A resolution designating the week of October 7 through October 13, 2013, as “Naturopathic Medicine Week” to recognize the value of naturopathic medicine in providing safe, effective, and affordable health care.Don't worry. Orac is on to it with: Naturopaths and vaccines.
But let's not forget that the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine makes their students take a course in Homeopathic Medicine and another im Asian Medicine and Acupuncture [Naturopathic "Doctors" Graduate from Convocation Hall on the University of Toronto Campus].
This is one more reason why we have to teach critical thinking in high school and in universities.
I was at the vet this morning picking up some food for the critters and I glanced at one of those newspapers aimed at pet owners and lo and behold there is now a homeopathic line of "medicines" available for pets unfortunate enough to have gullible owners.
ReplyDeleteThe placebo effect by proxy? (the "medicine" makes the owner believe the pet is feeling better).
DeletePlacebo by proxy - yes.
Deletehttp://www.actavetscand.com/content/46/2/57
"The placebo effect is well documented in animal trials [12,3,24], and explained by Pavlovian conditioning. Studies of the placebo effect have, however, been limited primarily to laboratory animals in laboratory environments, and animals living in a family home under normal family conditions have been poorly documented. The current study indicated a significant placebo effect, since significantly more owners guessed erroneously that gold bead was given than placebo, and since those who guessed that gold bead was given reported more improvement in pain signs than those who guessed that placebo was given. We assumed that owners, by taking the decision to participate in a trial, would have a positive attitude towards a new and possibly controversial treatment using gold bead implantation and acupuncture, and this attitude was a potential source of bias. One of the exclusion criteria was therefore dogs with previous acupuncture experience. Another contribution to the placebo effect is a patient's expectation of the treatment [22,8]. The owners' expectations of the treatment effect can induce a placebo effect in both treatment groups. It may also reflect what treatment they believe has been given to their dogs, since the owners' opinions were included in the evaluation of the effect. This was confirmed when owners answered the question of whether further gold treatment was desired or not. Another possible explanation of the improvement in the placebo group is that dogs may discern both their owner's signals [10] and also attitude towards the treatment, the clinic and the veterinarian, and thereby give their owners an impression of improvement or aggravation. Dogs may behave differently due to the owners' new signals and may also be encouraged to engage in forms of exercise that they previously were spared for, but nonetheless, after a while were able to do without any signs of pain. "
Prof Moran
ReplyDeleteIf I may ask what is your very own definition of critical thinking?
What is your take on self entitled IDiots apparently too lazy or ignorant to use the search function available on this very site ?
DeleteYou should add to the list of quackery flu shots, statins, anti-depressants that cause people to suicide, and all the medications that " pseudo-scientists" came up with for disorders that don't exist...
ReplyDeleteForgot GMO, Scientce matters...
ReplyDelete