@USC: Same Bogus Science Claim, and SO THIN Journalism

here, I excerpt from a recent piece by the University of California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism promoting naturopathic nonsense as "science" [see 001., below]:

001. USC states in "Naturopathic Doctors Seek to Prove their Worth" [vsc 2012-12-27; my comments are in unquoted bold]:

"[as reported by Paige Brettingen] naturopathic medicine has its roots in the same basic sciences as traditional medicine [..]  naturopathic doctors reject the idea that their treatments are divorced from science [...] 'our methods are based in scientific research' said Derek Wing, Bastyr's assistant director of public relations [...]";

science, science, science.  Hugely on the record.  It is hugely historically illiterate to claim that naturopathy derives from basic science.  It is hugely scientifically illiterate to think that huge swaths of naturopathy aren't science-ejected / -unsupported.

"NDs in the state now are permitted to diagnose patients, prescribe hormones, order lab tests and administer IVs in addition to treating patients with diet, herbs, vitamins and other homeopathic therapies [...] to earn the ND title, naturopaths take four years of clinical training that covers areas such as diagnosis, nutrition, gross human anatomy, physiology, homeopathy and pharmacology [...]";

pseudoscience, pseudoscience, pseudoscience.  Well, to be specific here what can be said is that 'that which is science' in naturopathy is SO BROAD A LABEL that it is MEANINGLESS and HUGELY FALSE because within what are supposedly HIGH DOCTOR-LEVEL STANDARDS OF CLAIMED SCIENCE is abject NONSENSE like homeopathy.  I've often labeled this 'epistemic conflation', the blending of knowledge type which are truly discrete, and then marketed falsely as one type of knowledge...scientifically based.

"part of the struggle we’re having is just educating' said Dr. Lisa Fillis, a naturopathic doctor in L.A. and Long Beach [...]";

I'd first want that educator to actually have a high-quality education.  Not one wherein science equals nonscience.

"there are currently 549 licensed NDs in California [...] about 65 new NDs are licensed each year, according to Francine Davies, interim executive officer of the California Naturopathic Medicine Committee [...]";

and licensed falsehood marches on.
 

Note: well, it's sad to see that journalists in training are about as crappy in their science reporting and naturopathy credulity as those out there in the trade.

Arrested Oklahoma Naturopath Allegedly Makes Bombs [and Treats Cancer]

here, I cite from a recent news report of the arrest of a (self-labeled?) naturopath and chiropractor in Oklahoma for bomb making and bomb possession, and apparently bomb detonation [see 001., below]; then, I revisit his web pages where we get such gems as colonic irrigation, cancer treatments, breast thermography, chelation therapy, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy [see 002., below]:

001. newson6.com reports in "Mounds Man Arrested For Manufacturing, Possessing Bombs"  (2012-12-05) [vsc 2012-12-24; my comments are in unquoted bold]:

"[as reported by Brandi Ball and Lori Fullbright; I'm using only the print aspect of the article] Kent Bartell, 46, of Mounds, was arrested for child endangerment and manufacturing or possessing any explosive device [...]";

no children were harmed, but apparently a school-aged minor brought some of those bomb parts to school to show friends, according to the article's embedded video.

"Bartell operates the 'New Hope Health Clinic' in Jenks, and uses alternative, holistic methods of medicine. According to his website, Bartell is a 'doctor of naturopathy,' holds a doctorate degree from a chiropractic college [I'll abbreviate these credentials 'ND-DC'] and has taught physiology on the collegiate level and given lectures on a variety of holistic topics such as alternative treatments for cancer [...]";

yup. Though I don't see the label 'naturopathic oncology' or 'chiropractic oncology' on his pages.

Note: regarding bombs, I'm reminded of the Wikipedia article "Robert Spears (naturopath)" which states:

"Robert Vernon Spears was a naturopath who is alleged to have placed a bomb aboard National Airlines Flight 967, an aircraft which disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico on November 16, 1959, killing 42 people."

