I've complained enough about the media in my hometown. In fact,

I've complained enough about the media in my hometown. In fact, about a year ago, I was amazed at how absolutely naive TV reporter was about all things orbs. I mean, areas! Even dedicated push ghosthunters orbits much more, realizing that they are merely reflections or specks of dust that reflect light in the photographs. Then, Steve Wilson and his incursions into the fight against the nonsense of the vaccine, which recycles some of the older, more tired, more highly discredited canards. Recently there has been some information about Gardasil, and a recent shit quot; autismoquot;, conference that was actually nothing more than a quackfest autism. The list goes on. br Unfortunately, I learned that yesterday, the Detroit Free Press, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on the text message scandal that toppled the Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick last year and has embarked on an innovative experiment but risky in that only three days a week day and offers a line break, it seems, could use some of the chops that the information and business experience in dealing with the health reporting. I'm talking about a serious evil that appeared in its Sunday edition, a Onetwo Woo, which decimated one blow to its credibility on health issues. Unfortunately, this kind of thing is very typical of local newspapers, but when they come to my hometown paper, I have been reading for over 30 years and beyond, even when they no longer live in Detroit, so I could not Don # 39; t let go. br Let's start with point one, which appeared in the Life section on quot; Saludquot and reads like a paid advertisement more than anything, an article entitled Detox Detroit # 39; Spa Elite: br In many ways, of # 39 ; Elite Spa in downtown Detroit is like any other spa, with offerings that include Swedish massage, facials and manicures. br Owner Carolyn Hopkins says its alternative therapies, spa quot; unique in the way that focuses people desintoxicarquot with your body. These treatments include Tong Ren, who tries to unlock the interrupts to what is believed that the body's energy flow, and Raindrop Therapy, a massage with medicated oils. br Tong Ren Tong Ren total quackery has invaded my hometown, I'm sure regular readers probably remember that Tong Ren wrote about earlier, I referred to him as a quot; unholy union of acupuncture and vud;. quot, I stand by my characterization. Please believe me, look back on this description of Tong Ren same author: br In a typical therapy session, the Tong Ren practitioner uses a small, human anatomical model as a representation of the patient's energy, tapping specific points on the model with a slight magnetic hammer. The practitioner directs chi to blockage points corresponding to the patient's condition, breaking the resistance at these points. As the flow of blood, nerve transmission and reception of hormones are restored, the body can heal. br of an unholy union of acupuncture and voodoo is an excellent description of the cure is quot; technique. Essentially, a physician, sometimes with the help of an entire class dedicated to the quot; intentions; nquot; on the wrist of acupuncture and taps different quot; meridianosquot;, while singing. Do not believe me Watch the videos in my original post on the subject, showing a news reporter more gullible to swallow without a hint of skepticism everything Tom Tam (yes, that's his real name), acupuncture in the Boston area that was the concept behind Tong Ren established. You also get a disturbing testimony of a nice Asian woman who claims that Tong Ren cure her breast cancer, although it suffered considerable quot; convencionalesquot therapy for her. br All to $ 75 each. That's right. Linda Kent, the acupuncturist is Tong Ren therapy at this resort charges $ 75 for 50 minutes. I tell ya, I'm in the wrong business. Of course, I have my skepticism and my moral sense, could never go on the road woo. On the other hand, apparently believes strongly in Kent Woo Tong Ren, saying: br quot; energy medicine is the medicine for this sigloquot again. The energy transfers alleged interception of their clients to help relieve conditions such as allergies. br quot; At least Erin Chang Din, the reporter who wrote this, used the word quot; supuestamentequot;. I suppose I should be thankful for small favors. Moreover, except the occasional use of the word quot; supuestamentequot, everything looks more like ad copy for a story, so it is very, very small. br The next part to attract publicity is Raindrop Therapy. I had never heard before Raindrop Therapy, a surprising observation tells me that even four years after this whole blogging thing skeptics, there are always new woo for me to learn. On the surface, Raindrop Therapy seems nothing more than a massage with different oils. There is nothing wrong with that. Moreover, each time a treatment is described as a combination of quot; aromatherapy with the techniques of Vita Flex, reflexology, massage, etc in the application of essential oils that are applied in various areas of the body, quot; smell the woo together with the quot; esencialesquot oils;, especially when I see the defenders say things like this: br Raindrop technique originated in the 1980s research of D. Gary Young working with a Lakota medicine man named Wallace Black Elk. It integrates massage, utilizing the power of essential oils in bringing the body into structural and electrical alignment br Raindrop technique is based on the theory that many types of scoliosis and spinal misalignments are caused by viruses or bacteria that lie dormant along the spine. These pathogens create inflammation, which in turn, contorts and disfigures the spinal column technique br Raindrop uses a sequence of highly