The office was initially set up with an acting director and an ad hoc panel of twenty members, many of whom Harkin hand-picked, including advocates of acupuncture, energy medicine, homeopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, and several varieties of alternative cancer treatments. 6/
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In essence,
@NIH_NCCIH is trying to claim the brand of "nonpharmacological management of pain" as solely its bailiwick, damn the crappy evidence it uses. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/an-overhyped-review-of-cam-for-chronic-pain-by-the-nccih-and-mayo-clinic-dont-put-away-your-opioids-just-yet/ … 17/Show this thread -
When Josephine Briggs stepped down as
@NIH_NCCIH director last year, a naturopath, Wendy Weber, ascended to the post of acting deputy director. She could well become permanent. 18/ https://nccih.nih.gov/bout/staff/weber …Show this thread -
The
@NIH_NCCIH Director, Division of Extramural Activities is currently a chiropractor named Partap S. Khalsa. 19/ https://nccih.nih.gov/about/staff/pkhalsa …Show this thread -
To sum it up, it is incorrect to think that the purpose of
@NIH_NCCIH was ever rigorous investigation of alternative medicine treatments. Its true purpose, expressed by Sen. Harkin at the very beginning, was to provide a scientific justification for quackery. 20/Show this thread -
Don't believe me? Listen to Harkin himself: "One of the purposes of this center was to investigate and validate alternative approaches. Quite frankly, I must say publicly that it has fallen short..." https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/senator-tom-harkin-disappointed-that-nccam-hasnt-validated-more-cam/ … 21/
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"... It think quite frankly that in this center and in the office previously before it, most of its focus has been on disproving things rather than seeking out and approving." Gee, Sen. Harkin. You say that as though it were a BAD thing. 22/
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Basically, validating quackery was Harkin's vision for
@NIH_NCCIH. It was ALWAYS Harkin's vision for@NIH_NCCIH, RIGHT from the very beginning. 23/Show this thread -
directors might try to enforce scientific standards, but they are swimming upstream, fighting an institutional structure designed to promote quackery. That is the reality. 24/24
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Forgot to mention: A chiropractor is in charge of deciding where NCCIH grant money goes. 24a/24 and now the end for real.
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OK, I lied. I forgot to mention that
@NIH_NCCIH's longtime patron Tom Harkin is also a huge booster of Herbalife. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/congress-will-soon-lose-its-foremost-supporter-of-quackery/ … OK, NOW I really am done. 24b/24 THE REAL END.Show this thread
End of conversation
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