During a recent episode of The Dr. Oz Show, Oz discussed Reiki — an alternative medicine that Oz says might be the “most important alternative medicine treatment of all.” Oz explained to the audience that his wife was a Reiki master, and from time to time she uses the treatment on him. “I can’t even tell when she’s treating me. Sometimes she secretly treats me,” says Oz. After a brief introduction to this alternative “energy medicine,” Oz introduces Reiki master Pamela Miles. At this point, there is a lady from the audience — with a headache — sitting in a chair in front of Miles. Before Miles treats the headache she explains, “Reiki is a balancing practice, and so rather than addressing the headache or whatever else is the problem, what it does is influences the person’s overall system towards balance.” After a brief intro on basic Reiki, Miles performs her magic, and presto: The lady’s headache is gone.
Vandervaart et al. (2009) conducted a systematic review to try to evaluate whether Reiki produces a significant treatment effect. The researchers concluded, “The serious methodological and reporting limitations of limited existing Reiki studies preclude a definitive conclusion on its effectiveness. High-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to address the effectiveness of Reiki over placebo.” Lee et al. (2008) conducted a systematic review with the aim of critically evaluating the evidence for the effectiveness of Reiki. The researchers found insufficient evidence to suggest Reiki as an effective treatment for any condition. Assefi et al. (2008) looked to see whether Reiki was a beneficial fibromyalgia treatment. Surprise, surprise the study found that Reiki offered no therapeutic effects. There is no valid evidence that shows Reiki is beneficial for any condition. Of course, in uncontrolled, non-blinded studies, there could be some benefit via placebo effect.
Why does Oz make these types of pseudo-scientific claims? It might have something to do with TV. ratings and big money.
More words of wisdom from (and about) Oz from “The Not So Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” at skeptologic.com:
Alternative medicines, Dr. Oz says, deal with the body’s energy — something that traditional Western medicine generally does not. “We’re beginning now to understand things that we know in our hearts are true but we could never measure,” he says. “As we get better at understanding how little we know about the body, we begin to realize that the next big frontier … in medicine is energy medicine. It’s not the mechanistic part of the joints moving. It’s not the chemistry of our body. It’s understanding for the first time how energy influences how we feel.”
Not quite what you would expect from a scientist. However, the fancy rhetoric seems to work on many people. Oz attracts a large audience, sells tons of books, and might just be Oprah’s favorite doctor.
That's Pitiful written by Jim Shaver,
February 16, 2010
There should be laws prohibiting or at least discouraging people like him promoting garbage like that on television. It really is astounding to me how irresponsible these people are (including Oprah, who fully supports the quackery, and network executives, who cynically enable it), and how utterly stupid their audiences are.
And to think, my wife has actually told me before, when I've expressed an attitude of default skepticism towards anyone Oprah promotes, "No, no, Dr. Oz is a real doctor. He has good advice." I'm going to have to have another talk with her.
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Sad Dr written by EKendra,
February 16, 2010
This is just sad that a person calling themselves a doctor is able to recomend this alternative medicine. I know lets as the Followers of Christ how well that Alt. Medicine works. Oh Yeah not that well. So my question to Dr. Oz is - "Are you really concerned about peoples health or how fat you can make your bank account?"
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Snake oil written by Michael K Gray,
February 16, 2010
Willful frauds such as these belong in prison. As do their knowing enablers.
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Three questions that must be answered "yes" written by garyg,
February 16, 2010
For reiki, therapeutic touch, qi, etc. to have any validity they must show:
1) the very existence of "human energy fields" (in fact, other than weak alpha waves, which are undetectable more than an inch from the skull, there ARE no such "energies". (funny how radio, TV, and other electromagnetic waves have no effect - unless you count the stupefying effect of listening and/or watching many of their broadcasts) 2) they must be controllable 3) they must be controlled for the patient's benefit (how can such practicioners be sure they're waving their hands in the right direction or pattern if they can't even define, much less control, these "energies")?
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... written by Sc00ter,
February 16, 2010
How does somebody like this keep their medical license?
Thanks for referencing my blog post. I don't get all that many readers, but the Dr. Oz post gets the most traffic by far. Mostly it is from people who search for "Dr Oz Quack" or something similar. I hope that at least some of those people listen and stay away from the unscientific nonsense he is constantly promoting.
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Not all quackery written by jim@nallysys.com,
February 16, 2010
It is quite possible that this lady was in fact 'cured' of her headache as a result of her 'Reiki experience'.
It is known as authoritative hypnosis.
I was cured of chronic migraine headaches as a kid by a clinical hypnotherapist, but a Reiki practioner using the same techniques would have also worked.
I wanted to be cured and the hypnotherapy session did the trick. This lady wanted the headache to disappear and the Reiki did the trick.
The fact that the cure was paraded as Reiki energy mumbo jumbo at work is another matter. Dr OZ should have explained that science provides quite reasonable explanations for these things.
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Here's the best reason... written by Culmidon,
February 16, 2010
To avoid Dr. Oz at all cost: "...and might just be Oprah’s favorite doctor."