antimicrobial essential oils to reduce inflammation and kill viral agents (Essential Oil Desk Reference br Uh, no . For perspective sciencebased a little more, there's always Quackwatch, which indicates to what extent this is pure woo. Not bad for $ 75 for 50 minutes, which makes me think that this woo is as effective as Tong Ren or in fact not get what you pay, Donald Gary Young # 39; s lame quot; every man is a conspiracy to hide the truth about natural cures quot; pseudoreplication, however. However, if you are naive or stupid enough to fork over the money, either to (1) singing and playing in a voodoo doll or (2) get some oils fall on a massage with the statement that quot; descontaminarquot, seriously, you can not blame people who are willing to take advantage of that. Of course, at least Raindrop Therapy, a massage is concerned. You can not even say that with Tong Ren. br Finally, this place is that the sale of Woo Woo, the quot; piequot bath detoxification, although in this case is called quot; Aqua Chiquot;. Here is a clear testimony to the Free Press article: br Teresa Soto, 42, of Redford Township, recently visited the spa and submerged position in a tub of water infused with sea salt. br flipped a switch that opens an ionic charge thorns sent through the water and tingling in the feet by Stevenson. Standing soaked, the water went from clear to a light orange powder to a ink, black bubbly. br The program, called AquaChi, which supposedly draws toxins and materials of the dermal layer of the skin. The changes in water color that is supposed to indicate the detoxification of the body parts, as orange and black for the joints to the liver. br Stevenson says she was skeptical about the treatment quot;, just curious. I've spent time and money in exteriorquot; of my body. "quot; quot; With this, spending money on interiorquot; . br Not really, Ms. Stevenson. What he has done really is money down the toilet, metaphorically speaking, in these difficult times can afford to do esoquot, I have tried a lot with this form of quackery. Suffice it to say that water turns black if your feet are there or not. Trust me on this, has been tested on numerous occasions by skeptics. There quot; Detox; nquot step, as you can not quot; Detox; nquot to through the skin of your feet. Your body can quot; Detox; nquot in its own right, thank you very much. br Dr. Michael Seidman, chief medical officer of health at the Henry Ford Health System, says the value of these therapies alternatives is debatable. br quot; When you ask me, # 39; rational madness quot; My answer is # 39, # 39 Yes, quot;, says Seidman. quot; But my answer is also not necessarily mean bad, not just because entiendo.quot; br do not understand about Aqua Chi is quackery, pure and simple. For their own stated principles that works! Even the gullible have been found. What is not understood about Raindrop Therapy Evidence Scoliosis that is caused by viruses or toxins, or Raindrop Therapy does nothing to eliminate the virus or toxin is not to understand about Tong Ren is magical thinking. There is no evidence that quot; chiquot; exist or may affect professionals with curative intent. healing by faith is pure and simple. br gullible as subject of the article follows in the Detroit Free Press yesterday, the Detroit area, entitled comes to faith to help heal the bodies ( How is that for a segue): Br in a dimly lit room in Clinton Township, Mary Evangelista Frost faces a woman who said she suffered for nine years from an ear disease that makes you dizzy. Frost's voice rose with every word, his right hand covering the back of the neck. br quot patient, I can send nerve endings in the ear to come to life, quot; freezing in Dearborn, a nondenominational Christian raised Pentecostal, said the Saturday night last month. quot; In the mighty name of Jesus, the arrest of this condition, the vertigo. Tonight, I have been given their eviction. Leave this body! quot; BR The patient, Sharon Legue, 56, was overcome and fell into the arms of a woman standing behind her. Moments later, she said, quot and wobbling now and when I got here, wow. ... I curadoquot;. br Scenes like this play every week in homes, churches and hospitals throughout Metro Detroit as many look to the healers to treat medical conditions or the stresses of everyday life Critics br. in the medical community has long considered faith healing of fraud that takes advantage of vulnerable. They say it can harm patients by developing treatments far from legitimate. In some cases, children have died after their religious parents refused proper medical attention. br tell ya, if there is one thing that should be required reading for any reporter looking to do a story about faith healing is James Randi's book The Faith Healers. It may be a book of 20 years, but stuck so well that is as relevant today as it was when first published. Any journalist who reads this book before tackling a story like this would be far less gullible and should add to his arsenal a look at this video and an interview with Randi. (At least, journalists should read This entry in the Encyclopedia of Randi.) Then, a reporter should look at a story that Richard P. Sloan # 39; s Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine before looking at the claims that religion is somehow a useful or good for their health studies or quote like this: br Among them is a pair of studies from 2007. One said he helped the most religious mental performance of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The other said that victims of cardiac or pulmonary failure, along with depression recover better if active in religious activities. br The first of these studies, dealing with Alzheimer's disease, seems to be this. When I read tells me that this is a small study (only 70 patients) with