commercial interests
The General Chiropractic Council (GCC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with NHS England, the Crown Prosecution Service and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to collaborate where there is suspected criminal activity on the part of a GCC member in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making.
I find this interesting and most laudable!
But I also have seven questions, e.g.:
- Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor explains that the patient’s problem is caused by a subluxation of the spine, an entity that does not even exist? Apparently this happens every day.
- Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor treats a patient without prior informed consent? Apparently, this happens regularly.
- Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor fails to warn a patient that his/her manipulations can cause harm and even put him/her in a wheelchair? Apparently this (the lack of warning) happens all the time, and some chiropractors even insist that their manipulations are entirely safe.
- Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor claims that spinal manipulations are effective for curing the patient’s problem, while the evidence does not support the claim? Apparently this happens more often than not.
- Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor persuades a patient to have expensive long-term maintenance therapy for preventing health problems, while the evidence for that appoach is less than convincing? Apparently this happens rather frequently.
- Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if the chiropractor issues advice that is both outside his/her competence and detrimental to the health of the patient (for instance, advising parents not to vaccinate their kids)? Apparently this happens a lot.
- Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor advises a patient not to do what a real doctor told him/her to do? Apparently this is far from a rare occurance.
I would be most grateful, if the GCC would take the time to answer the above questions.
Many thanks in advaance.
The objective of this paper, as stated by its authors, was to develop an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) through a broad-based consensus process on best practices for chiropractic management of patients with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain.
Using systematic reviews identified in an initial literature search, a steering committee of experts in research and management of patients with chronic MSK pain drafted a set of recommendations. Additional supportive literature was identified to supplement gaps in the evidence base. A multidisciplinary panel of experienced practitioners and educators rated the recommendations through a formal Delphi consensus process using the RAND Corporation/University of California, Los Angeles, methodology.
The Delphi process was conducted January–February 2020. The 62-member Delphi panel reached consensus on chiropractic management of five common chronic MSK pain conditions:
- low-back pain (LBP),
- neck pain,
- tension headache,
- osteoarthritis (knee and hip),
- fibromyalgia.
Recommendations were made for non-pharmacological treatments, including:
- acupuncture,
- spinal manipulation/mobilization,
- other manual therapy;
- low-level laser (LLL);
- interferential current;
- exercise, including yoga;
- mind–body interventions, including mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT);
- lifestyle modifications such as diet and tobacco cessation.
Recommendations covered many aspects of the clinical encounter, from informed consent through diagnosis, assessment, treatment planning and implementation, and concurrent management and referral. Appropriate referral and comanagement were emphasized.
Therapeutic recommendations for low back pain:
- Consider multiple approaches. Both active and passive, and both physical and mind–body interventions should be considered in the management plan. The following are recommended, based on current evidence.
- Exercise
- Yoga/qigong (which may also be considered “mind–body” interventions)
- Lifestyle advice to stay active; avoid sitting; manage weight if obese; and quit smoking
- Spinal manipulation/mobilization
- Massage
- Acupuncture
- LLL therapy
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) or interferential current may be beneficial as part of a multimodal approach, at the beginning of treatment to assist the patient in becoming or remaining active.
- Combined active and passive: multidisciplinary rehabilitation
- CBT
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction
Therapeutic recommendations for neck pain:
- Consider multiple approaches. Both active and passive, and both physical and mind–body interventions should be considered in the management plan for maximum therapeutic effect. The following are recommended, based on current evidence.
- Exercise (range of motion and strengthening).
- Exercise combined with manipulation/mobilization.
- Spinal manipulation and mobilization
- Massage
- Low-level laser
- Acupuncture
- These modalities may be added as part of a multimodal treatment plan, especially at the beginning, to assist the patient in becoming or remaining active:
- Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS), traction, ultrasound, and interferential current.
- Yoga
- Qigong
Therapeutic recommendations for tension headache:
- Consider multiple approaches. Both active and passive, and both physical and mind–body interventions should be considered in the management plan for maximum therapeutic effect. The following are recommended, based on current evidence:
- Reassurance that TTH does not indicate presence of a disease.
- Advice to avoid triggers.
- Exercise (aerobic).
