Yes, @WHO has lost the plot when it comes to quackery. It's fully embraced "integrating" quackery with real medicine. 1/https://twitter.com/DrPChouinard/status/1101649255079600128 …
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Basically, ICD codes are used for everything ranging from recording diagnoses to billing, to research. They are the lingua franca of medical diagnoses. By including quackery in this lingua franca, @WHO legitimizes pseudoscience. 4/
The quackery @WHO includes in ICD-11 is quite egregious. Let's look at some examples. For example, there is SG26, or Bladder meridian pattern (TM). "A pattern characterized by clashing headache and sensation that the eyes are being torn out. The nape of the neck is tight,.." 5/
"...there is pain in the spine, the waist arches backwards, the thigh cannot flex, the back of the knee has lumps and there is a sensation that the calf is being split apart. Symptoms and signs also include excess lacrimation, nasal congestion..." 6/
"...pain in the head, neck, back, waist, sacrum, back of the knee, calf and foot, and impaired use of the little toe. It may be explained by Bladder meridian dysfunction." 7/
Let's look at another example: "SG29 Triple energizer meridian pattern (™): A pattern characterized by deafness and tinnitus, swelling and obstruction of the throat. Symptoms and signs also include sweating, pain at the lateral corners of the eye and cheeks..." 8/.
"...pain behind the ear and along the shoulders, upper arms, elbows and outer border of the forearms and impaired use of the fourth finger. It may be explained by Triple Energizer meridian dysfunction." 9/
One more bit of quackery in the ICD-11: "F57 Liver qi stagnation pattern (™): A pattern characterized by distending and burning pain of the hypochondrium, along with restlessness, irritability, bitter taste, dry mouth, red tongue with yellow coating or a wiry rapid pulse..." 10/
"... It may be explained by long-term stagnation of liver system qi induced internal fire factor that affects tissues and functions associated with the liver system." 11/
Let me just remind you that these prescientific, vitalistic, superstition-based "diagnoses" are basically co-equal with diagnoses of cancer, heart disease, and other conventional medical diagnoses. 12/
True, the @WHO says that the quack part of ICD-11 is "optional for those who would like to record epidemiological data about traditional medicine practice." Maybe for now, but how long do you think it will remain "optional"? 13/
I highly doubt that the "traditional medicine" part of ICD-11 will remain "optional" for long. Maybe it will for ICD-11, but by the time ICD-12 rolls around, it won't be. Not only that, I bet a lot more "traditional medicine" quackery will be added. 14/
The bottom line is that @WHO has betrayed medicine with its embrace of traditional medicine quackery as valid. ICD-11 is not the only example. 15/
For instance, there is the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy (2014– 2023), "highlighting the global scientific challenges and showing how a systems biology approach can be applied to diagnosis, leading to integrated network-based medicine." 16/
Yes, @WHO is applying systems biology to quackery. It's the very epitome of quackademic medicine. Worse, @aaas teamed up with WHO to promote quackery in @sciencemagazine in a paid supplement. 17/ https://respectfulinsolence.com/2015/01/05/science-and-the-aaas-sell-their-souls-to-promote-pseudoscience-in-medicine/ …
Quoth @WHO: "Some of the exciting areas in TCM research include the therapeutic potential of herbal remedies against influenza, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases; the exploration of gut microbiota-targeted dietary interventions against chronic inflammation..." 18/
"...; and the study of the biological activities of complex polysaccharides present in medicinal plants." 19/
Worse, here's a major @WHO objective: "Objective 3: To promote universal health coverage by integrating T&CM services into health care service delivery and self-health care." You read that right. WHO wants to "integrate" prescientific medicine into medicine. 20/
I could go on and on, but I think that's enough. @WHO, for all the good it does in other areas, has totally embraced quackery, as long as it's "traditional." 21/21
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