Bad Science Dr. Ben Goldacre

I just finished reading this book and feel that it or a book like it should be must reading for just about everyone. Dr. Ben Goldacre's book is about all the 'bad science' we are constantly bombarded with in the media and in advertising,why this happens, and how to recognize it. 
He is a British MD who like Carl Sagan has a knack for explaining science principles in easy to understand language.

Bad Science

If Patients Only Knew How Often Treatments Could Harm Them

Most people would opt for less medical care if they were informed of the dangers of that care. This article discusses a systematic review study (combined from many previous studies) from JAMA, the Journal of the AMA. This gets back to those two very important statistical concepts I posted about recently, NNT (number needed to treat) and NNH ( number needed to harm). 
I know it is more fun to read about the latest medical or health fad or scare than statistics, but understanding these will benefit you to a much greater degree.

If Patients Only Knew How Often Treatments Could Harm Them

Too much texting can wear out your spine

Reading on a tablet, texting on a smartphone, leaning toward a computer screen, inching toward the steering wheel during traffic — can add up to more than 700 hours per year of excess stress on the cervical spine, according to research by Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, the chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine.
Neck disorders are the second most common problem treated by myself and the chiropractic profession.
Do you feel that computer/smart phone usage is over-stressing your neck?

Too much texting can wear out your spine

How the health care system is making pain patients worse

I and many others agree that for back and spinal disorders the medical system probably on average does more harm than good. Studies show that family doctors and orthopedists commonly do not follow evidence based guidelines...and surprisingly the orthopedists are worse! Here is an article from a medical blog written by a clinical professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Medical College of Wisconsin. 
Any ideas why so many of these docs are resistant to following the research evidence?

How the health care system is making pain patients worse

Researchers found little or no evidence that long-term opioid (narcotic drug) therapy (therapy lasting more than three months) relieves chronic pain. These findings are from a study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. This was a systematic review which looked at all relevant studies from 2008 thru August, 2014.
Opioid-related deaths have more than tripled and are estimated at 16,000 per year.
Please help me here...why are drugs that have no evidence of effectiveness for chronic conditions and kill so many people, so widely prescribed by doctors who are trained in drug usage?
Painkiller Abuses and Ignorance

Chiropractic for Daily Living

Chiropractic care has more of a protective effect than medical care for older adults against declines in activities of daily living. This is from a comparative study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 
Many do not realize that chiropractic care can help with increasing functioning along with decreasing pain thus indirectly helping with cardiac, pulmonary, and other body systems.
Do you see how this could be beneficial for older adults?

Chiropractic for Daily Living