- Spinal manipulation
- Acupuncture
- Cold packs or menthol gels
- Combined active and passive
- CBT
- Relaxation therapy
- Biofeedback
- Mindfulness Meditation
Therapeutic recommendations for knee osteoarthritis:
- Consider multiple approaches. Both active and passive, and both physical and mind–body interventions should be considered in the management plan. The following are recommended, based on current evidence:
- Exercise
- Manual therapy
- Ultrasound
- Acupuncture, using “high dose” (greater treatment frequency, at least 3 × week)
- LLL therapy
Therapeutic recommendations for hip osteoarthritis:
- Consider multiple approaches. Both active and passive, and both physical and mind–body interventions should be considered in the management plan. The following are recommended, based on current evidence6
- Exercise
- Manual therapy
Therapeutic recommendations for fibromyagia:
- Consider multiple approaches. Both active and passive, and both physical and mind–body interventions should be considered in the management plan. The following are recommended, based on current evidence:
- Exercise (aerobic and strengthening)
- Advice on healthy lifestyle
- Education on the condition
- Spinal manipulation
- Myofascial release
- Acupuncture
- LLL therapy
- multidisciplinary rehabilitation
- CBT
- mindfulness meditation
- yoga
- Tai chi,
- Qigong
The authors concluded that these evidence-based recommendations for a variety of conservative treatment approaches to the management of common chronic MSK pain conditions may advance consistency of care, foster collaboration between provider groups, and thereby improve patient outcomes.
This paper is an excellent example of a pseudo-scientific process resulting in unreliable outcomes.
- The Delphi process was conducted some 4 years ago
- Because of the truly weird inclusion criteria, the findings are based essentially on just 3 systematic reviews.
- Anyone who has ever tried to conduct a consensus excercise knows that the outcome will almost entirely depend on who is chosen to sit on the panel. So, all you have to do to obtain pro-chiro recommendations is to select a few pro-chiro ‘experts’ who then write the recommendations!
- A “best practices for chiropractic management” may sound reasonable but, looking at the therapeutic recommendation, one easily realizes that the authors cast their nets so wide that the result has little to do with what differentiates chiropractic from Physiotherapists or osteopaths.
It is therefore not surprising that the recommendations are laughably unreliable: can, for instance, anyone explain to me why “advice on healthy lifestyle and education on the condition” are recommended for fibromyalgia but not for any other condition?
This paper is, in my view, chiropractic pseudo-science at its most ridiculous!
All it really does is it tries to legitimise all sorts of therapies as part of the chiropractic toolbox. My advice to patients is to:
- consult a physio if you need exercise therapy or LLL or manual therapy or ultrasound or interferential current or TENS or cold packs or massage;
- consult a clinical psychologist if you need CBT, or mindfulness, biofeedback;
- consult a doctor if you want rehab or education or lifestyle advice or reassurance;
- etc. etc.
And please avoid chiropractors who pretend they can do all of the above, while merely wanting to manipulate your neck.
“An American doctor invented a drug that claims to cure COPD within three days.” Does this announcement herald a medical sensation or a bogus and potentially dangerous falsehood?
The inventors proudly opt for the former: “we have created a revolutionary pill that combines over 60 natural herbs specifically designed to treat respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, and pulmonary fibrosis”
There are also videos promoting a “revolutionary pill” that allegedly cured chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) “within three days” went viral on Facebook. The videos featured public figures like Fox News anchor Jesse Watters, as well as the alleged developer of the drug, surgeon and TV personality Mehmet Oz, popularly known as “Dr. Oz”. Although the images used in the videos varied from post to post, all the videos we found used the exact same narration and promised “to pay one million dollars” if the drug failed to cure COPD. However, these videos showed clear signs of manipulation.
Altered or artificial intelligence-generated videos featuring celebrities and major TV networks have been profusely used for scams over the past few years. Science Feedback documented several examples of such doctored videos falsely promoting diabetes cures and cannabidiol (CBD) gummies as a treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. “Dr. Oz” has often been mentioned either as a developer of these products or as endorsing them, though he’s repeatedly denied any involvement in these ads. In a 2019 article for the Wall Street Journal that he also shared on Facebook and Twitter, Oz stated that these ads weren’t “legit” and warned about potential scams exploiting his image.
Likewise, the COPD videos posted on Facebook are also false. First, COPD currently has no known cure, so any product claiming to cure it is simply a scam. Second, the poor synchronization between video and audio suggests that the audio isn’t authentic.
‘SCIENCE FEEDBACK‘ thus conclused as follows:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic progressive lung disease for which no cure currently exists. Along with medication, lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, avoiding polluted environments, and keeping physically active can help manage the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. Products claiming to cure COPD are deceptive and potentially dangerous, as they may contain harmful ingredients or interact with medications in unpredictable ways.