Oprah's well known affinity for woo-woo should make anyone with even a smattering of common sense avoid anyone or anything she endorses like it was plague ridden.
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@Not all quackery written by Culmidon,
February 16, 2010
"Dr OZ should have explained that science provides quite reasonable explanations for these things."
You're absolutely right, he should have. But if he had, then A) Oprah would have been upset and B) All the "Oprah-maniacs" that hang on his every word would have been very upset. That would not have been good for his main reason for being on TV: ratings and cash. Cause, Dog knows (as I like to say) he's certainly not on there, apparently, to dispense intelligent, useful medical advice.
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Reiki and miracles written by jim@nallysys.com,
February 16, 2010
Interestingly, a conference of Catholic Bishops in the USA in March 2009 issued a decree halting the practice of Reiki by Catholics, stating that it was incompatible with Christian teaching and scientific evidence.
I would have also thought that praying for miracles is very much equivalent to Reiki when you think about it.
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Do You Feel Any Heat written by devilschord,
February 16, 2010
What kind of question is this? Of course she feels heat - the woman's hand is across her forehead! Sometimes I am just so tired of this crap! Isn't there a wonderful woo-free land we can all move to?
In a free society, the press should be the ones to confront lies, not police or soldiers. We don't need laws limiting speech, but such a society demands that the truth be made available. Politicians in the pocket of their corporate masters won't do it. Unfortunately much of the press is owned and operated by profiteers with no regard for the truth.
That's why this site is so valuable. It is why I refer people to this site when I blog at much bigger sites like DailyKos and at the New Age site Huffington Post, home of homeopathy. The truth is not out there. It is in here, and we must all strive to get more readers and pressure the media to report the truth.
In that vein I suggest some permalinks on the home page. I know how to search the site, but most visitors won't bother. So a box with some FAQ links debunking popular myths might be helpful.
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Dope or Dopes? written by Realitysage,
February 16, 2010
After having a surgery I needed, a temporary home care nurse whose agency was referred to me by a well known university hospital became my caregiver. I was actually quite pleased with the professional nursing care I received during that difficult time. One day the agency called me to inform me that they could provide a Reiki practitioner to address some pain issues I was having. Of course I declined that silliness. The pain killers I was later prescribed by my doctor worked very well. After asking my nurse a few questions I was somewhat startled to learn that the agency employed several nurse Reiki practitioners in their company. The hospital that referred them to me wasn't some obscure hospital but a nationally famous one probably every reader here would have heard of. It gets me that quack medicine permeates mainstream medicine as it does. People are attracted to that nonsense because of the claim that it's natural. But so is tuberculosis, diphtheria, typhus, hepatitis, and small pox for a few examples. Being natural doesn't necessarily make something special.
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... written by JimQPublic,
February 16, 2010
I could have guessed that the daytime medical talk shows would try to take some of the cold, objective science out of medicine in order to make it a palatable topic for average Oprah viewer. I never thought they would go this far. So I understand the outrage, I and I agree it's quite appalling to see so many people drink in the feel-good alt med bullcrap without so much as a raised eyebrow.
What I don't agree with is what seems to be the knee-jerk reaction in so many of these cases, namely that we need to pass laws to shut up CAM pushers, or (and in fairness I haven't heard this solution mentioned in any of the comments yet) to prevent people from using alt medicine if they wish. In some cases where a fraud or quack is promoting a potentially dangerous remedy or actively encouraging people not to use conventional medicine when their life is on the line prosecution might be warranted. However, and I know I may get some negative backlash for pushing the libertarian viewpoint here (Penn Jillette, hear my prayer!), I think in situations like this it's best to err on the side of more freedom. More freedom for the alt medicine people yes, but also more freedom for the press and skeptical organizations to research bogus claims and inform the public about these kinds of frauds. More freedom also means anyone skeptical of CAM wouldn't be afraid to speak the truth for fear of getting sued.
Taking the opposite route is cynical and ultimately self-defeating. It not only assumes that the public is too stupid to make sound decisions, but it also feeds the conspiracy fringe of the new age movement, who would scream bloody murder as soon as they heard so much as a whisper about the criminalization of CAM. They would not only have "proof" of their loony claims about a secret collaboration between corporations and the government to fill their body with toxic chemicals and mind-controlling drugs, but we'd never hear the end of how their fundamental rights had been violated. I think it would ultimately help the alt med cause by making them into sympathetic figures.
I think a better alternative to the "there ought to be a law..." mentality is for every skeptical individual to do their best to educate anyone they can find who holds such misguided beliefs. I'm still working on my 45 year old mother, actually. So far, I've actually managed to convince her that fluoridated water won't give her cancer! We kinda hit a roadblock with homeopathy, though.
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I like the idea of treating fibromyalgia with reiki... written by Griz,
February 17, 2010
I have great success treating unicorn infestations with pixie dust. I haven't had a unicorn in my garden for as long as I can remember.