002. 'ND-DC' Bartell's web pages [at http://www.newhopehealthclinic.com/ and also mirrored at http://www.holistic-medicine-natural-healing.com/] include:

002.a. a 'Homepage' [vsc 2012-12-24] which informs us:

that patients call him "Dr. Bartell" and he sells a cancer CD "which teaches you the root causes of cancer and what you can do to fight cancer naturally";

ah, yes, the 'ND-DC' cancer expert!

"the purpose of this web site is to offer hope to individuals who are ready to improve their health.  Whatever health difficulties you may be dealing with, there is an answer or solution to your problem [...] you can achieve healing and restore health in every area of your life [...via] our unique holistic approach [...which has] no harmful side effects [...and] our simple health principles [...that will] correct the root cause of your problem [...]";

wow, that is QUITE a list of promises;

"Yahuah designed the body with the ability to heal and cure itself [...]";

who is that? Oh, him.  So, is this medicine or the ministry?  There are legal loopholes in many states for people who practice quasi-theologically embedded 'healing'.  This may mean that it is LEGAL for this guy to do what he is doing, where he is at.  I'm not sure.

"new breast cancer thermography 2009: thermography can detect indications of breast cancer development providing a 6 year earlier detection over traditional mammogram screening.  Abnormal vascular and nervous system infrared temperature patters can be seen on the surface of the breast with thermography [....]";

ah, so there's also a kind of radiology aspect here.  This doesn't sound very holistic, it sounds like technology!  Well, lets deal with this claim first and foremost.  Does thermography work for what this 'ND-DC' claims it works for?  Sciencebasedmedicine.org has the article "Oprah’s Buddy Dr. Christiane Northrup and Breast Thermography: The Opportunistic Promotion of Quackery" (2010-10-11) which states: "thermography [...] has not been validated as a diagnostic modality to detect breast cancer. The studies from 30 years ago showed it to be markedly inferior to mammography for this purpose, the claims of naturopaths, chiropractors, and various other quacks notwithstanding [...] thermography doesn’t provide any information that breast MRI can’t provide and provide better [...] thermography should not be offered to women outside of a clinical trial, and it should never be offered to women in lieu of mammography to detect breast cancer."  A naturopath with a bogus diagnostic technique?  No!  Never heard of such a thing.  Meanwhile, we are told, on another page by 'ND-DC' Bartell titled "Welcome to Our Thermography Center" [vsc 2012-12-24]: "Oklahoma now has medical infrared thermography, which is the best method for pre-breast cancer screening [...] providing a 6-year earlier detection over traditional mammography screening."

and, there are amazing anecdotes from patients with multiple sclerosis, leukemia, and diabetes.  One patient explains: "he was able to address problems of toxicity in my body which were causing those symptoms.  He helped me cleanse my body of these toxins [...]";

and we are told, in "Colon Hydrotherapy / Colonics" [vsc 2012-12-24]: "colonic irrigation, also known as colon hydrotherapy or high colonic, is an internal bath that helps colon health [...by] cleansing the colon (bowel/large intestine) of poisons, gas, accumulated encrusted fecal matter and mucus deposits [...] warm water is gently introduced into the rectum [...] the colon is the body's dump or sewage system. If the toxins are not removed due to constipation or poor elimination, the result is 'autointoxication' as the waste materials intended for removal from the body become reabsorbed into the blood stream and re-distributed around the body's tissues. These toxins then have free run of the entire human body, where they proceed to collect in the cells, tissues, and organs and wreck havoc [...]substances (toxins) you were not designed to process or eliminate; from air pollutants and chemicals found in everyday food, to industrial, beauty and household products, your body gradually becomes overwhelmed by toxicity. Inevitably, it is at this point that disease (allergies, arthritis, migraines, skin problems, heart disease, gout, metabolic/hormone imbalances, Crohn's disease, chronic constipation, ibs symptoms, chronic diarrhea, parasites, Candida and many other disease conditions) manifest themselves [...]";

hmmmm.  A lot has been written on the holistic / natural medicine bogus toxin gambit. At Quackwatch, we are reminded that the National Council Against Health Fraud wrote in "Colonic Irrigation": "NCAHF agrees with the assessment of the California Department of Health Services. Colonics has no real health benefits, but does have a number of serious hazards. Consumers should not use colonics, and should avoid patronizing practitioners who employ this procedure. Practitioners who use colonics are either too ignorant or misguided to be entrusted with delivering health services [...] colonic irrigation should be considered a health fetish. The ideas of 'cleansing' and 'detoxification' have no physiological significance."

overall note: so, there's a home page with quite dubious content.