I could not agree more and might add that – as always in suspect cases – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
“Crusade Against Naturopathy” (Kreuzzug gegen Naturheilkunde) is the title of a recent article (in German – so, I translated for you) published in ‘MULTIPOLAR‘. It is a defence of – no, not naturopathy – quackery. The authors first defend the indefencible Heilpraktiker. Subsequently, they address what they call ‘The Homeopathy Controversy‘. This is particularly ridiculous because homeopathy is not a form of naturopathy. Yes, it uses some natural materials, but it also employs any synthetic substance that you can think of.
The section on homeopathy contains many more amusing surprises; therefore, I have translated it for you [and added a few numers in square brackets that refer to my brief comments below]:
According to a representative survey conducted by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research in 2023, 35 per cent of homeopathy users are fully convinced of its effectiveness, while 55 per cent rate it as partially effective. Only nine per cent of respondents described homeopathic medicines as completely ineffective. [1]
Nevertheless, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced at the beginning of 2024 that he wanted to abolish homeopathy as a health insurance benefit. Stefan Schmidt-Troschke, paediatrician and managing director of the ‘Gesundheit Aktiv Association’, then launched a petition for the preservation of homeopathic medicines as statutory benefits in statutory health insurance. The petition was signed by more than 200,000 people. In March 2024, the cancellation of homeopathy and anthroposophic medicines as additional statutory benefits was revoked. [2]
Shortly afterwards, in May 2024, the ‘German Medical Assembly’ passed a motion against homeopathy to bring about a total ban for doctors. Dr Marc Hanefeld, official supporter of the ‘Informationsnetzwerk Homöopathie’, was behind the motion. Doctors should be banned from practising homeopathy in future, as well as billing via statutory and private health insurance. [3]
The case of the Charité University Hospital in Berlin shows just how much influence opponents of homeopathy have: for years, the hospital’s website stated ‘that homeopathic medicine can cure or improve even the most serious conditions’. After fierce protests – including from the health journalism portal MedWatch – the statement was removed. [4]
My comments:
- Effectiveness is not something to be quantified by popular votes. Responsible healthcare professionals employ rigorous clinical trials for that purpose.
- Lauterbach caved in because of the pressure from the Green Party and insists that his plans are merely postponed.
- The ‘German Medical Assembly’ decided that the use of homoeopathy in diagnostics and therapy does not constitute rational medicine. German doctors continue to be free to practice homeopathy, if they so wish.
- The notion that ‘homeopathic medicine can cure or improve even the most serious conditions’ is so obviously and dangerously wrong that it had to be corrected. This has little to do with the influence of opponents but is due to the influence of the evidence.
I feel that, if proponents of homeopathy want to save their beloved quackery from the face of the earth, they could at least get their facts right and think of some agruments that are a little less ridiculous.
I recently published an article in the German newspaper ‘DIE WELT‘ about the Bavarian Homeopathy trial. My comments did not go down well with the German Association of Homeopathic Doctors (DZVhÄ). Here is their ‘OPEN LETTER’ (my translation) in response to my article (the numbers [in bold brackets refer to my comments below):
Berlin, 11 December 2024: Open letter to Ulf Poschardt, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Die Welt, asking whether Prof. Edzard Ernst is really still acceptable as a WELT author. This letter refers to E. Ernst’s article ‘Why a globule study was discontinued’ (DIE WELT, Tuesday, 3 December 2024).
Edzard Ernst is a member of the GWUP (Gesellschaft zur Wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften). (1) This organisation within the so-called sceptic movement has set itself the task of pointing out in the health sector that belief in alternative medicine (‘pseudoscience’) prevents more effective therapies from being used. (2) From this point of view alone, Ernst’s polemic against the iHOM study by the Technical University of Munich[1] misses the mark by a mile, as the study design explicitly does not envisage treating patients with recurrent cystitis ‘either with individually selected homeopathic remedies or a placebo’. On the contrary, it provides for all patients to be treated strictly in accordance with the rules of evidence-based medicine if necessary and if the findings are clear, but also to investigate whether concomitant homeopathic treatment could lead to a reduction in the frequency of antibiotic use. It must be assumed that Ernst has read the study design, but either he is deliberately omitting the true aim of the study or he is simply unable to recognise the difference between a study and his personal fight against homeopathy (3). In both cases, he cannot be taken seriously (!) as an expert on scientific issues in the field of medicine, and certainly not in a serious print medium such as WELT.
