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Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

In Singapore, the TCM Practitioners Board shows why quacks shouldn’t self-regulate

In Singapore, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner treated a diabetic for “yang deficiency” by applying a heatlamp to his foot. The diabetic suffered a burn that didn’t heal and lost his foot. The TCM Practitioners Board did almost nothing, showing that quacks can’t self-regulate.

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Bad science Computers and social media Medicine Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine, take 5: But it won the Nobel Prize!

Ivermectin continues to be the new hydroxychloroquine, an unproven repurposed drug promoted to treat COVID-19. Now the advocates are pointing to the history of the drug’s developers being awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine, as though that has anything to do with its effectiveness against COVID-19.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Integrative medicine Medicine Politics

NCCIH strategic plan 2021-25: Same ol’, same ol’, with a devious twist

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health recently released its latest 5 year strategic plan. It’s basically the same as the last strategic plan, but with one new addition. It’s not really a new addition, but it signals a resurrection of an old trope about “integrating” quackery with science-based medicine.

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Antivaccine nonsense Homeopathy Medicine Quackery

Larry Cook: A time warp cornucopia of antivax quackery

Larry Cook is a longtime antivaxxer turned anti-COVID-19 vaccine. This month, he updated his “vaccine injury treatment guide.” It’s pure quackery. Same as it ever was.

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Medicine Politics Pseudoscience Quackery

Mao triumphant: The World Health Organization officially embraces traditional Chinese medicine quackery

Seven decades ago, Chairman Mao Zedong began promoting traditional Chinese medicine and its “integration” with science-based medicine. His long game has paid off, and he has triumphed, thanks to WHO, which has formally approved integrating mystical and pseudoscientific TCM codes to the new ICD-11.