002.b. there is also promotion of:

 chelation therapy for cardiovascular health in "Hope For Heart Attach Symptoms" which is considered quite without supporting evidence;

and quite absurd claims that hyperbaric oxygen is the panacea of panaceas.

Changelog 2012-10-08 - 2012-12-31 and ND Video:

here, I summarize this week's additions to my public naturopathy database.  I also link to an ND's video each changelog, quote from, and tag the video in some detail:

001. added:

the vitalism of:

ND Bongiorno

to Appendix B.05.i.a.05.;

College of Naturopathic Medicine Ireland
to Appendix B.01.c.;

ND Cortal

to Appendix B.05.i.bbb.;

ND Crawford 

to Appendix B.05.i.bbbb.;

NDs DiCampli, Marchese, Psenka, Purcell, Retz, Tamburri;

ND DiRoma;

ND Farah & Kearns;

to Appendix B.05.i.bbbb00.;

ND Han;

NDs Han & Lindblad;
ND Haynes & Pierce;

NDs Hegnauer & Jones; 

to Appendix B.05.i.c.02.;

ND Potter 

to Appendix B.05.i.f.;

State Government of Victoria's Better Health Channel

to Appendix B.03.; 

the science claims of:
  

ND Aschtgen;

to Appendix I.05.a.;

Bastyr University 

to Appendix I.01.a2.;

NDs Behling & Kotlarz; 

to Appendix I.05.b.;

ND Bongiorno

to Appendix I.05.b.;

NDs Cerf, Cham, Steeves, Vandekerkhove;

to Appendix I.05.c.;

ND Furtado;

NDs Farah & Kearns; 

to Appendix I.05.e.;

NDs Germain, Hunter, Kane, Liva, Louden, Samuelson;

to Appendix I.05.f.; 

ND Hegnauer & ND Jones; 

ND Hinchcliffe, ND Lamson, ND Russel, 

ND Tompkins, ND Sherman, ND Zeoli; 

to Appendix I.05.g.;

the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians

to Appendix B.02.;

ND Klausmeyer; 

NDs Klassen & Manning;

ND Krumbeck; 

NDs Knickrehm & Sandstrom;   

to Appendix I.05.i.;

ND Leathers; ND Larrow;

NDs Lester;

to Appendix I.05.J.; 

ND Naumes 

to Appendix I.05.L.;

North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians

to Appendix I.03.;

ND Parker; NDs Paredes & Wilson; 

ND Potter;  ND Peltz; ND Perch; 

ND Perkins;  ND Peters;   

to Appendix I.05.m.;

ND Schwartz & Tan; 

ND Schweitzer;

ND Schweitzer;

ND Shaw;

ND Sykurski; 

to Appendix I.05.o.; 

ND Williams, M., ND Yates;   

to Appendix I.05.p.;

republished Appendix I.05.i.;

the 'vitalism is science-ejected' claim of:

Mauseth, J.D.

to Appendix C.06.d.;

the 'naturopathy is unscientific nonsense' claim of:

MD Crislip at sciencebasedmedicine.org who states:

"how do you tell if a naturopath is

speaking unscientific nonsense?

If his mouth is open!" 

to Appendix K.00.;

002. video of the week link [not to pun]:

Rampersad, T. (ND Bastyr 2003) states, in quite cheesey promotions of homeopathy nonsense:

002.a. videos:

002.a1. in "Homeopathic Remedies by Dr. Tanya Rampersad, ND"[vsc 2012-12-21]:
.

.

#NDRampersad #homeopathynonsense

.

