I know a woman who is a survivor of colorectal cancer. At one point, doctors had given up hope and put her in hospice, but she failed to die as predicted and was eventually discharged. She continues to suffer intractable symptoms of pain with alternating diarrhea and constipation. I don’t… read more "CAM as a Dumping Ground"
How to Choose a Doctor
From an e-mail I received: As a proponent of SBM, and a someone who places a high value on reason, logic and evidence, I would like to find a physician who shares this mindset. He went on to ask how he could go about finding one. Another correspondent was referred… read more "How to Choose a Doctor"
Brief Update: Protandim
I’ve already devoted more time to Protandim than it deserves. I’ve written about it twice on SBM: here and here . But I can’t resist covering a new Protandim study that not only serves as a bad example but that made me laugh. Protandim is a mixture of 5 herbal… read more "Brief Update: Protandim"
When To See a Doctor
Two weeks ago I wrote about the demise of the traditional annual physical for healthy adults who have no symptoms. The First Step: Identifying a Symptom People who do have symptoms should see a doctor. They should have appropriate evaluations that may or may not include a partial or complete physical… read more "When To See a Doctor"
Acupuncture, Infertility, and Horrible Reporting
An article (and associated news video clip) from ClickOn in Detroit is titled “Alternative treatment helps Michigan doctor beat infertility.” This is a misleading title, and the report is an example of poor science reporting. Was she infertile? The patient in question was a 33-year-old family practice doctor who believed… read more "Acupuncture, Infertility, and Horrible Reporting"
Re-thinking the Annual Physical
Please note: the following refers to routine physicals and screening tests in healthy, asymptomatic adults. It does not apply to people who have been diagnosed with diseases, who have any kind of symptoms or signs, or who are at particularly high risk of certain specific diseases. Throughout most of human… read more "Re-thinking the Annual Physical"
Killer Tomatoes and Poisonous Potatoes?
February 14, 2012 Remember the movie “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”? That was fiction, but some alarmists would have us believe that the tomatoes and potatoes on our plates are really out to get us. I recently got an e-mail inquiry from an MD who said he had read that… read more "Killer Tomatoes and Poisonous Potatoes?"
Applied Kinesiology by Any Other Name…
Applied kinesiology (AK) was briefly mentioned in Scott Gavura’s article on Food Intolerance Tests last week. Since AK is arguably the second silliest thing in CAM after homeopathy, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to say a little more about it. A press release on the Wall Street Journal website recently announced… read more "Applied Kinesiology by Any Other Name…"
Homeopathy and Its Kindred Delusions
January 31, 2012 Note: The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) is publishing a new series of e-books. The first two offerings are an excellent new book on critical thinking by Bob Carroll, Unnatural Acts, and the first in a planned series of republications of classic skeptical works, Homeopathy and Its… read more "Homeopathy and Its Kindred Delusions"
An Owner’s Manual for the Heart
In writing about science-based medicine, we give a lot of attention to medicine that is not based on good science. We use bad examples to show why science is important and how it is frequently misapplied, misinterpreted, misreported, or even wholly rejected. It’s a pleasure, for a change, to write… read more "An Owner’s Manual for the Heart"