothiologists%2F Widely referred to on twitter, shown on the blog of drShock, and already cited in 2008… But for those who do not know the Irish standup comedian Dara Ó Briain or his “Homeopathy & Nutritionists vs Real Science!” here is the video: Some great oneliners: (Hé but) “Science knows it doesn’t know anything, otherwise it would stop [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719653 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:43:38 +0100 2719653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688658&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2043 Conclusion This selection of slides shows that much of the stuff taught in degrees in herbal medicine poses a real danger to public safety and to public health. Pittilo’s idea that imposing this sort of miseducation will help safety is obviously and dangerously wrong. The Department of Health must reject the Pittilo recommendations on those grounds. Follow-up (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688658 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:24:29 +0100 2688658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688662&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fannietv600.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F10%2Fnew-icl%2F In July 2009 we launched the latest version of ICL – http://www.chiroindex.org. There are many new features, including improvements to the search interface, an Open Access Library, links to RSS feeds for relevant journals, lots of help pages, and a blog. ICL is a high quality product developed and maintained by librarians, and it’s free! To find out how to search the database and find all the resources on the site, please see the help pages (second menu item from the left).  See how far we’ve come since 2001! (Source: ANNE T-V's BLOG) ANNE T-V's BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688662 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:26:34 +0100 2688662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2685169&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7645 Quoting this report from Bernama Avoiding masturbation and homosexual activities are among preventive measures one could take against Influenza A (H1N1), according to an eminent practitioner of complimentary therapy. I think if you are going solo, you are even less at risk, since you aren’t going to have anyone sneezing or coughing in your face. As for activities with the same or opposite sex, I fail to see any increased risk of H1N1 if your partner doesn’t have H1N1. If you are really paranoid though I guess you could put on a full body condom. As for the “hyperacidised” state all these activities are supposed to generate, I am speechless. Seriously, I am surprised (well, perhaps not really) at this bull-crap report in Bernama. Don’t they have better things ... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2685169 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2685169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670815&cid=t_100072_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=2662360&cid=t_100072_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=2657723&cid=t_100072_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=2613856&cid=t_100072_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_100072_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=2591441&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7404 pic shows “stones” produced by a “liver flush” We posted something about the “liver flush” about three years back, but a recent thread in a local community forum where someone got so excited he posts “I removed my own gallstones!” prompts me to bring up the subject again. It goes to show you that the viral emails just won’t die. I’m sure the same email supposedly by a “Dr Lai Chiu-Nan” with details how you can “remove gallstones naturally” is still going round and round. People are fooled after drinking the vegetable oil and juice concoction and then get excited when they pass out little green balls which they take for “gallstones” but in actual fact they aren’t. From Quackwatch on The Tru... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2591441 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2591441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588199&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7413 MedPageToday reports Chinese herbal medicine provided relief to symptoms of endometriosis that was equivalent or superior to conventional therapies following laparoscopic surgery, a systematic review indicated. Action Points Explain to patients that Chinese herbal medicine appeared to relieve postsurgical endometriosis symptoms at least as well as conventional medical therapy. The findings were based on a retrospective review of a large database and involved a small number of patients.Herbal medicine achieved symptom relief comparable to that of gestrinone but with fewer side effects, Andrew Flower, PhD, of Southampton University in Ringmer, England, and colleagues reported in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The pregnancy rate was similar with either treatment. Compared with d... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588199 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2588199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576824&cid=t_100072_135_f&fid=35274&url=http%3A%2F%2Facidrefluxweb.com%2F%3Fp%3D3746 This is not how to it, at least by my experience. Man have I been negligent in my writing this week. While everyone was coming off their coke/crystal/alcohol/ecstasy slash whatever ever combo post-pride crash, I was crashing in my own way. Eight days off of Lithium……. F.ing with anti-depressants is one sure fire way to f. with my head, and f.ed it was. So I didn’t feel like writing. In fact yesterday after two days of constant anxiety I didn’t want to do anything. My strategy to deal with this predicament was to do the exact opposite of what I wanted to do. I listened to my voicemail, returned calls, and went off to a meeting. A few things did happen this week. How could I let the week go by and not mention July the 4th? Not because of the Americans as they are a me... acidrefluxweb.