 "homeopathy for a lot of people is one of those mystery medicines [...] I'm trying to even the odds here for homeopathy [...] this basic introduction to homeopathy is all about the remedies [...many] poisonous things being highly medicinal [...which is] serially diluted and succussed or aggitated vigorously [...]  1X, 1C, 30C, 1M [...] we commonly use 1M [...] if you are very sensitive [...] if you touch the pellets, or if you spill some of the liquid on you, that in effect is giving yourself a dose [...] if you are very sensitive, just being close the remedies, even in closed-in vials, will effect you [...it works because it is] non-biochemical [...a] vibratory or pattern medicine [...] we're not talking about biochemistry, we're talking about bringing out the essence of a substance, the more subtle aspects [...] there are studies showing that the more dilute a substance is, the more it has the capacity to pattern water [...causing the remedy to be both] subtle [...and] distinctly profound [...not] material  [...working] on a level that is deeper than that [...] how the medicines work [...is] not currently known [...] not based on faith or religious view [...] you don't need to believe in it in order for it to work for you [...] deeper than biochemistry [...] science has not yet caught up with homeopathy [...it's] a very profound mechanism for healing people [...it will] normalize lab results [...] I've seen this time and time again [...] also watch 'What is Homeopathy'";

Note: that the remedies DON'T WORK is known.  Fascinating that being in the same room as bottle of remedy is just as effective.  I'd call it 'suggestibility'.

002.a2. in "What is Homeopathy by Dr. Tanya Rampersad, ND" [vsc 2012-12-21]:
.

.

#homeopathyfalsescienceclaim

.

"homeopathy is its own complete and distinct form of medicine [...and she tells us] Hippocrates [...was] one of the first scientific minds in medicine [...and mentions homeopathy's] law of similars [...and] allopathy [...as supposedly aka] modern medicine [...which supposedly applies] the opposite force to the disease [...] Hahnemann [...per homeopathy] started a science [...] provings are what we call the science behind homeopathy [...provings were] often double-blind [...and] placebo controlled [...] we want to advance the science [...] we want the full story";

Note: well, science didn't exist back in Hippocrates's time, first of all.  And we know science has ejected homeopathy.

002.b. web pages:

002.b1. in "About Naturopathic Medicine":

"[our] guiding principles are as follows [...#2] vix medicatrix naturae (the healing power of nature)";

Note: it is actually "vis" not 'vix'.  Naturopath, know thy woo.

002.b2.  in "Services" [vsc 2012-12-21]:

"naturopathy & homeopathy: the art and science of finding a person’s deepest patterns and applying a medicine that specifically breaks negative cycles and heals body, mind, and emotions [...] initial consult (1.5 hours) $195. Follow-ups (1 hour) $135";

Note: hmmmm.  Expensive for remedies that are quite empty and falsely labeled science-supported.

Doctor Shortages & the Licensed Falsehood Racket: ND Rothenberg At Huffpo

here, I cite from a recent Huffington Post ND's article promoting naturopathy as suitable for physicianship [see 001., below] and comment; and then, I muse upon this question -- 'should we fill a doctor shortage from a system that has a rationality deficit?':

 001. Rothenberg, A. (ND NCNM) states in "Naturopathic Doctors Fill in Gap in Physician Shortage" (2012-12-18) [vsc 2012-12-18; my comments are in unquoted bold]:

"[speaks of] non-MD options for patient care [but recently] missing from the list of options was naturopathic doctors [...] NDs should be high on the list of providers to bridge the gap in our imminent provider shortage";

heavens!

