Many of us can identify with this situation; you’re arguing with someone online about the efficacy of some alternative health treatment. You could be debating chiropractic, vaccines, or quantum energy healing, but one tactic is often the same; the person you’re chatting politely with suddenly throws down a barrage of links to studies that they claim show that their treatment/product of choice WORKS.
If you’re like me, you sigh, and, if you’re feeling particularly energetic, you post your own list of citations saying exactly the opposite.
Because really, who has the time, or the inclination, or the skills, to look up every single one of those studies and analyze the methodology or the interpretations? Especially when there are not one, not two, but twenty one studies given to support their claim?
Kim Hebert, that’s who. In a serendipitous convergence of the knowledge, tenacity and free time required to research the twenty one papers that Naturopath Bryce Wylde submitted as his favourite studies on homeopathy, Kim has provided a summary of each and every one.
As Mr. Wylde took the time to respond to criticism with a list of citations that are his favourite, I must assume that he intends this list to be persuasive supporting data for homeopathy, if not the best data available. Given that he prides himself on his evidence-based practice and discusses homeopathy in regular media appearances, I expect that if there’s good data to support homeopathy, he would have it. I also expect that Mr. Wylde, in using scientific papers to validate his position, values the scientific method and recognizes that science is not inherently biased against homeopathy or ineffective in evaluating its effects.
Curious about the results? Read the whole post at SkepticNorth.com.
Before I head over there I’ll add this lovely link: http://www.antivaxxers.com/?p=1713
We are having our own battle (and a few victories) against the antivaxxers in Australia. Ken McLeod managed to get a complaint against them with the HCCC which meant they had to produce their data, and an immunology student named Tom Sidwell took it to pieces. He then went one better and tracked down the referencing mistakes to places such as whale.to
I’ll add the homeopathy deconstruction to my arsenal as well!
interesting article. Of course I am hardly a scientist or a researcher but I could recognize that the articles cited did not support the claim. I can suppose that Mr. Wylde submitted these papers as proof of the benefits of homeopathy, because homeopathy was the topic, figuring that people wouldn’t actually read them.
I am skeptical when it comes to alternative therapies. I do use a chiropractor however. But he only treats me to help try to keep my back and neck aligned, which are have foundation issues (scoliosis and at least one degenerate disc). He is not afraid to refer me to my physician if needed, and has done so.
I’ve tried some of these other homeopathic therapies with zero results. The same is true with some herbal ones like echinacia and goldenseal, in helping with my bodies less then able ability to fight off respiratory ailments.
I am also curious as to ya’ll’s thoughts on some of the MLM industry’s health products. do they work as advertised? Is the science behind their studies as sound as claimed? My gut..and yes experience says, “not as well as touted. But is that just me?
I’m going to go say this at Skeptic North, but I wanted to say it here as well. The investment in time and energy to compile this list will pay dividends for years to come. Any time anyone of us is confronted with this list, or any of the studies on it, we’ll be able to say “actually,” and link to Kim’s outstanding dissection.
Sylvie, I’d say you’re right to be suspicious of health products that are sold in MLM or “network marketing” plans. They’re quite often selling unproven, untested products that make wild claims which, if true, would revolutionize modern medicine. So why do they have to resort to the modern equivalent of selling their wares out of the back of a van?
The “Skeptoid” podcast has done a couple episodes focusing on MLM health products, and they’re really informative. There’s one on the so-called “Superfruit” juices: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4086
And one on “alakalized” or “energized” water machines: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4139
I think you’ll find that your gut is giving you the right answer here, but I admire your willingness to ask the questions nonetheless.
I agree, this was a very useful post. As it often happens, I tend to be long on the impracticalities of the theories behind alternative medicine but short on studies which actually show the ineffectiveness of therapies. This will, at least insofar as homeopathy goes, help to bridge that gap. What I may have to find or do myself is find a similar list of studies regarding chiropractic since the vast majority of woo believers and alternative health nuts that I know of subscribe to it but very few to homeopathy. I think perhaps this is a regional popularity issue as chiropractic clinics are spaced every few blocks here in Edmonton, but homeopathy is a lot more difficult to find.
Props to Kim, that’s a fantastic resource. I really like the comment thread too. Neither Wyld nor the other supporter could actually discuss any of the analysis, Wyld just said he had plenty more (presumably of the same quality) and the other guy just attacked. It makes it clear where they really stand.
Thanks, everyone, for the support! It was indeed an exhausting task. :)
Do you (plural) oppose yoga? I mean not as a cure for anything, but as a practice in general?
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April, I do not have any issues with yoga at all, until they start getting into talk about energy, chakras, etc. Then it just kinda seems weird!
But when I did yoga, it was excellent exercise.