Health services research shows: Homeopathy can save antibiotics
The members of the Bavarian state parliament, some of whom were cross-party supporters of this study, were clearly aware of the results of healthcare research, according to which homeopathy can help to reduce the use of antibiotics in defined clinical pictures. In France, for example, a large survey (EPI3-MSD cohort study[2]) came to the conclusion that GPs who use homeopathy for respiratory diseases only use around half as many antibiotics as their conventionally working colleagues. (4) To date, however, there have been no studies that have investigated this at the highest scientific level (randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled). Against the background of increasing antibiotic resistance worldwide, it was therefore neither ‘ignorance on the part of the Bavarian state government’ nor a foreseeable ‘waste of money’ to investigate this option.(5) If you add to this the fact that panel doctors with an additional qualification in ‘homeopathy’ can even get confirmation in black and white from their panel doctors’ association that their antibiotic consumption is below the average for their respective specialist group, then it would be “unethical” – in complete contrast to Ernst’s assessment – not to have attempted this study. (6)
The article shows the ideological ‘blinding’ of Edzard Ernst
It is clear that Mr (7) Ernst’s ideological ‘blinding’ as an exponent of the sceptic movement (8) leads him, consciously or unconsciously, to draw conclusions that are contrary to open-ended science (9). Reducing the use of antibiotics in the fight against the increasing development of resistance is simply a medical necessity, and those who do not or do not want to face up to this task are manoeuvring themselves into scientific obscurity with flimsy interpretations. (10) The fact that there are individual cases (Italy, child, middle ear infection, globules, dead) in which a method was not applied with sufficient care or expertise does not change this. It should be added at this point that there are always examples in the field of conventional medicine where misdiagnoses can lead to complications or even death. In addition, the RKI (Robert Koch Institute) estimates 9,700 deaths[3] due to antimicrobial resistance, and the trend is rising! Against this dramatic backdrop, Mr Ernst’s polemic should actually be out of the question. (11)
One must come to the same conclusion if one scrutinises the meaning of the reference to a ‘series of experiments in the Third Reich’ and a ‘Homeopathy World Congress’ under Nazi rule. The attempt to discredit homeopathy by pointing out the involvement of homeopathically orientated doctors in the Third Reich is well known. (12) Of course, this usually ignores the fact that the doctors convicted of crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg medical trial were exclusively representatives of the scientific medicine of the time. (13)
However, Ernst’s references to the ‘Third Reich’ conceal something else: the ‘Society of Truth-Loving Men’, which studied the effectiveness of homeopathy in 1835, was a Masonic lodge, and although it was a ‘double-blind trial’, it was of course not ‘the first randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind trial in the history of medicine’, as it is accepted and applied today as a scientific experiment with strict ethical and legal regulations. The first such study worthy of its name was not conducted until 1947 (treatment of tuberculosis with streptomycin). (14)
And of course there was the so-called ‘Donner Report’ (after Dr Fritz Donner), which Ernst indirectly refers to and which summarises the results of drug trials in the ‘Third Reich’. The result was indeed not convincing in favour of homeopathy (15), but this report had a not inconsiderable ‘flaw’: it is extremely problematic in terms of source criticism because it was not written until around two decades after the end of the Second World War, and the original documents Donner referred to have not reappeared and must therefore be considered lost. (16)
If, like Mr Ernst, one sets out in search of arguments against homeopathy and goes back more than half a century (17), then it would also be fair and obvious to mention that the homeopathic medical profession commissioned the Institute for the History of Medicine of the Robert Bosch Foundation years ago to scientifically investigate the role of homeopathic doctors during National Socialism (Mildenberger 2016[4]). The result: to quote Mr Ernst from a different context, there is no more ‘dirt on their sleeves’ than with other professional and socially relevant groups. (18)
Edzard Ernst ignores the current state of homeopathic research
‘Sugar pellets are the basis of many homeopathic treatments. However, all previous research (19) has shown that their effect does not exist.’ This statement by Edzard Ernst is simply wrong! The current state of research is described by the University of Bern as follows: ‘Summarising the current state of preclinical and clinical research, it can be concluded that homeopathic preparations show specific effects that differ from placebo when they are used appropriately…’[5]. (20)
But Ernst could have come up with the idea of comparing the quality of old studies with the current meta-analyses up to a systematic review of six such meta-analyses (Hamre and Kiene, 2023[6]). But he didn’t! If he had, he would have had to admit that the quality and rigour of the latest scientific homeopathy research need not shy away from comparison with studies in conventional medicine. (21)
Based on positive study results, additional homeopathic treatment was included as a treatment option in the medical S3 guideline ‘Complementary medicine in the treatment of oncological patients’[7] in 2021. Ernst also deliberately ignores this treatment recommendation from scientific medical societies. (22)
Edzard Ernst is part of a sceptic association and not the international research community
As an activist of the GWUP (23), Ernst is known for the fact that he has not been scientifically active for a long time (24), but regularly tries to discredit those scientists who conduct research into complementary medical procedures. (25) This uncollegial behaviour has meant that Ernst has not been invited to speak at international scientific research congresses on integrative and complementary medicine for a long time. (26) Agitation, however, is no substitute for a fact-based exchange, but prevents dialogue, in this specific case about the meaning of the Bavarian state government’s commitment. Furthermore, polemics do not contribute in the slightest to coming even a small step closer to a solution to the obvious problem of increasing antibiotic resistance (27). As a reputable print medium, WELT is therefore advised to distance itself from Mr Ernst and his comments or to dismiss him.