"NDs must graduate from an accredited naturopathic medical school [...which is] state-of-the-art [...] and pass an extensive postdoctoral board examination (NPLEX) in order to receive a license [...] licensable naturopathic doctors attend four-year, in-residence, full-time naturopathic medical school at institutions recognized by regional accrediting bodies. Schools are recognized by the Federal Department of Education, and students are eligible for federal loan monies";

did you know that that examination labels nonscience science?  In other words, that examination is QUITE WRONG BLATANTLY.  E.g.: it labels homeopathy a clinical science.  It certainly isn't a science of any kind.  ND Rothenberg is, coincidentally, quite the homeopathy proponent.  So, I call 'irrationality foul on the play'!  The mode of thinking isn't postdoctoral at all.  In fact, it doesn't pass muster for K-12 national SCIENCE standards.  Orac recently asked a great question at National Geographic's Science Blogs: "just how stupid do homeopaths think we are?"  Now, ND Rothenberg went to NCNM, the trunk of the North American naturopathy tree, so to speak.  At NCNM, you can see that CODIFIED into naturopathy's worldview is the irrationality of placing the FOR SEVERAL DECADES science-exterior FALSELY within the category of science.  This has been going on via the naturopathy racket for decades.  It is a licensed falsehood.  Exchange of money is always interesting when the premises and labels are false.  It gets even more interesting when the parties involved are so, shall we say, institutional.

"we use industry standards";

really? Lets pose this situation: the industry we are talking about is academic science and 'the science of scientists'.  Since when is nonscience, blatant nonscience, science therein?  It is not rational.

"naturopathic doctors work with natural medicine modalities including therapeutic nutrition, botanical medicine, Chinese medicine and lifestyle modification";

I'm surprised the ND-homeopath hasn't mentioned HER homeopathy!  How selective.

"for information about naturopathic medicine, see http://naturopathic.org/";

ok, I'm SO there.  So, at naturopathic.org, the web pages of the AANP, NDs Coward and Lewis write,  in "Zicam is NOT Homeopathy!" [vsc 2012-12-18]:
"homeopathy is a 200 year-old medicinal science"; 

bullshit.  So, there's naturopathy's epistemic irrationality in a nutshell: science subset nonscience. 

003. 'should we fill a doctor shortage from a system that has a rationality deficit?':

well, it may happen even though naturopathy is quite the 'junk thought' area.

therein, licensed falsehood racket marches on.

Colorado's Sir Doctor Naturopath Young and a Claim of Scientific Nonscience

here, I share a glaring example of 'naturopathic knowledge mislabeling' [see 001., below]; and, that naturopath's admission / permission of the 'quackery' label [see 002., below]; and finally, via her book, her credentials and the schools involved [see 003., below]:

001. Young, S.K. (CTN HHA) states in "Services and Products" [vsc 2012-12-09]:

"the intent in homeopathic science is to discover the current energy pattern of the person’s vital force. This includes looking into their symptoms, personality and lifestyle."

Note: how nice!  Homeopathy is in no manner supported by science or a science, and a vital force as a concept is indeed HUGELY science-ejected [this is in 'For Dummies' type books!!!].  In one sentence, the naturopath has epitomized naturopathy's false labeling of knowledge kind.

002. in the press release "Naturopath's Insightful New Book Urges Readers to Wake Up & Protect Their Healthcare Freedoms" [vsc 2012-12-09], we are told:

"‘If Naturopaths are 'Quacks'... Then I Guess I'm a Duck: Confessions of a Naturopath’ [...is a book by] by Shauna K. Young, a certified traditional naturopath (CTN) with a PhD in natural sciences [...aka] Dr. Shauna Young."

Note: or should we just use the nickname / admission 'Dr. Quack'?  I don't know what the author would prefer to be called, but permission seems to have been given to use the 'q' word!

003. in the book, ISBN 1470093359 978-1470093358,via Amazon.com's search page (here), we're told [vsc 2012-12-09; my comments are in unquoted bold]:

"Shauna [...is] the owner and medical director [...and] obtained her degree as a naturopath under a regimented correspondence curriculum through the Herbal Healer Academy [...and] holds a bachelor of science degree in natural sciences [...and] a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in natural sciences from the University of Natural Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico [...]";

so much SCIENCE!  Yet, something as absurd as homeopathy is still HUGELY FALSELY held up by the naturopath as "science"!  Just what I want, correspondence science and correspondence medicine below the 'dummies' level! The HHA home page is loaded with a bunch of products they are offering [odd for an academy!], and here is their correspondence course list.  Sir Doctor Naturopath Young is listed on the adjunct faculty page of the UNM here.

