Nurse practitioner aggressively advertises a plethora of aesthetic treatments, some of which are dubious. It’s legal, but is it ethical? Facelifts by plastic surgeon improve appearance. Aesthetic nurse practitioner’s offerings are more dubious. Larson Medical Aesthetics, an organization with three locations, is run by a nurse practitioner named Margaret Larson.… read more "Nurse Practitioner Pushes Dubious Aesthetic Treatments"
Bee Stings for Arthritis
Bee sting therapy may be somewhat effective for arthritis, but it can’t be recommended. Are bee strings [correction: stings, not strings!] an effective treatment for arthritis? Many patients with arthritis have reported that their symptoms went away after they were stung by bees. There are testimonials galore from beekeepers whose… read more "Bee Stings for Arthritis"
Luminas: Unbelievable Claims About Pain Relief
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. The claims for the Luminas pain relief patch are not just unscientific; they defy common sense. It’s quantum quackery. This will be a short post about a product that doesn’t deserve even this much attention. Recently my Facebook… read more "Luminas: Unbelievable Claims About Pain Relief"
Laser Therapy: Hope or Hype and Hokum?
I love to watch TV reality shows about veterinarians. There are quite a few of them now; my favorite is “The Incredible Dr. Pol.” I learn a lot from them. For instance, I have learned that “polio” in goats means a vitamin deficiency disease, not the infectious disease that humans… read more "Laser Therapy: Hope or Hype and Hokum?"
Chiropractor Treating Concussions for Earlier Return to Play
A chiropractor is using questionable diagnostic and therapeutic measures to return athletes to play sooner after a concussion. Not a good idea. A science teacher contacted me with concerns about a story he saw on his local TV news. It featured a chiropractor in his area who is treating athletes… read more "Chiropractor Treating Concussions for Earlier Return to Play"
An HBO Documentary about the Theranos Fraud Raises Concerns
Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos to develop a device that could do 200 tests on a single drop of blood in a minute. She lied; it failed; she is being tried for fraud and conspiracy. The HBO documentary The Inventor tells the story but has some flaws. We can learn lessons from what… read more "An HBO Documentary about the Theranos Fraud Raises Concerns"
Vampire Facials
[Este artículo está disponible en español. La traducción al español apareció por primera vez en la revista Pensar.] There is a new celebrity fad: vampire facials. Have you seen the pictures of Kim Kardashian West after her vampire facial, showing her face spattered with blood and covered with tiny puncture wounds? If… read more "Vampire Facials"
Tratamiento Facial “Vampiro”
[This article is also available in English. Thanks to Pensar for the Spanish translation.] Hay una nueva moda para las celebridades: los tratamientos faciales vampiro. ¿Ha visto usted la foto de Kim Kardashian West luego de su tratamiento-vampiro, mostrando su rostro salpicado con sangre y cubierto con pequeñas heridas? Si no la… read more "Tratamiento Facial “Vampiro”"
Living Water
I want my water to be dead. If there is anything “living” in it, it would be microbes that are a contaminant and potentially harmful. What do people mean when they talk of “living water”? If you look up “living water” on the Internet, you will find that it is… read more "Living Water"
Announcing: Video Lecture Course on Science-Based Medicine
A couple of years ago, the James Randi Educational Foundation commissioned me to develop a series of 10 video lectures on Science-Based Medicine. After a lot of work and many vicissitudes, it is now available. The lecture titles are: Science-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Based Medicine What Is CAM? Chiropractic Acupuncture Homeopathy Naturopathy and… read more "Announcing: Video Lecture Course on Science-Based Medicine"