[1] https://www.ihom.nephrologie.med/de#iHOM-Studie
[2] https://www.dzvhae.de/homoeopathische-arzneimittel-antibiotika-notstand/epi3laser_study_de-18/
[3] https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Service/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2022/06_2022.html
[4] https://www.wallstein-verlag.de/9783835318793-der-deutsche-zentralverein-homoeopathischer-aerzte-im-nationalsozialismus.html
[5] https://www.ikim.unibe.ch/forschung/uebersichten_zum_stand_der_forschung/homoeopathie/index_ger.html
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37805577/
[7] https://register.awmf.org/de/leitlinien/detail/032-055OL
_____________________________________
- If you want to demonstrate how well informed you are, it is always a good idea to start with a falsehood: I left the GWUP about a year ago, a move that created considerable huhah in Germany.
- Wrong again: “The GWUP has set itself the task of promoting science and scientific thinking.”
- My description of the study did not mention that homeopathy was to be used as an add-on. I thought this was obvious (not least because otherwise the study would have not been ethical) but I gladly admit it was my mistake to not spell this out for those who are slow on the uptake.
- These studies merely show that homeopaths tend to prescribe less antiiotics, and the quoted French study was so convincing that the French government promptly ceased the reimbursement of homeopathy.
- I would still argue that my comment is entirely correct here.
- The notion that it might be unethical not to study homeopathy in expensive clinical trials flies in the face of medical ethics.
- Have I been demoted?
- I probably should be flattered to be called an ‘exponend for the skeptic movement’; however, this is far from what I am. I am simply a scientist trying his best to inform the public responsibly.
- In my WELT article, I point out that virtually every respectable panel worldwide looking at the evidence has concluded that homeopathy is a dangerous nonsense. Does that not suggest that my conclusions might be more accurate than those of homeopaths?
- I am all for rigorous research into the over-prescribing of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, etc. – so much so that I would have used the Euro 800 000 not for the nonsensical homeopathy study but for that purpose.
- Do I detect a bit of the ‘Tu quoque’ fallacy here?
- I mentioned the project not primarily because I wanted to discredit homeopathy, but mostly because it was the largest research project ever conducted in homeopathy. Omitting it in a review of the history would have been wrong.
- The Nuremberg Doctors Tribunal tried barely more than a handfull of physicians, while, in total, hundreds had committed crimes agaimst humanity.
- The 1835 study was a placebo-controlled, randomised study; the streptomycin trial was the first to be generally aknowledged.
- From all we know, the results were devastatingly negative, not just “not convincingly in favour”.
- The original files of the project disappeared in the hands of homeopaths after WWII.
- No, I did a review of the history, for which puropose it is inevitable to go back in time.
- Do I detect more ‘Tu quoque’ fallacy here?
- Mea culpa: I should have written: “all previous credible research”.
- Yes, we recently discussed the current state of research on my blog.
- And we also discussed this review; in neither instance were we impressed!
- The guidelines had to rely on the Frass study which has since been disclosed as fraudulent.
- When you issue a falsehood, it is best to repeat it; only then you can make sure to discredit yourself completely.
- And when you tell one lie, you might as well tell a few more (a simple Medline search would have told them that I am ‘research-active’ to the present day!)
- I have often noticed that homeopaths find it tough to accept or even deal with criticism; they thus often prefer to interpret it as a personal attack and discreditation.
- Yes, why not? It’s fun to add yet another falsehood to the hilarious mix of lies and ad hominem attacks!
- A comment in a newspaper cannot possibly find “a solution to the obvious problem of increasing antibiotic resistance”. This has to be found with rigorous research – something homeopaths would not recognise if it bit them in their behinds.
I am, of course, not surprised that the German homeopath did not like my article. Yet, I am truly amazed by their emarrassingly poor (but highly amusing) arguments against me and my comments. I had hoestly thought they had more sense.
It has been reported that Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI. Patel seems to be a scary man. During 2023 appearance on Steve Bannon‘s “War Room” podcast, Patel agreed that Trump is “dead serious” about his intent to seek revenge against his political enemies should he be elected in 2024. Patel stated:
“We will go out and find the conspirators — not just in government, but in the media … we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections … We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice, and Steve, this is why they hate us. This is why we’re tyrannical. This is why we’re dictators … Because we’re actually going to use the Constitution to prosecute them for crimes they said we have always been guilty of but never have.”
