SaveYourself.ca • Sensible advice for aches, pains & injuries
 

published 11/20/06, updated 9/28/09

Therapeutic Options for Pain Problems

A guide to therapies and medical professionals for injuries, chronic pain and other musculoskeletal problems

by Paul Ingraham, Vancouver, Canada BIO
Credentials & qualifications. I am a science journalist, and I was a massage therapist for ten years. I’m close to the end of a Health Sciences degree — 2 courses left! — and I am on the editorial team of Science-Based Medicine. I have spent many years studying therapy science, and my work is greatly enriched by thousands of conversations with readers and experts from around the world. I make a living from this website, selling some of my most detailed tutorials as ebooks. For more, see Who Am I to Say?

Incredibly and tragically, this article has been removed from the website for legal reasons, to minimize the risk of offending some of my thin-skinned colleagues and readers. Some of them believe that scholarly criticism of certain practices in health care is insulting and unprofessional. For instance, the word “quackery” has become an emotionally charged and politically incorrect word, despite the fact that it refers to something that truly exists and needs to be discussed.

This article originally presented many criticisms of health professions, supported by numerous references to expert opinion and scientific research published in major medical journals. It was simply too controversial to continue safely publishing. I think it’s all a shame, and probably a sign of the End Times.

Surprised? Outraged? Good! You should be. Please donate to the Sense About Science campaign to reform British libel law, inspired by the legal assault on Simon Singh’s right to free speech. They’re making good headway, and it’s the most important manifestation of this problem in the world today.