"[she] was also knighted into the international Sovereign Medical Order of the Knights Hospitaller [...]";

is that SMOKH?  They don't seem to have a web page that ranks on google.com's first page offerings.  If you are a knight, I believe it is proper to call you SIR.  Perhaps they are the nights who say 'quack' [not nee].

"in traditional naturopathy approved schools we study [...such things as] homeopathy [...] reflexology [...] Bach flower remedies."

now, at Science-Based Medicine, homeopathy and reflexology are termed "unscientific or prescientific medicine", and BFR is termed "too silly".

and the book has an entire anti-vaccine chapter.  But, this is where scientific skepticism stands regarding such naturoPATHillogicality, via the JREF.

004. overall note:

factions of naturopaths have been at it for years in Colorado regarding the licensure issue. Sir Doctor Naturopath Young represents one type, the ANMA, I believe.  Now, their opposition claims to meet much higher standards via 'in-residence' schools, instead of correspondence schools.  They are the AANP type.  But, if even those types extoll this same 'false knowledge labeling' of nonsense meme unabashedly sold as science-based, then there is NO DIFFERENCE.

and the racket continues.

Telegraph's Chivers Schwacks HuffPo's Liberal Pseudoscience Blind Spot: Alternative Medicine

here, I cite from a recent article in the UK's the Telegraph critical of alternative medicine's [and naturopathy's] homeopathy being promoted as legitimate by the Huffington Post [see 001., below]; then, I extend the author's criticism to North American naturopathy as a whole, which ludicrously claims its homeopathy is a "medical science" [see 002., below]:

001.Tom Chivers, "the Telegraph's assistant comment editor", writes in "Huffington Post Explains 'How Homeopathic Medicines Work', Without Bothering to Mention That They Don't" (2012-12-07) [my comments are in unquoted bold]:

"the Huffington Post, one of the biggest political websites in the world. It has more readers than any newspaper website [...] 54 million people a month[...] is a proud supporter of quackery [...]";

this is quite true.

"Dana Ullman, 'the foremost spokesperson for homeopathic medicine in the U.S.', has been writing for the HuffPo for several years [...and is]  'someone who believes that disease can be cured by magic, that water can remember things if you tap it against a horsehair cushion, and that something doesn't need to actually work in order for it to need an explanation for how it works' [...it's] ludicrous nonsense [...] he's a quack [...]";

ouch.  True, and truly ouch!

"[bur regarding] the boring details of fact and evidence [...] about homeopathy. First and most important, it doesn't work [...and] explaining how something works requires first that it works. It doesn't work [...] there have been several major trials into homeopathy [...] and at least two meta-analyses  [...] they found that homeopathy did no better than placebo [...]";

it doesn't work any better than placebo.  Say it one hundred times, Dana Ullman.

"[yet@HuffPo it's] being treated as though it's real medicine [...] the Huffington Post would be the among the first crowing Left-liberal media outlets to leap on a Republican politician, say, who said that the world was 6,000 years old or that Darwin was wrong. They run [...] pieces by Chris Mooney explaining why the GOP denies science [...but] you don't get to pick and choose which bits of science you like [...and] that the Right are all crazy mad science-fearing God-bothering lunatics [...and then promote] some magic medicine that doesn't work works [...] pretend physician, heal thyself"; 

you said it, brother.

002. and now for North American naturopathyland:

002.a. you have homeopathy welded into the fabric of a fully-government accredited naturopathic education [here are NDs at their schools' consortia.  So much homeopathy!; vsc 2012-12-07];

002.b. here it is [vsc 2012-12-07] on the North American licensure exam falsely labeled a "clinical science";

002.c. here you have that consortia claiming that naturopathy's contents overall are indeed "science-based";

003. so:

I employ the language of Mr. Chivers: pretend physicians, you don't get to select what parts of science are true and what parts aren't, it doesn't work.

but, I'll tell you what does work, in the illegal-smelling states-sanctioned kind of racketeering way:

North American naturopathy, both clinically and academically.