Meanwhile, Patel has been flogging a range of very odd products aimed at the MAGA crowd, making hundreds of thousands of dollars from Trump-aligned businesses. In particular, Patel promoted pills that claim to reverse the effects of the Covid-19 vaccine. Marketed under the trademark “Nocovidium,” the pills from a company called ‘Warrior Essentials’ contain a range of ‘natural ingredients none of which has been shown to do anything significant in relation to Covid-19 or vaccines:
“Spike the Vax, order this homerun kit to rid your body of the harms of the vax,” Patel said in a Truth Social post promoting the SCAM remedy. Another advert stated: “You were immune to the propaganda, but are you immune to the shedders.”
The website explains:
“The ingredients are listed above, but they break down into a few distinct categories. Polyamines are the driving force that helps to push the body into autophagy. These are found in many foods and are also in all living organisms. Our formula is designed to give a boost of externally supplied polyamines, while also working to turn your body into a polyamine producing gigafactory. This is done by providing the body the precursors, activators, and synthesizers to ramp up production. The third goal is to inhibit pathogens, including the spike protein, from interfering with the process. It’s a 1-2-3 patent-pending punch. Every ingredient was specifically chosen and balanced for its ability to promote autophagy, polyamine production, the inhibition of factors that can stop the process, or a combination of all three.”
The website even explains how the supplement works: “With regards to the spike protein, the body identifies this as a foreign object, and the autophagy process is designed to help protect your body by completely eliminating items like the spike. Many indicators show that the spike’s ability to block this process may be why the spikes are lasting far longer in the body than anybody ever expected. Our formula was developed to counter these measures allowing the process to complete and the objects, including the spike, identified by the body for removal, to be eliminated.”
Is there any evidence?
One should not ask such probing questions!
Why not?
The answer is as simple as it is scary: “We’re going to come after you!”
We had to deal with Hongchi Xiao several times before:
- Slapping therapy? No thanks!
- China Power and Influence
- Slapping therapy: therapist arrested and charged with manslaughter by gross negligence
Slapping therapy is based on the notion that slapping patients at certain points of their body has positive therapeutic effects. Hongchi Xiao, a Chinese-born investment banker, popularised this SCAM which, he claims, is based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is also known as ‘Paida’—in Chinese, this means ‘to slap your body’. The therapy involves slapping the body surface with a view of stimulating the flow of ‘chi’, the vital energy postulated in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Slapping therapists believe that this ritual restores health and eliminates toxins. They also claim that the bruises which patients tend to develop after the treatment are the visible signs of toxins coming to the surface. Hongchi Xiao advocates slapping as “self-healing method” that should be continued until the skin starts looking bruised. He and his follows conduct workshops and sell books teaching the public which advocate slapping therapy as a panacea, a cure-all. The assumptions of slapping therapy fly in the face of science and are thus not plausible. There is not a single clinical trial testing whether slapping therapy is effective. It must therefore be categorised as unproven.
Now it has been reported that Hongchi Xiao has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman who stopped taking insulin during one of his workshops.
Hongchi Xiao, 61, was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence for failing to get medical help for Danielle Carr-Gomm as she howled in pain and frothed at the mouth during the fourth day of a workshop in October 2016. The Californian healer promoted paida lajin therapy which entails getting patients to slap themselves repeatedly to release “poisonous waste” from the body. The technique has its roots in Chinese medicine and has no scientific basis and patients often end up with bruises, bleeding — or worse.
Xiao had extradited from Australia, where he had been convicted of manslaughter after a 6-year-old boy died when his parents withdrew his insulin medication after attending one of his workshops in Sydney. “I consider you dangerous even though you do not share the characteristics of most other dangerous offenders,” Justice Robert Bright said during sentencing at Winchester Crown Court. “You knew from late in the afternoon of day one of the fact that Danielle Carr-Gomm had stopped taking her insulin. Furthermore, you made it clear to her you supported this.” Bright added Xiao only made a “token effort” to get Carr-Gomm to take her insulin once it was too late and had shown no sign of remorse as he even continued to promote paida lajin in prison.
Carr-Gomm was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1999 and was desperate to find a cure that didn’t involve injecting herself with needles, her son, Matthew, said. She sought out alternative treatments and had attended a previous workshop by Xiao in Bulgaria a few months before her death in which she also became seriously ill after ceasing her medication. However, she recorded a video testimonial, calling Xiao a “messenger sent by God” who was “starting a revolution to put the power back in the hands of the people to cure themselves and to change the whole system of healthcare.”
