Is this Quackwatch Article Biased?

Question

I just read this;

http://www.credentialwatch.org/inv/holistic.shtml

and thought that it seemed to have very little objective criticism and rather was just a belittling flame.

In your own opinion, is this piece just a product of a biased writer (and hence lacking any value), or a valuable contribution to protecting consumers against health care fraud.

Answer 1

Seems fine to me. He's criticizing the organization for endorsing the practices he lists. I see nothing belittling or flamelike in this article, and you will note that all the practices he disapproves of are linked to pages going into rather exhaustive detail on the problems with each one.

I've found Quackwatch to be a very reliable resource when it comes to 'iffy', irregular, exploitive and to be very fair to those who are in more of the 'grey' area, but need more research and effort to be established and turned into reputable, useful health care practices.

Answer 2

Yes its very biased. The whole site is.

Its full of anecdote, and I've noticed assertions incorrectly describing anatomy and physiology (well established physiology at that) which mislead people who don't have that knowledge making their arguments look more convincing.

I looked at what it said about cranial osteopathy. It was really poorly researched and again made assertions about philosophy and practice which were grossly in accurate.

Bassdoc re your comment:

"I thought "quackwatch" (guess who the real quacks are!) got shut down due to a lawsuit and they had to change the name.

They are pathetic spewers of propoganda, lies and half-truths.

Since nobody in the medical or any other field gives people mercury anymore, even their name is a lie."

I was under the impression that vaccinations (all administered by allopaths) were often preserved in Mercury based solutions. Maybe the name isn't a lie after all and it describes conventional medicine quite appropriately......

Answer 3

Any criticism arouses  curiosity to know the truth.  truth is not in  favour of ignorant and shallow thoughts. They  cut the branch on which they sit.

Answer 4

Stephen Barrett is a total moron.  

He is king of conventional medicine.  

The president of AMA is dying in his early 50's.

Answer 5

Barret is a psychiatrist with a lapsed license.

He reportedly gets paid by the AMA for running this site, and scaring people away from alternative medicine (to keep buying their useless products and getting their worthless operations).

I thought "quackwatch" (guess who the real quacks are!) got shut down due to a lawsuit and they had to change the name.

They are pathetic spewers of propoganda, lies and half-truths.

Since nobody in the medical or any other field gives people mercury anymore, even their name is a lie.

Answer 6

Quackwatch is definitely biased against medical ideas that have no plausability and no evidence supporting them.

Answer 7

I think the article is okay until the third paragraph.  It starts to go downhill in the second half of the second paragraph, however, and to be quite honest, I find Quackwatch to be biased in the EXTREME.  I am not yet a nurse, but I use reflexology, iridology, Reiki, and Healing Touch on my clients all day, every day, to excellent effect.  Stephen Barrett, MD can essentially kiss my unwashed Irish ***.  I'd like Quackwatch to start running articles on some of the highly specious allopathic medical practices for which there is no basis anywhere.  At least with Alt. Med. if a practitioner is using a modality which doesn't work, the patient will not be maimed or killed or otherwise harmed.  Unfortunately, this cannot begin to be said about allopathic medicine.  I really need to see some intelligent arguments about the real Quacks, those in allopathic medicine.  Let's start with the 100,000 needless hysterectomies that were performed in this country last year, shall we?  Or perhaps we could start with the prescribing of antibiotics against viruses, which is TOTALLY ineffectual, totally worthless, quite expensive, and extremely dangerous.  (Antibiotics are formulated to counter bacterial infections ONLY.  They will NOT work against viruses in any way, shape or form.)

Answer 8

Neglible objective criticism in that acid little piece of prose there ........... people only lash out and mock things when they are either afraid or don't understand them ..........  sheesh, i'm glad S.Barrett M.D. isn't my physician .........;0)

haha, i just realised, that's also the definition of a bully.

peace baby

♥

Answer 9

"the AHNA's online practitioner directory indicate that "holistic" practices can include applied kinesiology, astrology, aura cleansing, channeling, chelation therapy, colon therapy, cranial therapy, crystal therapy, iridology, psychic surgery, reflexology, reiki, therapeutic touch, and about 100 other disreputable methods."

Unfortunetly the AHNA link to the online practionioner directory failed.

I suspect the website listed many many Alternative medicine therapies, protocols & methods, as stated "and about 100 other disreputable methods". The worst of the worst therapies where simply Cherry Picked, and put forward.

As per usual Quackwatch is biased, and puts the WORST therapies forward as frontmen [psychic surgery, astrology, crystal therapy! to name a few], which sparks a strong repulsive knee-jerk reaction to the 'Holistic medicine' idea, making me agree with his speculation, but I know better and have a more in depth understanding of the quack therapies and efficacious therapies in the Alternative Medicine bowl; this is complete and utter propaganda, or bias, and dangerous since physicians are not taught alternative medicine at med school, and are told to refer to Quackwatch for 'health fraud' news and information.

"This appears to be the first time in modern history that a major professional organization has embraced a broad array of quack theories and practices."

I wonder, if Conventional medicine was so efficacious, scientific and safe/dignifying, Why would nurses go down this road?

Nurses care about their patients, in my opinion more so than doctors, they form a stronger relationship with patients, since they spend more time with them and voluntarily or involuntarily get into every facet of their lives; they may not have a PhD, MD, BSc or lots of initials after their name, but they know what will work for their patients'. Unfortunetly most/some arrogant doctors look down on nurses, even though doctors claim they like helping people, a small fraction are willing to do the job/tasks that a nurse has to do, it is a great shame that nurses are paid ridiculously low salaries.

Holistic therapies that are efficacious that will greatly benefit the patients' are Gerson Therapy {cancer, autoimmune diseases}, Rife Therapy, Bob Beck protocol {for HIV, Lyme Disease, MRSA, C. diff}, Orthomolecular medicine/psychiatry, Bio-Oxidative Therapy, Electro/Acupuncture, Natural Antibiotics {Colloidal Silver, Lugol's Solution BP, Garlic, Olive Leaf Extract, Oregano Oil, Virgin Cocconut Oil - all will help fight hospital bugs like MRSA}, implementing the methods decribed in Gut & Psychology Syndrome to cure the mentally ill, Herbs that have gone through vigorous RCT trials and proven scientifically to work! like Saw Palmetto, Hawthorn, Ginkgo, Horse Chestnut, Black Cohosh, St. John's Wort, ect.

Why does he not list these?