Friday, May 15, 2015

Medicine and skepticism

When the people who promote and sell something also collect the data on its effectiveness, I tend not to trust the results and assume the products effectiveness is being overstated.

True independence in studies of medical procedures and substances is rare, which is why many questionable interventions are much hyped and promoted by those who practice and profit from them, yet when a more independent, balanced study is done it turns out the procedure is of limited worth.

Well-constructed, independently performed, double-blind studies of medical procedures are rare, which is why much of what is currently practiced as medicine is hardly scientific, as is claimed.

I believe it pays to be skeptical of anything we are being sold, whether by a doctor, a car mechanic or anyone else who is invested in the product, and to closely research it ourselves, when we are able.

Sharka Todd

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