Category: Acupuncture

False Claims for Acupuncture

Acupuncture proponents claim that acupuncture works for a long list of medical indications, and claiming that this is supported by evidence. Meanwhile the actual evidence, fairly and rigorously evaluated, is negative.

/ December 6, 2017
Acupuncture

Yet Another Miscellany of Medical Malarkey

Acupuncture for menstrual cramps, chiropractic for the prevention of domestic terrorism, and more in this miscellany of medical malarkey. Or would you prefer hodgepodge of healthcare hokum?

/ October 6, 2017

TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine): New Developments

Evidence for the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine is scanty, unconvincing, and often fraudulent. China is seeing a resurgence of TCM, even teaching it to children. But in Australia, restrictions are being placed on misleading advertising.

/ September 26, 2017

Emergency acupuncture!

For whatever reason, acupuncturists and acupuncture believers think that acupuncture can be useful in emergency situations, be they in the field ("battlefield acupuncture," anyone?) or in the ER. They even do studies purporting to show that. This is yet another of such a clinical trial, albeit larger than usual. Guess what? It doesn't really show what it's advertised to show. I explain...

/ July 3, 2017

The closure of major integrative medicine “Crown Jewels”: Terminating the Terminator?

When it comes to expansion and infiltrating medicine, "integrative medicine" has frequently seemed like the Terminator: utterly relentless. Recent setbacks at major integrative medicine "Crown Jewels" resulting in their closure cast that narrative in doubt. However, I never forget that after its seeming destruction, the Terminator always comes back.

/ June 5, 2017

Quackery for Kids

A brief rant and a few random observations on quackery for kids.

/ June 2, 2017

Corrigendum. The Week in Review for 05/28/2017.

More measles in Minnesota. Yet another form of acupuncture: Snafu. CAM cancer studies are of poor quality. The future of CAM is LSD.

/ May 28, 2017

Healthcare reform should ditch mandated coverage of CAM providers

Forced insurance coverage of chiropractic, naturopathic, and acupuncture services is not consistent with the goals of either the ACA or the AHCA. Whatever happens to Obamacare in the U.S. Senate, Section 2706 of the ACA should be repealed.

/ May 25, 2017

Quackery infiltrates The BMJ

As quackery in the form of "integrative medicine" has increasingly been "integrated" into medicine, medical journals are starting to notice and succumb to the temptation to decrease their skepticism. The BMJ, unfortunately, is the latest to do so. It won't be the last.

/ May 22, 2017

Corrigendum. The Week in Review for 05/21/2017

Choosing CAM leads to bad outcomes the world over. How deep can an acupuncture needle go? Measles continues and Minnesotans and will be welcomed in Texas. Rat rectal stimulation for Science. And more.

/ May 22, 2017