Xiao had congratulated Carr-Gomm when she told other participants at the English retreat that she had stopped taking her insulin. By day three, Carr-Gomm was “vomiting, tired and weak, and by the evening she was howling in pain and unable to respond to questions,” prosecutor Duncan Atkinson said.
A chef who wanted to call an ambulance said she deferred to those with holistic healing experience. “Those who had received and accepted the defendant’s teachings misinterpreted Mrs. Carr-Gomm’s condition as a healing crisis,” Atkinson said.
______________
A healing crisis?
A crisis of collective stupidity, I’d say!
The ‘Healy’ has featured on this blog before and is thus known to my regulars: The ‘Healy’: deep cellular healing with quantum bollocks. Now the ‘Healy’ has won an award … albeit a negative one: the Austrian Skeptiks necative prize ‘GOLDENES BRETT VORM KOPF’ (Golden Plank before the Head)
Other nomineed for the award were:
- The broadcaster AUF1 TV, which has been categorised as right-wing extremist.
- The Austrian Veterinary Association known to support homeopathy for animals.
At yesterday’s gala in the Vienna City Hall, it was announced that the ‘Healy’ is the proud winner.
A total of 160 nominations were received by the Vienna Sceptics (Gesellschaft für kritisches Denken, GkD), which awards the prize on behalf of the Gesellschaft zur Wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften (GWUP). On the basis of all these nominations, a ‘shortlist’ of three was subsequently agreed upon by the jury.
The organisers explained in their press release that the ‘Healy’ is advertised as a medical device for the treatment of pain, including chronic pain and migraines, as well as for the supportive treatment of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety with a lot of pseudo-scientific phraseology.
A ‘quantum sensor’ allegedly measures the ideal ‘frequency’ of the user and causes a ‘bioenergetic field harmonisation’. However, the ‘quantum sensor’ turns out to be nothing more than a simple infrared diode, available for 20 cents. By contrast, consumers are asked to pay up to 4,500 Euros for the ‘Healy’!
Several research platforms, medical information portals and consumer centres have come to damning conclusions about the device. There is talk of ‘bioresonance scams’, ‘dubious frequency therapy’ for which there is a lack of scientific evidence and an ‘esoteric scam’. In addition to the considerable commercial interest and widespread use, the jury said that the manufacturer’s way of dealing with critics was also decisive for the win.
Having recently favoured the Austrian Veterinary Association (AVA) to win the award, I am in two minds. On the one hand, I am disappointed that the AVA did not make it. On the other hand, having reported about the ‘Healy’s extraordinary quantum bollocks some time ago, I am delighted that a worthy winner has been found and crowned.
This update of a systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of spinal manipulations as a treatment for migraine headaches.
Amed, Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Mantis, Index to Chiropractic Literature, and Cochrane Central were searched from inception to September 2023. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigating spinal manipulations (performed by various healthcare professionals including physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors) for treating migraine headaches in human subjects were considered. Other types of manipulative therapy, i.e., cranial, visceral, and soft tissue were excluded. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence.
Three more RCTs were published since our first review; amounting to a total of 6 studies with 645 migraineurs meeting the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of six trials showed that, compared with various controls (placebo, drug therapy, usual care), SMT (with or without usual care) has no superior effect on migraine intensity/severity measured with a range of instruments (standardized mean difference [SMD] − 0.22, 95% confidence intervals [CI] − 0.65 to 0.21, very low certainty evidence), migraine duration (SMD − 0.10; 95% CI − 0.33 to 0.12, 4 trials, low certainty evidence), or emotional quality of life (SMD − 14.47; 95% CI − 31.59 to 2.66, 2 trials, low certainty evidence) at post-intervention. A meta-analysis of two trials showed that compared with various controls, SMT (with or without usual care) increased the risk of adverse effects (risk ratio [RR] 2.06; 95% CI 1.24 to 3.41, numbers needed to harm = 6; very low certainty evidence). The main reasons for downgrading the evidence were study limitations (studies judged to be at an unclear or high risk of bias), inconsistency (for pain intensity/severity), imprecision (small sizes and wide confidence intervals around effect estimates) and indirectness (methodological and clinical heterogeneity of populations, interventions, and comparators).
We cocluded that the effectiveness of SMT for the treatment of migraines remains unproven. Future, larger, more rigorous, and independently conducted studies might reduce the existing uncertainties.
