Category Archives: evidence-based medicine

“I’ve tried to interpret the findings of the best physiologists and translate them into sound practices. That’s made me a radical.”

David Moorcroft was about as flexible as a 2×4, but it didn’t keep him from winning a lot of races. Reader Jennifer M. found this great passage from an excellent 1983 Sports Illustrated article about David Moorcroft, a British middle and long distance runner and 5,000 metres world record holder. It’s a splendid addition to my stretching [...]
Also posted in debunkery, self-treatment, strain, stretching | Leave a comment

And again! More muscle knot squishing science, different experiment, same results

Odd! Just a couple days after posting about a not-yet-published study of trigger point squishing — quite a rare subject for research — I came across (via @massagetherapy) an almost identical study that is published. They also reported news that makes massage therapists smile: …using ischemic compression on shoulder trigger points may reduce the symptoms of [...]
Also posted in massage, massage therapy, massage tools, placebo, research, science, self-massage, self-treatment, therapy, treatment, trigger points | Leave a comment

Do Epsom salts go up your bum?

Epsom salts supposedly relieve aches and pains, especially muscle pain, but there are many problems with this idea, which I have written about in truly ridiculous detail (believe it or not). It’s not at all clear how salts can get through the skin barrier, which is pretty substantial. But a simple 2006 experiment showed that [...]
Also posted in humour, pain, science, treatment | Leave a comment

Registered for TAM8 and science-based medicine workshops

Once again I will be travelling to Las Vegas this summer to participate in “TAM” — The Amazing Meeting, a critical thinking and (who are we kidding) geek convention. I went to my first TAM last year, and wrote a bizarrely long and cheeky account of the experience that was strangely popular. This year I [...]
Also posted in business, personal, science | Leave a comment