Saturday, September 01, 2018

What can we learn from "Quack" Medicines, Medical Devices, and Therapy?


What's the difference between Alternative Medical Devices and Quack Medical Devices?  It depends on who you ask!
  • Satisfied patients who have found relief in such devices will say the devices are Alternative/Complementary Therapy, that maybe even a doctor recommended. (Anecdotal Evidence)
  • Purists who ignore Anecdotal Evidence and only accept Scientific Evidence will say the devices are Quackery.
Like it or not, Alternative/Complementary Medical (CAM) Devices are here to stay, despite being called Quackery, by some.  This is shown by the huge, and growing, CAM market.


 

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, here's a list of Complementary/Alternative Medicine/Therapy/etc.

Now to the learning parts:
  • First and most important - Some past/present CAM modalities are just not safe.  Why not make them safe for patient use - via redesign, instructions, etc.?


  • Healthcare professionals, e.g. doctors, could help patients find relief from symptoms when science does not provide relief - if they wanted to and were not bound by peer ethics.


Quiz - Is it more important to provide "relief in any way" to patients, especially those with chronic symptoms, e.g. pain,  or only provide scientifically proven methods of relief?


Clue - Try taking a copper magnetic bracelet away from a patient finding relief from pain from this bracelet.


There you have it.  Let's get to work!

References -

The placebo effect in alternative medicine: can the ... - NCBI - NIH

Placebo effect behind many natural cures - Health - Alternative ...

Placebo Effects: Biological, Clinical and Ethical Advances - NCBI - NIH

The ethics of the placebo in clinical practice | Journal of Medical Ethics

Is Alternative Medicine Just a Placebo? | Psychology Today

Do medical devices have enhanced placebo effects? - Semantic Schola

Welcome to The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices Online ...

Quack Medical - Spark Museum

Ridiculous Vintage Quack Medical Devices | Medical Billing

Alternative "Quack" Medical Devices

The Big Quack Attack: Medical Devices - Device Watch

Part IV: Regulating Cosmetics, Devices, and Veterinary Medicine After ...

The Literature of Quackery: Amusement and Understanding - OHSU

Medical Quackery!

The Quack Doctor

Questionable Device Index - Quackwatch

museum of quack medical electrotherapy instruments - W1TP ...

Quackery - Wikipedia

Anecdotal evidence - Wikipedia

Scientific evidence - Wikipedia

Safe Use of Complementary Health Products and Practices | NCCIH

The other side of the coin: safety of complementary and alternative ...

The placebo effect is amplified when doctors appear likeable and ...

Should Doctors Use More Placebos? - Medscape

Snake Oil, Hustlers and Hambones: The American Medicine Show

 

 

 

Article is for information only and is not medical advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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