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576824 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:36:49 +0100 2576824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570471&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1864 Hilarious. (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570471 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:28:20 +0100 2570471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522999&cid=t_100072_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=2523002&cid=t_100072_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=2523003&cid=t_100072_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1747 Homeopathy has become boring, so I’ll keep this short. It’s clear that the public have rumbled the fraud and that homeopathy is heading back to where it was in the 1960s, a small lunatic fringe on the High Street. All university ‘degrees’ in homeopathy have closed their doors in the last two years.  Even Peter Fisher sounds increasingly desperate in his attempts to defend it. If it were not for the unconstitutional interference in politics of the Prince of Wales, homeopathy would probably have sunk even further.  Princes who meddle like that should be allowed to cool off in the Tower of London. I can’t understand why his mother doesn’t restrain him before he destroys the monarchy altogether. The homeopathy industry reminds me of the cigarette ... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523003 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:09:34 +0100 2523003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473435&cid=t_100072_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=2477572&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7192 Does the MOH still want to continue down the same path as the US? Ten years ago the government set out to test herbal and other alternative health remedies to find the ones that work. After spending $2.5 billion, the disappointing answer seems to be that almost none of them do. I think not. Here in Boleh-land no need to prove anything. If it is thousands of years old must be good for you. So instead of spending Billions of dollars in research, what is happening is Billions of dollars are ripped off from consumers spending money on useless remedies. Malaysia Boleh! from the Malaysian Medical Resources $2.5B spent, no alternative med cures (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477572 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2477572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473436&cid=t_100072_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_100072_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=2458066&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7143 It seems to help a little bit, and not surprisingly as exercise is important in arthritis care. Medscape reports Practicing the traditional Chinese martial art tai chi may reduce arthritis pain and disability. That’s according to a new research review, published in the June 15 edition of Arthritis Care & Research. The reviewers pooled data from seven studies. Five of the studies included people with osteoarthritis, a sixth study focused on people with rheumatoid arthritis, and the seventh study included people with chronic tension headaches. Besides their usual medical care, some patients took weekly tai chi classes. For comparison, other patients didn’t get tai chi instruction. The studies varied in the type of tai chi that was taught and the tai chi class schedule. Class... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458066 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2458066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452540&cid=t_100072_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 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452541&cid=t_100072_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_100072_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_100072_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=2441234&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7105 sambantan writes: I am looking for ozone therapy treatment centres in malaysia. Will you help with their contacts, please. Short answer - no. This is because we consider ozone therapy at best “fringe therapy” and at worse outright fraud. We’ve blogged about Ozone therapy in the past so you might be interested to read these links: Ozone therapy revisited - the Malaysian Ministry of Health has evaluated Ozone therapy and found that it falls under therapy which is not recommended. Death by Alternative medicine - breast cancer patient whose early disease progressed under the hands of an unscrupulous ozone therapy practitioner. Other MMR posts mentioning Ozone therapy and do read Quackwatch - Oxygenation Therapy: Unproven Treatments for Cancer and AIDS from the Malaysian Medi... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441234 Fri, 29 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2441234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416822&cid=t_100072_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6997 Just reading a book review in Nature magazine and thought some might be interested in what has been happening in South Africa. Here’s an excerpt from the review: Inadequate health policies in South Africa have reportedly led to some 330,000 unnecessary AIDS deaths and a spike in infant mortality, according to estimates by South African and US researchers. This carnage exceeds the death toll in Darfur, yet it has received far less attention. Seth Kalichman, a US clinical psychologist, shows in Denying AIDS how words can kill. His marvellous book should be read alongside Nicoli Nattrass’s Mortal Combat, covering similar ground but from the perspective of a South African. The tragic events in South Africa have been exacerbated by AIDS ‘denialists’ who, Kalichman alleges, assert th... