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Consumer Health Digest #20-46
November 22, 2020
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/william-m-london., with help from Stephen Barrett, M.D
http://www.quackwatch.org/10Bio/bio.html. It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. Its primary focus is on health, but occasionally it includes non-health scams and practical tips.
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Spinal decompression marketing by chiropractors investigatedA FairWarning investigation has concluded that lax regulation and press apathy have enabled chiropractors to continue to advertise scientifically unsupported back pain relief claims for treatment with mechanized tables for spinal decompression that cost patients thousands of dollars insurers won't cover.
[Patients pay thousands for a back pain treatment promoted by exaggerated claims
https://www.fairwarning.org/2020/11/patients-pay-thousands-for-back-treatment-promoted-by-exaggerated-claims/. FairWarning, Nov 18, 2020]
Patients have complained of injuries from the machines and some have received monetary damages in lawsuits. But the report notes:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has regulatory authority over medical devices, has not responded to several complaints made by Dr. Stephen Barrett about advertising for spinal decompression machines.
The Federal Trade Commission has not sent warning letters to any manufacturers of the machines over the past two decades.
Eight state chiropractic boards contacted as part of the investigation have not taken action against individual chiropractors advertising the machines in recent years.
Newspapers are sustained by their advertisers, spinal decompression machines are aggressively advertised in some newspapers, and newspaper editors can be reluctant to publish investigative reports about products advertised in their papers.
[Hill J. A story 12 years in the telling
https://www.fairwarning.org/2020/11/patients-pay-thousands-for-back-treatment-promoted-by-exaggerated-claims/. Fair Warning, Nov 18, 2020]
FairWarning is a nonprofit (501(c)(3)) investigative news organization that focuses on public health, consumer, workplace and environmental issues, and related topics of government and business accountability. Aetna, which has evaluated published studies of decompression treatment for more than 20 years, has concluded:
Aetna considers vertebral axial decompression (e.g., by means of the
VAX-D Spinal Decompression System, the
Accu-SPINA System,
Axiom Worldwide DRX2000,
Axiom DRX3000,
Axiom DRX5000, the
Axiom DRX9000, the
DRS (Decompression Reduction Stabilization) System,
DRX, the Alpha-SPINA System, the
Dynatron DX2, the
Lordex Lumbar Spine System, the
Saunders 3D ActiveTrac,
Spinerx LDM,
Tru Tac 401,
NuChoice Medical Healthstar Elite Decompression Therapy, the
Antalgic-Trak, the
Cert Health Sciences SpineMED Decompression Table,
Integrity Spinal Care System,
MTD 4000 Mettler Traction Decompression System, or
Internal Disc Decompression (IDD) Therapy, also known as
Intervertebral Differential Dynamics Therapy)
experimental and investigational. Currently, there is no adequate scientific evidence that proves that vertebral axial decompression is an effective adjunct to conservative therapy for back pain. In addition, vertebral axial decompression devices have not been adequately studied as alternatives to back surgery.
[Vertebral axial decompression
http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/100_199/0180.html. Aetna clinical policy bulletin, Oct 1, 2020]
Chirobase has additional background information on spinal decompression devices
https://quackwatch.org/chiropractic/dd/vaxd/.
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Misinformation by chiropractors about COVID-19 scrutinizedIn March 2020, 19 chiropractors advocating for evidence-based practice searched the Internet, including Facebook and other social media in Europe, North America, New Zealand, and Australia for inappropriate chiropractic claims related to immunity, chiropractic care, and COVID-19. [Axén I. and others. Misinformation, chiropractic, and the COVID-19 pandemic
https://quackwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/07/covid-misinformation.pdf. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 28:65, 2020]
They found 99 statements from chiropractors and chiropractic practices with scientifically inaccurate information about chiropractic:
The false message that chiropractic adjustments boost the immune system was common.
Half the statements mentioned no recommended public health intervention for COVID-19.
28% made claims linked to non-scientifically-based chiropractic concepts from more than 100 years ago.
17% claimed, based on a seriously flawed 1920 paper, that chiropractic care had reduced mortality from the 1918 influenza pandemic.
12% were assertions without argument or evidence at all.
4% questioned undisputed and established science, such as germ theory.
Statements such as "supported by evidence," "research shows," and "evidence shows" were commonly made with no reference to any research or evidence.
The investigators concluded:
Our search illustrates the possible danger to public health of misinformation posted on social media and the Internet. This situation provides an opportunity for growth and maturation for the chiropractic profession. We hope that individual chiropractors will reflect on and improve their communication and practices. Further, we hope that the chiropractic teaching institutions, regulators, and professional organisations will always demonstrate responsible leadership in their respective domains by acting to ensure that all chiropractors understand and uphold their fiduciary duties.
The report included eight screenshots of misleading claims, one of which claimed that chiropractors can "turn the tide" to prevent COVID-related prenatal stress from affecting the unborn child. Because the investigation lacked a systematic data-collection plan from a representative sample, it could not estimate what percentage of chiropractors were communicating inappropriately. The investigators found no inappropriate claims made by any chiropractic regulatory agencies, teaching institutions, or the four Councils on Chiropractic Education. They noted that many chiropractic associations support the appropriate advice from World Federation of Chiropractic to chiropractors about COVID-19
https://www.wfc.org/website/images/wfc/Latest_News_and_Features/Coronavirus_statement_2020_03_17.pdf, but they did not mention that one of the papers they cited
https://chiromt.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12998-020-00312-x was rightly critical of the International Chiropractors Association for posting reports claiming that chiropractic care can impact the immune system.
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FTC pursuing dietary supplement marketersThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed an administrative complaint
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/d09397_administrative_part_3_complaint_and_exh.pdf against Health Research Laboratories, LLC; its owner Kramer Duhon; and Whole Body Supplements, LLC, for making unsubstantiated claims that their supplements—The Ultimate Heart Formula (UHF), BG18, and Black Garlic Botanicals—prevent or treat cardiovascular and other diseases, and that their supplement Neupathic cures, mitigates, or treats diabetic neuropathy. The case is scheduled to be heard before an administrative law judge in July 2021.
[FTC approves administrative complaint against supplement marketer Health Research Laboratories, LLC
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/11/ftc-approves-administrative-complaint-against-supplement-marketer. FTC press release, Nov 20, 2020] In 2017, in response to a complaint by the FTC and the state of Maine, the defendants settled charges related to two other products.
[Supplement sellers settle FTC, State of Maine false advertising charges: BioTherapex and NeuroPlus touted to treat ailments including arthritis and memory loss
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2017/11/supplement-sellers-settle-ftc-state-maine-false-advertising. FTC news release, Nov 20, 2017]
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Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Consumer Advocate
287 Fearrington Post
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Telephone: (919) 533-6009
http://www.quackwatch.org (health fraud and quackery)
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