Adrian G.

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The Guardian and Dr Kase's magic tape

Adrian G. posted an article on - Jul 3, 2011, 3:13 pm
Apparently, around 30 years ago a chiropractor called ‘Dr’ Kenzo Kase invented a ‘magic tape’ that can work all sorts of wonders on muscles and joints.  Rather than being a stiff, supportive, structure, it allegedly mimics the flexibility of skin. Today, the science section of the guardian...
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Bowen Therapy – all fingers and thumbs

Adrian G. posted an article on - Jun 19, 2011, 11:49 am
I stumbled across Bowen Therapy (aka Bowen Technique, Bowen Work) a few years ago when the other half decided to give it a try.  She found it relaxing and felt it provided a little immediate relief that was soon gone.  Essentially, it was worthless as a treatment for what was ailing her. This the...
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The King's New Medicine: on the soporific effect of homeopathy

Adrian G. posted an article on - Jun 10, 2011, 4:22 pm
This is the story of the King’s new clothes. Now there was once a king who was absolutely insane about new clothes and one day, two swindlers came to sell him what they said was a magic suit of clothes. Now, they held up this particular garment and they said, “Your Majesty, this is a magic s...
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Measles, vaccination and homeopaths

Adrian G. posted an article on - May 30, 2011, 8:03 am
Measles is in the news again.  Just to provide a little context, the graph above shows the number of confirmed measles cases in England and Wales since 1996*. The impact of insufficient vaccine coverage is easy to see. This year is looking like being a good year for measles; not so good for vulne...
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Quantumwave laser quackery

Adrian G. posted an article on - May 23, 2011, 3:32 pm
I’ve wanted to revisit the world of low level laser therapy (LLLT) for a while.*.  Back in early 2009 I gave this therapy a look, after I came across the story of a woman in New Zealand who died from breast cancer after being ‘treated’ with a decidedly quackish variant of LLLT, called “Biop...
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Red light redux

Adrian G. posted an article on - May 18, 2011, 3:20 pm
Three years ago I investigated claims that were being made for a red-light phototherapy device, marketed as a hay fever treatment by Lloydspharmacy.  The claims were based on a single, small, un-replicated trial with blinding problems (Neuman and Finkelstein, 1997).  Given that this is the hay fe...
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Fantasy physics and energy medicine

Adrian G. posted an article on - May 6, 2011, 4:36 pm
I’ve heard it said that, unlike the medical world, there is no such beast as alternative physics.  Whilst it’s true that made up* nonsense hasn’t penetrated physics education and practice in the same way as it has medicine, there is no shortage of people indulging in fantasy physics.  Perpet...
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Editing reality

Adrian G. posted an article on - Aug 28, 2010, 11:38 am
I really hope that this is the last post I write about the homeoprophylaxis campaign against Leptospirosis in Cuba during 2007 – 2008 (Bracho et al, 2010).  Deep down I know that this uncontrolled, un-randomised poorly-reported trial published in a terrible pseudojournal, dealing with a highly va...
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Here Is the News

Adrian G. posted an article on - Aug 12, 2010, 3:21 pm
These days scientific papers are often accompanied by a press release.  It gives the journal or institution at which the work was done a chance to highlight what they think the main message from the work is.  Some might even see it as applying some PR spin.  The recent paper on a trial of homeopa...
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Much ado about nothing

Adrian G. posted an article on - Aug 8, 2010, 8:59 am
So, the much-trailed* paper on the homeopathic intervention in an outbreak of Leptospirosis in Cuba during 2007 has finally been published (Bracho et al, 2010) along with a very useful companion editorial (Roniger and Jacobs, 2010). The editorial claims that, “the size of the population treated a...
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Keen on neem?

Adrian G. posted an article on - Aug 2, 2010, 10:54 am
Neem is a tree of the mahogany family.  Various claims have been made for its health-giving properties.  As the Abha Light organisation seems keen on neem as an anti-malarial, I decided to do a brief review of the literature.  What follows is a commentary based on searching PubMed for ‘neem and...
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Deluded and Dangerous

Adrian G. posted an article on - Jul 31, 2010, 4:22 pm
I recently stumbled across a paper describing the work of the Abha Light organisation – a group of particularly dangerous homeopaths treating malaria in Kenya with homeopathy, and disparaging proper medicine for good measure. It should go without saying that malaria is a serious, potentially fata...
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Reflexology and sub-fertility

Adrian G. posted an article on - Jun 2, 2010, 6:36 pm
I had never come across the baffling concept of “reproductive reflexology” until a local practitioner had a leaflet popped through my letterbox.  They rather fetchingly style themselves “foothold reflexology”.  The leaflet’s major theme is to suggest that reflexology can help with pregna...
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Naturopaths angry up the blood

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
You might have thought that the oxygen in your blood came from taking air into the lungs, which extract oxygen and deliver it into the blood pumped into the lungs by the heart.  I certainly did. Then again, I don’t have a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) degree in Naturopathy.   Annelie Whitfiel...
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The emperor's new gym

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
I have recently returned from an excellent holiday in sunny Spain.  Predictably, my first Monday back at work was a bit of a trial.  It was a training day to support the implementation of a new performance management system.  Not the most enjoyable part of my working life, but fair enough. How...
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A homeopathic refutation – part three

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
In the third part of my series examining an attempted refutation of the critics of homeopathy (Milgrom, 2009) I look at the claim that homeopathy has a serious scientific foundation. Dilute Science This part of the essay starts by outlining a common criticism levelled at the most common form of ho...
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A homeopathic refutation – part two

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
This post is the second in a series examining the claims made in a recent essay that seeks, in part, to refute common criticisms of homeopathy (Milgrom, 2009).  I have already examined the empty assertions about evidence for clinically useful specific effects.  Now, I would like to move on to exam...
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A homeopathic refutation – part one

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
Lionel Milgrom recently had an essay published defending homeopathy (Milgrom, 2009).  It’s available on the Homeopathy World Community website.  In it, he notes the current parlous state of homeopathy as a mainstream medical intervention in the UK and seeks to do two things: (1) refute what he i...
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Homeopath says what ….

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
A while ago* I came across the British Homeopathic Dental Association (BHDA).  Their website makes some amazing claims.  I decided to see what they would offer to substantiate just one of them: the claim that, “Homeopathy will give you Remedies that will cure ulcers cold sores etc”  ...
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Cooking up arthritis treatments

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
One of the things about the complimentary and alternative medicine industry I like least is spurious claims to be able to treat arthritis.  Several of my nearest and dearest are severely afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  I have seen them exasperated by people who, usually with the best of...
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Chiropractic care and treatment for scoliosis

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
Oh the joys of spam!  It’s usually very annoying, but just occasionally it provides a useful stimulus for a bit of investigation.  This turned out to be the case when a link to an article (oddly) on the Weight Loss Health Ways … Healthy Ways to Loose Weight website advocating Chiropractic care...
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Tell 'em about the honey …

Adrian G. posted an article on - Dec 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
According to Annelie Whitfield, the presenter of Channel 4′s ‘The Kitchen Pharmacy” honey is hydrating.  In an episode featuring what she calls “anti-aging” treatments, she makes an “Avocado Face Mask” with avocado and probiotic yoghurt.  Finally she adds ...
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