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416822 Mon, 18 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2416822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405756&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fcadapalooza-see-big-names-in-denitstry-christenson-mclaren-hansen-culp-and-others%2F CADapalooza™ ‘09: August 6-8, 2009 at the Beautiful Fontainebleau Miami Beach! Dallas, TX – (May 10, 2009) – The lineup for CADapalooza ’09 has just been announced! Join Dr. Gordon Christensen, Dr. Ed McLaren, Dr. Curtis Jansen, Lee Culp CDT and others at this blockbuster event highlighting the newest innovations in CAD CAM Dentistry for dentists, lab technicians and all dental team members. “CADapalooza ’09 is a must for anyone who wants to understand and see where digital dentistry is now and more importantly where it is headed,” said Dr. Gary Severance, D4D Technologies’ VP of Clinical Affairs. “Conference participants will enjoy a full program of case presentations, expert panel discussions, and live demonstrations that showcase the latest developments in laser cha... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405756 Thu, 14 May 2009 16:15:30 +0100 2405756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405758&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fthe-pressure%25e2%2580%2599s-on-for-finding-better-dental-impression-materials%2F D4D Digital Impression System This month, in a Dental Products Report Web Exclusive, Dr. Gary Radz reviews the benefits and downfalls of various impression materials. His quest for the perfect impression material leads him through polyvinyl silicone (PVS), polyether (PE), alginate alternatives (AA), and on to digital impressions. Dr. Radz calls digital impressions “fairly simple and seamless.” He’s used the iTero for eight months and has found improved precision because of the technology. Read the full article here. And to learn more… Visit these sites: iTero CEREC CAD/CAM D4D Lava COS Futar Scan CADbite (Source: dental blog for dentists about dentistry) dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405758 Tue, 12 May 2009 15:04:09 +0100 2405758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386867&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2Flifestyle-nutritionists-2-31-mar-08.mp3 This post is not about quackery, nor university politics.  It is about inference,  How do we know what we should eat?  The question interests everyone, but what do we actually know?  Not as much as you might think from the number of column-inches devoted to the topic.  The discussion below is a synopsis of parts [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386867 Sun, 03 May 2009 19:37:50 +0100 2386867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376458&cid=t_100072_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DoC7DnSCRWPc With Ivoclar Vivadent materials, the E4D CAD/CAM system now makes thin, natural looking veneers onsite. Because E4D is stable and sturdy, according to the press release, the system fabricates Whisper Thin veneers as thin as 0.2mm. E4D has to date provided an immediate, in-office solution for crowns, inlays, and onlays. The Dallas-based company continues to step up research and development to improve the technology and bring the best of chairside restoration technology to dentists nationwide. Visit D4D online here. Read the press release here. Here is part one of a YouTube videos from Ivoclar regarding the E4D. Part 1 See part two here. (Source: dental blog for dentists about dentistry) dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376458 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:38:55 +0100 2376458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365006&cid=t_100072_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=2414823&cid=t_100072_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1391 The Nutrition Society is the interim professional body for nutrition. It seems that, unlike so many ‘regulatory bodies’, it may actually take its responsibilities seriously. The following announcement has appeared on their web site. The UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists acts to protect the public and the reputation the nutrition profession On March 4th 2009, a Fitness to Practice Panel was convened to consider an allegation against a registrant, Dr Ann Walker, that her fitness to practise was impaired. The panel considered whether the registrant, in advocating the use of a web based personal nutritional profiling service had complied with the Code of Ethics’ clause 3: This expects all registered nutritionists to “maintain the highest standards of professionalism an... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414823 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:48:16 +0100 2414823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348074&cid=t_100072_90_f&fid=0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fannietv600.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F17%2Fhand_table_sanitizing%2F Conclusion: This article offers a protocol for hand and table sanitizing in chiropractic clinics and education institutions. The chiropractic profession should consider adoption of these or similar measures and disseminate them to teaching clinics, institutions, and private practitioners.  Link here to read the full abstract and the full text. NOTE: Browse  the Open Access archives of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine through PubMed Central, from 2002 to March 2008. (Source: ANNE T-V's BLOG) ANNE T-V's BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348074 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:59:13 +0100 2348074