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It's the Science that Matters written by skeptologic,
February 17, 2010
@JimQPublic, I agree with you and I don't think you will find that "there ought to be a law" mentality here. As skeptics, our job is to promote science and get the information out there as to why these practices are crap so the public can make good decisions. We will not stoop to the level of what, for example, the British Chiropractic Association is doing to Simon Singh. We do not promote infringing on anybody's free speech. We do however think that there should be a standard of care in medicine and that that standard should be based on scientific evidence. It should not be based on religion, faith, "all natural," political ideology, etc. If they can prove their treatments are more effective than placebo then great. Better yet, if they can prove some kind of "energy," "chi" or something similar, James Randi will award them $1,000,000. Come on CAM people...anyone want to win the money?
Skeptologic, I enjoy your site and I would recommend it to anyone interested skepticism.
Of course, the Reiki therapy may have helped with the headache via- placebo effect. But explaining that the mere expectation of improvement often results in improvement- regardless of intervention- is not what Oprah or the audience wanted to hear.
I am not sure of Oz is a Bser or liar, or maybe both?
thanks, Jamie Hale
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I got a future guest for the good doctor written by Smiledriver,
February 17, 2010
Emily Rosa and her cardboard screen. Bring your Reiki masters, skin that smokewagon and see what happens.
Also, ever notice how this stuff behaves just like a scam tailoring itself to the "mark?" If the mark seems like a no nonsense type it's Theraputic Touch Therapy if they're a bit of a hippie it's Reiki. Jeez.
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@skeptologic written by JimQPublic,
February 17, 2010
Thanks for the response. I'm adding yours to the list of skeptical websites I read, and I'm definitely going to send my mother the link to your entry about Ginko Biloba and ear candling. I had completely forgotten she used to use those things on my sister, who had chronic auditory issues for most of her life. Weird how ended up needing surgery too, you would have thought between the ear candling, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, organic food, and yes even chiropractic treatments (aren't they supposed to work on the spine or something?) my mom would have found something to cure my sister. Ah I know, she should have tried Reiki!
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@SmileDriver written by Caller X,
February 20, 2010
I got a future guest for the good doctor written by Smiledriver, February 17, 2010
Emily Rosa and her cardboard screen. Bring your Reiki masters, skin that smokewagon and see what happens.
Also, ever notice how this stuff behaves just like a scam tailoring itself to the "mark?" If the mark seems like a no nonsense type it's Theraputic Touch Therapy if they're a bit of a hippie it's Reiki. Jeez.
Ah, pomposity. Don't be in too much of a hurry to be the smartest person in the room. There's an old poker saying, "If you think you know who the mark is, it's probably you." Therapeutic Touch, invented by a nurse (Dora somebody) and an Indian (feather) named Oshina, is a completely different brand of nonsense. The clients gravitate to the thing that they think works for them. It's not a case of "tailoring itself to the 'mark'". The market is big enough for everyone to have a slice of the pie.
As for "no-nonsene type" being particularly susceptible to Therapeutic Touch, perhaps your are unaware of the decades-long intertwining of the Therapeutic Touch and Theosophical Society communities. Know your facts, Jabroni. Like Rickles, I kid because I love.
Speaking of Jabronis, check out this guy (yes, it's a good-lookin' Italics Saturday! Bing bong! Traffic on the eights!
http://forum-network.org/lecture/yoga-change
It's supposedly a lecture on yoga, but he never gets around to talking about yoga. This guy, who has genuine expertise in one area, seems like he wants to be a teacher/authority, or maybe if you ask him nicely, a cult leader. The blurb says:
"Allen Pittman writer, yoga expert
Writer and Master of Transcultural Martial Arts and Yoga Allen Pittman speaks on the history and other aspects of yoga. He also demonstrates some specific techniques."
Well, no, he demonstrates nothing. This video presents massive lulz. You will want to watch it over and over. Note how he attempts to use NeuroLinguistic Programming (probably learned from his lovely wife, who has that in her skillset) as he repeatedly tells the audience "Does that make sense to you?" except the intonation is an instruction or statement rather than a question. Over and over.
According to his website, he "He has previously put his mastering to use ..."
Share this nonsense with anyone with a brain and a sense of humour. 2012, the Saturn Return, it's all there. Does that make sense to you.
Oh, he also advances the revolutionary idea that Americans don't get enough fat in their diet. Does that make sense to you.
To be fair, his shirt is really cool.
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Sorry about the strikethru - my bad I guess written by Caller X,
February 20, 2010
please ignore the strikethru in my previous message (not the underlying text of course). Sorry, it looks awkward.
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... written by sfdyoung,
February 22, 2010
"Dr OZ should have explained that science provides quite reasonable explanations for these things."
You're absolutely right, he should have. But if he had, then A) Oprah would have been upset and B) All the "Oprah-maniacs" that hang on his every word would have been very upset.
You left out C) Since Ms Oz is a Reiki practitioner her own self, calling BS might have made home life a bit difficult.
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And to think, my wife has actually told me before, when I've expressed an attitude of default skepticism towards anyone Oprah promotes, "No, no, Dr. Oz is a real doctor. He has good advice." I'm going to have to have another talk with her.