Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo-woo in medicine.

Using the fear of Ebola to promote the placebo legislation that is “right to try” (David Gorski)   Proposed “right-to-try” bills capitalize on fears that the FDA is withholding cures from desperately ill people, and now on fears of Ebola. Existing laws already allow for compassionate use of experimental drugs; and anyway, state laws are likely to be ignored at the federal level. Even the financial aspects of “right-to-try” legislation are disturbing, offering no protection to those who suffer adverse effects of treatment, and providing access only to those who can afford the considerable expense. 

Conspiracy theories and Ebola virus transmission (David Gorski)   Ebola quarantine policies are being questioned, and conspiracy theories are running wild. The CDC is alleged to have lied about Ebola transmission, denying that it can be spread by airborne droplets. This is due to a misunderstanding about droplet size and the difference between airborne transmission and droplet transmission; some droplets can stay airborne but are not infectious. To catch Ebola, direct contact with infected body fluids is required.

Can Airrosti Really Resolve Most Chronic Pain in Just Three Visits? (Harriet Hall)   Airrosti is an organization that claims amazing success in treating musculoskeletal pain. They use myofascial release and other treatments that are not supported by scientific evidence. They advertise that they have “extensive third-party research” proving Airrosti is the most effective, efficient, and affordable option; they don’t have any such thing.

False Memory Syndrome Alive and Well (Steven Novella)  Recovered memory syndrome was a massive failure on the part of the mental health profession that peaked in the 1980s. The myth of repressed memories of sexual abuse was used to explain all kinds of symptoms, leading to ruined lives and criminal convictions of innocent people. A recent survey shows that the majority of clinical psychologists continue to hold these false beliefs. 

Naturopathy vs. Science: Fake Diseases (Scott Gavura)   Naturopaths diagnose Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome in healthy people whose temperatures are on the low side of the normal range and treat them inappropriately with thyroid hormone. It is an invented pseudoscientific fake disease, like many other fake diseases diagnosed by naturopaths, such as adrenal fatigue, multiple chemical sensitivity, Morgellons, chronic candida, and “chronic” Lyme disease.

More Fear-Based Practice Building: Shaken Baby Syndrome and Chiropractic (Clay Jones)  “Shaken baby syndrome,” or abusive head trauma, is a devastating form of child abuse.  In order to increase their business, chiropractors have frightened parents with blatant misinformation, claiming that normal play activities like bouncing a child on one’s knee can injure the brain and spine, and that chiropractic adjustments are necessary to correct subluxations in infants and young children.

Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo-woo in medicine.

Brian Hooker and Andrew Wakefield accuse the CDC of scientific fraud. Irony meters everywhere explode. (David Gorski)   Brian Hooker and Andrew Wakefield wrote a complaint to the CDC alleging fraud, based on the revelations of “whistleblower” William Thompson and on Hooker’s reanalysis of an MMR/autism study; they neglected to mention that Hooker’s article had been retracted by the journal that published it. The “whistleblower” accusations of CDC misconduct have not been substantiated, and even if true they would not change the scientific consensus; but they have nevertheless encouraged anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.

A little shameless self-promotion and a plea (David Gorski)  Dr. Gorski was a guest on Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe and will be speaking at Skepticon; he encourages donations to Skepticon.

Mirror Neurons and the Pitfalls of Brain Research (Harriet Hall)  Much has been made of “mirror neurons,” brain cells that respond to both a person’s own actions and to seeing another person performing the same actions. In a new book, Gregory Hickok explains how the research went wrong, why mirrors neurons are a myth, and how new studies and other interpretations of old data are likely to lead to a more realistic understanding of how communication and cognition really work.

Salk’s swansong: renaissance of the injected polio vaccine (Ed Parker)  To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jonas Salk, developer of the first polio vaccine, an epidemiologist reviews the history of polio, the indispensable roles of both the oral and the injectable vaccines, and the success of vaccine campaigns that have eradicated the disease from much of the globe.

SBM on Wikipedia in Every Language (Steven Novella)   The web is an indispensable source of information, but is also a tool to promote ideology and commercial interests. With this blog and the Society for Science-Based Medicine, we are trying to provide complete, accurate, and fair information about science-based medicine; and Wikipedia is another vital project that aims to do the same. Several projects are underway to improve Wikipedia and to translate important medical pages into other languages. There are ways you, too, can contribute.

Quackery: A $10 Billion Scandal (Jann Bellamy)   An excellent and comprehensive report on quackery was issued by a House of Representatives committee in 1984, saying many of the same things we say here on Science-Based Medicine. The government and the medical experts who prepared that report have since devolved from science to pseudoscience and have encouraged integration of quackery into medical practice. We should have heeded that report; instead, we have gone terribly astray.

Infinite Variety? (Mark Crislip)  Acupuncture is infinite in its variety. The list of different acupuncture methods is lengthy, ranging from traditional Chinese acupuncture with needles to Tong Ren acupuncture with hammers and voodoo dolls. Acupuncture is a theatrical placebo consisting of a multitude of one-act plays, all farce.