Guest guest Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 I thought I would mention something too about this subject. I also practice chiropractic and chiropractic has many of the same problems with scepticism and the AMA's gold standard of double-blind controlled studies being the only thing that it considers worthwhile. In chiropractic, the technique, art and science do not lend very well to perfectly controlled studies and the same problem with 'sham' adjustments giving similar results as real ones. One movement in chiro. science has been to use Outcome Assessments. Doing studies and anectdotal work showing over and over and over what is the outcome for the patient when they receive chiropractic care? Do their symptoms go away? Do they feel better? Is their quality of life better? If we show, and so far it looks really good, that people have a better quality of life if they go to an acupuncurist or chiropractor the news will hopefully spread through our society and more people will value the work and may even enough that AMA trained physicians will agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Dr. Brian, I think that you are really on to something. I think you are right that this is the grease that keeps the alternative medicine wheel spinning. I just do not think that it is necessarily correct to call it 'medicine' - that is, if feeling better and enjoying a better quality of life are the subjective points of measurement. One could apply this same logic to religion. If going to church makes people " feel " better and gives individuals a better " quality " of life, then this may be taken as proof (or at least evidence) that Jesus Really Is the Son of God. Otherwise, why would people feel better by praying to Him? It is a false logic to say that because people feel better by having acupuncture or chiropractic that it is medically valid. EM Chinese Medicine , " Brian J. Harasha, D.C. " <bharasha wrote: > > I thought I would mention something too about this subject. I also practice chiropractic and chiropractic has many of the same problems with scepticism and the AMA's gold standard of double-blind controlled studies being the only thing that it considers worthwhile. In chiropractic, the technique, art and science do not lend very well to perfectly controlled studies and the same problem with 'sham' adjustments giving similar results as real ones. One movement in chiro. science has been to use Outcome Assessments. Doing studies and anectdotal work showing over and over and over what is the outcome for the patient when they receive chiropractic care? Do their symptoms go away? Do they feel better? Is their quality of life better? If we show, and so far it looks really good, that people have a better quality of life if they go to an acupuncurist or chiropractor the news will hopefully spread through our society and more people will value the work and > may even enough that AMA trained physicians will agree. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 I hope that, like you say, that you are just playing 'devil's advocate'. Chinese medicine is a medical system, not a 'feel good' spa. Chinese medicine is not just based on improving quality of life, although it can do that very well. I have seven children. My four youngest children have been raised since birth to maturity without any antibiotics, thanks to acupuncture and herbal medicine. Every cold, flu, virus, or infection has been resolved with herbal medicine. I have treated thousands of people with herbal medicine for such conditions, with similar results, and so have many of my colleagues. If more people chose Chinese medicine for such conditions as respiratory infections, we could save the antibiotics for those serious situations where they are of true value, instead of wasting them on viral conditions where they do more harm than good. Infections do not respond just to 'belief'. They respond to accurately prescribed treatments, and they either get better or do not. On Jan 18, 2008, at 9:06 AM, establishment_man wrote: > Dr. Brian, > > I think that you are really on to something. I think you are right > that this is the grease that keeps the alternative medicine wheel > spinning. > > I just do not think that it is necessarily correct to call > it 'medicine' - that is, if feeling better and enjoying a better > quality of life are the subjective points of measurement. > > One could apply this same logic to religion. If going to church makes > people " feel " better and gives individuals a better " quality " of > life, then this may be taken as proof (or at least evidence) that > Jesus Really Is the Son of God. Otherwise, why would people feel > better by praying to Him? > > It is a false logic to say that because people feel better by having > acupuncture or chiropractic that it is medically valid. > > EM Chair, Department of Herbal Medicine Pacific College of Oriental Medicine San Diego, Ca. 92122 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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