Current Trends in Quackery

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Current Trends in Quackery

• Stephen Barrett, M.D.

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Todays Objectives

• Understanding of quackerys dangers
• Awareness of threats towards science-based health
  care
• Improved ability to make personal health
  decisions
• Increased awareness of reliable information
  sources

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Definition of Quackery

• Promotion of unsubstantiated methods that lack a
  scientifically plausible rationale
• Prevalence depends on what one includes

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How Quackery Harms(Quackery is never harmless!)

• Economic
• Direct physical harm
• Indirect harm (failure to get appropriate
  treatment)
• Psychological
• Harm to society

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Cancer Quackery Victim
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Vulnerability to Quackery

• Lack of suspicion
• Belief in magic
• Overconfidence
• Alienated
• Desperate

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Misconceptions about Quackery

• Quackery is easy to spot.
• Personal experience is the best way to tell
  whether something works.
• Most victims of quackery are easy to fool.
• Quackery's victims deserve what they get.
• All quacks are frauds and crooks.
• Government protects us.
• Quackery's success represents medicine's failure.
  
• "Alternative" methods have moved toward the
  scientific mainstream.

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Classification of AlternativeMethods

• Genuine Comparable methods that have met
  science-based criteria for safety and
  effectivenessExperimental Unproven but have a
  plausible rationale and are undergoing
  responsible investigation
• Questionable Groundless and lack a
  scientifically plausible rationale

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CAM Systems

• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic
• Herbal medicine
• Homeopathy
• Iridology
• Naturopathy

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Acupuncture

• Fanciful theory
• No effect on the course of disease
• Few practical uses
• Most practitioners are poorly trained
• Associated with improper diagnoses and
  inappropriate herbal treatment
• Stay away from certified acupuncturists

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Biomeridian Device

Test probe
Test plate
Electrode
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Biomeridian Device

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Chiropractics Basic Theory

• Vertebral Subluxations are displacements of the
  spinal bones (vertebrae) that can cause
  endangering stress to your spinal cord and
  nervous system.
• These subluxations are often due to poor sleeping
  habits, poor posture, strenuous exercise,
  injuries, auto accidents, sports, slips or falls,
  and the birthing process itself.
• Chiropractic adjustments are very helpful in
  correcting these subluxations and restoring
  optimal health.

Subluxation
Normal nerve
Pinched nerve
Normal nerve
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Chiropractic Nerve Chart

• Spinal misalignments may result in the conditions
  shown below
• 2C sinus troubles, allergies, crossed eyes,
  deafness, eye troubles, earache, fainting spells,
  certain cases of blindness
• 2L appendicitis, cramps, acidosis, varicose
  veins
• 10T kidney troubles, hardening of the arteries,
  chronic tiredness, nephritis, pyelitis

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Chiropractic Newspaper Ad
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Applied Kinesiology
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Chiropractic Problems

• Excessive treatment
• Preventative maintenance
• Opposition to immunization
• Stroke from neck manipulation
• Too many x-rays
• Unlimited scope
• Inappropriate nutrition advice

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Danger of Neck Manipulation
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Homeopathy

• Law of similars Like cures like.
• Effectiveness determined by provings, most of
  which were done 100 to 200 years ago.
• The greater the dilution, the more powerful the
  effect.
• Dilution may be below Avogadros number (1.063 x
  1023).

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Oscillococcinum
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Homeopathy Ultradilution

• 200C 1 part in 100200
• 200C At least one molecule of the original
  substance dissolved in a minimum of
  1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
  000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules of
  water.
• This would require a container more than
  30,000,000,000 times the size of the Earth.

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Reflexology
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Tooth Chart 1Acupuncture points allegedly
related to dentition
Source Academy of General Dentistry Web site
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The Herbal Minefield

• Misinformation abounds
• Few have been adequately studied
• Most products dont work
• Those that work may not be practical to use
• Quality control is unreliable
• Side effects and interactions can be a problem
• Most practitioners are not adequately trained

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Iridology Camera
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Iridology Chart
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Cancer Scare Tactics
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Cancer Old Ad
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Cancer Testimonials Not Reliable

• The patient never had cancer.

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Lorraine Day, M.D.
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Diagnoses

• Candidiasis hypersensitivity
• Enzyme deficiency (generalized)
• Mercury illness
• Multiple chemical sensitivity
• Parasites

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MCS Victim
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Chelation Therapy
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Hal Huggins Ad
of Sequential Removal.
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Therapeutic Touch
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Emily Rosas Experiment
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Multilevel Marketing (MLM)

• Most products have little or no appropriate use
• Those that do are overpriced
• Vast majority of distributors make no significant
  income
• Professionals who can sell to a captive
  audience can profit, but the process is unethical

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Kevin Trudeau

• Enjoined by FTC
• Banned from selling products other than
  publications
• Published best-seller
• Convicted felon

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Kevin Trudeau says

• There are natural cures for every disease.
• Our government and drug companies are conspiring
  to keep information from the public.
• Drugs do not cure any disease.
• Everyone is full of toxins and nutrient
  deficient.
• If you have no toxins nor deficiencies or
  electromagnetic chaos or stress, you cannot have
  any disease.
• Vaccines are loaded with poisons. Those who get
  vaccines are more likely to get sick than those
  who do not.
• Have all amalgam fillings removed.

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Weight Control MethodsFTCs 7 Red Flags

• Cause weight loss of 2 pounds or more a week for
  a month or more without dieting or exercise
• Cause substantial weight loss no matter what or
  how much the consumer eats
• Cause permanent weight loss (even when the
  consumer stops using product)
• Block the absorption of fat or calories to enable
  consumers to lose substantial weight
• Safely enable consumers to lose more than 3
  pounds per week for more than 4 weeks
• Cause substantial weight loss for all users
• Cause substantial weight loss by wearing it on
  the body or rubbing it into the skin
• A cancer was cured or put into remission by
  proven therapy, but questionable therapy was also
  used and erroneously credited for the beneficial
  result
• The cancer is progressing but is erroneously
  represented as slowed or cured.
• The patient has died as a result of the cancer
  (or is lost to follow-up) but is represented as
  cured.
• The patient had a spontaneous remission (very
  rare) or slow-growing cancer that is publicized
  as a cure.

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Hair Analysis
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Hair Analysis
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Live Cell Analysis
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AANC Professional Membership
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Rational Use of Supplements

• Inadequate diet
• Infants and toddlers
• Strict vegetarians
• Folic acid?
• Calcium?
• Iron?
• B12 over age 50

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Florsheim MagneForceShoes

• Physicists estimate that because the earth has
  lost some of its electromagnetic field over the
  past 4,000 years, it is possible that some of us
  suffer from a magnetic deficiency.

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Ionic Foot Baths
Falsely claimed to release toxins
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Customized Vitamins
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Lack of Yardsticks

• News Media
• Accreditation
• Medical schools and hospitals
• Journals
• Government agencies

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Reliable Information Sources

• Consumer Reports on Health
• FDA Consumer Magazine
• Merck Manual
• Quackwatch / Dental Watch
• National Council Against Health Fraud
• Internet Health Pilot

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Quackwatch Web Site
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