Medicare is paying for nonsense. I recently wrote about the free preventive medicine appointments offered by Medicare. Those are worthwhile and are based on good science, but I was surprised to see that Medicare sometimes departs from rigorously science-based standards. They also cover alternative medicine treatments based on fantasy. Chiropractic According… read more "Medicare and Alternative Medicine"
Geriatric Preventive Medicine Appointments Covered by Medicare
Medicare offers free preventive medicine visits for those over 65: the Welcome to Medicare visit and the Annual Wellness Visit. Increased awareness of these benefits would improve health care, save taxpayer money, and reduce inequities of preventive medicine care for underserved populations. Welcome to Medicare The Welcome to Medicare visit… read more "Geriatric Preventive Medicine Appointments Covered by Medicare"
Penicillin Allergy?
Are you one of the 10 percent of Americans who report being allergic to penicillin? Did you know that less than 1 percent of the population are truly allergic? Did you know that 80 percent of people with true IgE-mediated penicillin allergy lose their sensitivity after ten years? Did you realize… read more "Penicillin Allergy?"
Tomasz Witkowski Busts More Myths
Tomasz Witkowski has written another book filled with skepticism and critical thinking. Tomasz Witkowski is a Polish psychologist and skeptic (founder of the Polish Skeptics Club) who is well known for pointing out the lack of scientific evidence behind most of what psychologists do. I have reviewed three of his… read more "Tomasz Witkowski Busts More Myths"
The Plant Paradox: Steven Gundry’s War on Lectins
Most of what Steven Gundry says in his book The Plant Paradox is demonstrably wrong. There is no science-based reason to avoid lectins. A correspondent asked me to review a book by Steven Gundry, The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain. I intended to reserve… read more "The Plant Paradox: Steven Gundry’s War on Lectins"
The Bobath Concept for Cerebral Palsy and Stroke Rehabilitation
The Bobath approach, also known as Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) is widely used for cerebral palsy and stroke rehabilitation, but it’s not supported by good evidence. In the US, the Bobath Concept is known as Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT). Patients with cerebral palsy, stroke, and other central nervous system pathology have dysfunction… read more "The Bobath Concept for Cerebral Palsy and Stroke Rehabilitation"
Race and Medicine
In medicine, there is a long tradition of starting case presentations with a three-part description of the patient’s age, sex, and race. “This 53-year-old White woman presented to the ER with abdominal pain.” “The patient is a 50-year-old Black man with chest pain.” In December 2021 two doctors wrote a… read more "Race and Medicine"
Neuroplasticity Nonsense Is Full of Red Flags
Adora Winquist offers advice about neuroplasticity, but hers is not the language of science or reality. Neuroplasticity is real and is being used in rehabilitation. We have learned that the adult brain can grow new neurons and the brain can be re-wired to function in new ways. In a recent email… read more "Neuroplasticity Nonsense Is Full of Red Flags"
Joovv and Other Red Light Therapies
The Joovv Go is a handheld device for red light therapy. Red light therapy remains controversial: most of the claims are not supported by credible scientific evidence. I recently received an email urging me to try the Joovv Go, a small handheld device designed to provide red light therapy while… read more "Joovv and Other Red Light Therapies"
Supplements: Misguided Marketing
If marketers want to persuade me to take a dietary supplement, they are going about it the wrong way. A typical recent email said I could fight aging, boost immunity, and feel energized with doctor-endorsed NMN supplement Elevant. They even offered to send me free samples. Probably worth the price!… read more "Supplements: Misguided Marketing"