All posts by Harriet Hall

Harriet Hall, MD also known as The SkepDoc, is a retired family physician who writes about pseudoscience and questionable medical practices. She received her BA and MD from the University of Washington, did her internship in the Air Force (the second female ever to do so),  and was the first female graduate of the Air Force family practice residency at Eglin Air Force Base. During a long career as an Air Force physician, she held various positions from flight surgeon to DBMS (Director of Base Medical Services) and did everything from delivering babies to taking the controls of a B-52. She retired with the rank of Colonel.  In 2008 she published her memoirs, Women Aren't Supposed to Fly.

“I Don’t Know What’s in It”

Is not knowing what's in a vaccine a valid reason to refuse it?

/ August 24, 2021

Are Muscle Relaxants an Effective Adjunct for Treating Acute Low Back Pain? Yes and No

The journal American Family Physician left me confused about adding muscle relaxants to analgesics for acute low back pain. One article says it isn't effective, but another article in the same issue says it is.

/ August 17, 2021

DNA Vibe Jazz Band

The DNA Vibe Jazz Band device promises to relieve pain and do other wonderful things. It has nothing to do with DNA, Jazz, or evidence.

/ August 10, 2021

Genetic Testing for Selection of Psychotropic Medications

GeneSight is a blood test to determine which neuropsychiatric medications are indicated for an individual based on genetic analysis. The test is expensive and not likely to be helpful for most patients.

/ August 3, 2021

Lumen’s Information Is Not So Illuminating

Lumen is a handheld device that you can supposedly use to "hack your metabolism". The science behind it is not convincing. Users are essentially navel-gazing.

/ July 27, 2021

American Academy of Family Physicians Supports Integrative Medicine

The American Academy of Family Physicians supports integrative medicine and makes recommendations based on less-than-rigorous evidence.

/ July 20, 2021

Misogyny in Medicine

Misogyny persists in clinical and academic medicine. We need to be aware of subtle micro aggressions and report abuses, but we mustn't get carried away into paranoia and conspiracy theories. We should be guided by common sense and moderation in all things.

/ July 13, 2021

Mayim Bialik’s Neuriva Commercials Make Questionable Claims

Mayim Bialik is a neuroscientist. In her TV commercials for Neuriva Plus she asserts that it is backed by strong science. I don't think so.

/ July 6, 2021

A New Covid-19 Myth?

A correspondent suggested I should have known that the pandemic was over months ago. That's obviously a myth. But where did that idea come from?

/ June 29, 2021

The First Woman Doctor in America

This book about the first woman doctor in America contains fascinating details about the Blackwell sisters, their struggles, and the times they lived in. Elizabeth Blackwell is to be commended for her accomplishments, but it appears that she was not a nice person.

/ June 22, 2021