The only people who might be surprised by these conclusions are chiropractors who continue to advertise and use SMT to treat migraines. Here are a few texts by chiropractors (many including impressive imagery) that I copied from ‘X’ just now (within less that 5 minutes) to back up this last statement:
- So many people are suffering with Dizziness and migraines and do not know what to do. Upper Cervical Care is excellent at realigning the upper neck to restore proper blood flow and nerve function to get you feeling better!
- Headache & Migraine Relief! Occipital Lift Chiropractic Adjustment
- Are migraines affecting your quality of life? Discover effective chiropractic migraine relief at…
- Neck Pain, Migraine & Headache Relief Chiropractic Cracks
- Migraine Miracle: Watch How Chiropractic Magic Erases Shoulder Pain! Y-Strap Adjustments Unveiled
- Tired of letting migraines control your life? By addressing underlying issues and promoting spinal health, chiropractors can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Ready to experience the benefits of chiropractic for migraine relief?
- Did you know these conditions can be treated by a chiropractor? Subluxation, Back Pain, Chronic Pain, Herniated Disc, Migraine Headaches, Neck Pain, Sciatica, and Sports Injuries.
- When a migraine comes on, there is not much you can do to stop it except wait it out. However, here are some holistic and non-invasive tips and tricks to prevent onset. Check out that last one! In addition to the other tips, chiropractic care may prevent migraines in your future!
Evidence-based chiropractic?
MY FOOT!
As long as I can remember, the ‘Austrian ‘Chamber of Veterinarian Medicine’ (CVM) has been a staunch supporter of homeopathy. If anyone doubts this statement, he/she should perhaps have a look at the three courses the CVM offered during the last month alone:
| Datum | PLZ, Ort | Titel |
|---|---|---|
| 05.11.2024 | 123 online | Vortragsreihe Teil 1 – Allgemeine Homöopathie |
| 19.11.2024 | 123 online | Vortragsreihe Teil 2- Allgemeine Homöopathie |
| 23.11.2024 | 9313 St. Georgen am Längsee | EAVH-Grundausbildung Veterinärhomöopathie Modul 11 |
It thus stands to reason that the CVM has been nominated for this year’s satirical award “Goldenes Brett vorm Kopf” (Golden Plank in Front of the Head). You might remember that I reported about this rather hilarious award before when in 2017, it was given to the ‘German Association of Doctor-Homeopaths’
Sadly, the CVM seems somewhat displeased with the nomination and argues that homeopathy is ‘a legally recognised speciality in veterinary practice, and training to become a veterinarian homeopath is an officially recognised and legally enshrined specialisation’. In addition, the CVM insists that the Austrian Supreme Court has ‘clarified in several judgements that homeopathy cannot be classified as pseudoscience’.
Moreover, the CVM rejects the claim that it threatened critics of homeopathywith legal action and states that it attaches ‘great importance to upholding professional ethics’ and considers ‘collegiality, respect and the avoidance of exposure’ to be key principles.
On the CVM’s website, we also find the following statement (my translation):
“Homeopathy has been used worldwide for more than 200 years. Since then, it has not only proven its worth in the treatment of humans, but has also been successfully used in livestock and domestic animal husbandry.”
The people in charge of the CVM are evidently not keen readers of my blog. If they had shown a little interest in the actual evidence, they would have realised that veterinary homeopathy is bogus that often borders on animal abuse, e.g.:
- Veterinary homeopathy is without effect … but not without risk.
- Post hoc ergo homeopathy – the sad story of homeopathically mistreated penguins
- Homeopathy for canine oral papillomatosis: a ‘proof’ that homeopathy works?
- SCAM for animals. Part 1: homeopathy
- Good news regarding homeopathy for animals: RCVS POSITION ON CAM
- Homeopathy for bovine mastitis? HOW MUCH MORE EVIDENCE IS NEEDED BEFORE HOMEOPATHS ABANDON THEIR BOGUS CLAIM?
- A new RCT tests homeopathy in cats … and the results are unsurprisingly negative
- And again: no good evidence that homeopathy works in animals
- Homeopathy as a way of reducing antibiotic use in livestock ?
- Homeopathy works for animals – so it can’t be a placebo!
- So-called alternative medicine (SCAM) for animals is not evidence-based and borders on animal abuse
- Homeopathic Arnica more than trebles the length of analgesia in dogs – SHOULD WE BELIEVE IT?
The final winner of the ‘award’ will be announced at the award ceremony on Monday (2 December) in Vienna. We will see whether the CVM is victorious in obtaining this year’s award. There is – as always – fierce competition. For my part, I feel that merely the CVM’s reaction to getting nominated renders them a well-deserving winner.
Fingers crossed!
