Consumer Reports and credulity towards alternative medicine
?Since I was a teenager, I've intermittently read Consumer Reports , relying on it for guidance in all manner of purchase decisions. CR has been known for rigorous testing of all manner of consumer products and the rating of various services, arriving at its rankings through a systematic testing method that, while not necessarily bulletproof, has been far more organized and consistent than most other ranking systems. True, I haven't always agreed with CR's rankings of products and services about which I know a lot, but at the very least CR has often made me think about how much of my assessments are based on objective measures and how much on subjective measures.
Until now.
I just saw something yesterday on the CR website that has made me wonder just how scientific CR's testing methods are, as CR has apparently decided to promote alternative medicine modalities by "assessing" them in an utterly scientifically ignorant manner. Maybe I just haven't been following CR regularly for a while. Maybe it's been doing this for a while, but seeing it shocked me nonetheless. The first red flag was the title, namely Hands-on, mind-body therapies beat supplements . The second red flag was the introduction to the article:
A new survey of subscribers to Consumer Reports found that prescription drugs generally performed better than alternative therapies for 12 common health problems. But hands-on treatments such as chiropractic care and deep-tissue massage, as well as mind-body therapies such as yoga and meditation, held their own, especially for certain conditions. Far fewer said that dietary supplements helped a lot.Prescription drugs helped the most for nine of the conditions we asked about: allergies, anxiety, colds and flu, depression, digestive problems, headache and migraine, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, and osteoarthritis.
But chiropractic care performed better than drugs for back pain, and deep-tissue massage beat drugs for neck pain. Massage was as also as good as drugs for fibromyalgia. Those hands-on therapies also scored near the top for osteoarthritis as well as for headaches and migraines.
Clearly, whatever rigorous testing methodologies CR might bring to various products, its editors clearly have zero clue when it comes to science- and evidence-based medicine if they think that a survey is the appropriate way to determine which treatments work or how well treatments work relative to each other.
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Massage was as also as good as drugs for fibromyalgia. Those hands-on therapies also scored near the top for osteoarthritis as well as for headaches and migraines. Clearly, whatever rigorous testing methodologies CR might bring to various products,
Like CFS/fibromyalgia pain, brain fog responds well to treatment. The problem is largely that most physicians are simply not trained in these illnesses. Most of these treatments can be done on your own, and you can ask your physician to assist with
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Finding A Fibromyalgia Treatment Center | Health Condition Center
When first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia it is understandable to feel dejected and confused enough to want to withdraw from others and life as you know it. It can be very overwhelming to find out that the debilitating symptoms you’ve been experiencing can’t be ‘fixed’. However, depression and anxiety are your worst enemies as they can lead to increased pain so its very important to simply ride this feeling and not allow it to take control of you. You will need to take matters into your own hand and discover as much as your can about the condition. This is where finding a dedicated Fibromyalgia treatment center can be extremely beneficial.
It is very important to have the support and understanding of others. If you feel unready to face your friends and family, the experts and other individuals coping with Fibromyalgia can be of great help. This is why each individual who suffers from Fibromyalgia should find a Fibromyalgia treatment center that they can go to and count on.
After discussing the available medical treatments with your doctor, he or she will probably give you a list of possible centers you can contact. One of those on the list could be the Fibromyalgia treatment center for you. If your doctor doesn’t offer a list to you, be sure to ask for one and ask for recommendations too.
Since Fibromyalgia is still largely a mysterious condition, even to the medical community, it is beneficial to try and find an organization or doctor who specializes in treatments aimed specifically at fibromyalgia patients.
You probably won’t find a dedicated treatment center in every city, however there are a number based throughout the United States and most will accept medical insurance. Before contacting the treatment center, it pays to speak to your health insurance company and establish just what they are willing to pay for, as treatments can be expensive.
The majority of treatment centers offer programs especially for people from out of town whereby they arrange all the assessments and treatments to be on consecutive days to avoid extra travelling and accommodation expenses.
Keep reading for more information on treatment centers and to sign up for the free Fibromyalgia newsletter aimed at treating fibromyalgia naturally.
The Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers (FFC) have treatment facilities in 14 cities and offer tailored regimes that use holistic, integrated and comprehensive treatments aimed at tackling the underlying contributing factors.
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