a number of inconsistencies and unconvincing control for confounding. Still, the results are not as convincing. For example, actions that use religion at Duke University Index (DUREL) 32 and the overall rankings Being subscale / NIH Fetzer Brief Multidimensional Measure of religiousness / spirituality subscales and found that intrinsic religiosity, attendance at religious services or religious freedomdegree correlated with slower cognitive decline, while measures known as private religious activities and spiritualitylevel did. There is little convincing evidence, because there may be many confounding factors. The second study seems to be this. Unfortunately, my university does not have access to this journal, in particular, but the abstract to me I feel like a bit of statistical sleight happened here: br despite numerous religious measures were unrelated to the result of depression alone, the combination of frequent religious attendance services, prayer, Bible study, and the intrinsic religiosity, predicted a 53% increase in the rate of remission (RR 1.53, 95 1.201.94,% p = 0.0005, n = 839) after controls. br In other words, the individual measures religiosity did not correlate with recovery from depression in these patients. On the contrary, the authors had to combine certain measures. I can not tell from the abstract only why the authors picked up those who do, but it sure sounds and quot; pickingquot cherry;. I'll try to get a hold of the article. br But we're not talking about being religious if you can provide health benefits. We are talking about religious people that Jesus can heal through a priest or minister. And This is where religion has special place in the evidence: br However, the popularity of faith healing can be seen throughout southeast Michigan and across Christian denominational lines Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Pentecostal Churches Orthodox and Protestants have some form of faith healing service. br healers and the centers are not regulated by the State quot; religiosaquot because it is a question, said James McCurtis, spokesman for the Department of Community Health. br quot; It is not our place whether these institutions are false or not. Some people truly believe in them. ... We left the gentequot;, McCurtis said. br Why religious healing is not regulated by the State Charros health claims that can heal people from debilitating or deadly diseases through the power of prayer or Jesus. This, to me is a medical claim. Regulating device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and doctors. But suddenly, if religion is to make the claim , which is fine. I said, and before that adults can do whatever they want with their bodies for whatever reason, but that does not mean that anyone can practice medicine under the guise of religion. In any case, there can be legitimate disagreements on this issue and if healing faith should be considered an essential part of freedom of religion to the point where the government can do nothing. I do not see nearly as much room for disagreement is over the filing of irresponsibly gullible: br Yolanda McKenzie, 32, of Waterford, said the endometriosis, a disease of the uterine cavity, retired in 2007 after a strong faith in the healing of Detroit. br But she also underwent medical treatment with a doctor and underwent surgery just weeks after healing by faith. However, claims God healed her. br The Rev. Keith Barr of Clarkston, who tried McKenzie, also said no charges . that promotes faith healing on websites such as YouTube, which claims to have cured hundreds of cancer, blindness, including the effects of Agent Orange. br To skeptics who say it is misleading, Barr said: quot; Come! ... that can not be that many players in the metropolitan area Detroitquot. br Barr said that Comcast has refused to run a cable ad proclaimed an ability to sight to the blind. However, he argues that it can cure the people. br quot; Jesus said we must pray and have no doubt. It takes an enormous amount of fequot said Barr, a Pentecostal minister. br page navigation YouTube Barr reveals a disturbing number of videos showing the type of quot ; fequot healing, that Randi was so good in the critical review. For example, there was a quot; sanidadquot service;, Ann Arbor (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4). Then there are videos like this, for example , fibroids healing BR you the idea. It is nothing more than the standard sense of faith healing has been going on for centuries. Especially sad is the title of the photo: br Corliss Andrews, 50, of Detroit will accept service of Nemeh health. Andrews has had multiple sclerosis, a neurological disease, aged 10. quot; I'm still waiting for the Lord curequot I said. br Although it may not be apparent on the surface, these two articles are very similar. Both tout medical treatments are in no way based on science. So much so that only the more reason to attempt to include the skeptical views. (Sorry, Stan Kurtz, I know I tried on the history of faith healing.) Both Current evidence as something other than, possibly, evidence of the placebo effect. However, to really find the cure by faith, less offensive because it is open, at least what we're talking about is religion and has nothing to do with science or accepted therapy. Woo Presents The history of spa therapy, if he had any type that is not a type of religious viewpoint (ie, the Eastern concept of vital energy, or chi, sometimes spelled qi .) is also based on the most impressive displays of faith faith healing by Rev. Barr not only based on JudeoChristian religion. br If, however, press freedom can only be something that won the Pulitzer in political reporting this year and apply it to their health reports. I'm not holding my breath, however. br br br br