Scraping on head and face combined with stepping technique of tuina along lower limbs for chronic fatigue syndrome, 2020, He et al

For what it's worth.

Link to Pubmed link for abstract in English, paper is in Chinese, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33068345/

 

WTAF

 

No need for GET or CBT anymore here's: "Scraping on head and face combined with stepping technique of tuina along lower limbs". It might need a catchier name though.

This study can probably be used as an example of how the randomised controlled trial design used in GET/CBT studies is flawed because all sort of weird interventions can be 'demonstrated' to be effective with this methodology, including the Lightning process or scraping on head and face...

 

I can not believe that I am reading this.
Is this a joke?

 

This might help explain.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-06782-7

 

Scraping sounds like a traditional Korean skincare regime.
It's a form of lymphatic drainage - in terms of skin the results are pretty amazing .

 

Okay, this is it.

We need to face reality and accept that the best we can hope for is for a relatively harmless form of quackery to be inflicted on us. I say that we commit to this one and try to get NICE to approve it for roll out across the UK.

At this point, does anyone have a better plan?

 

I'd prefer a study on the health benefits of eating dark chocolate, to be honest I'm sure they would be happy to confirm that it makes people feel better.

 

Why not combine it and scrape the face after gorging on dark chocolate?
I always do.

 

Perhaps they are studying Credulous Fauxresearch Syndrome.

 

But that would too obviously make our lives better, thus incentivising us to maintain the sick role for all the lovely secondary benefits. To be accepted by British medicine it needs to be something that is at least mildly unpleasant, like being scraped.

 

Another study that shows how easily questionnaire answering behaviour can be influenced...

 

I haven't read the study, but here's a description of "Stepping in Chinese Tuina" from a website on traditional Chinese medicine.

The patient is in the prone position with a few pillows under his chest and pelvis to make his spine overextended and his abdomen suspended. Holding a handrail which is fixed on the wall to support his weight, the practitioner steps gently on the patient’s lumbar with his toes. Then the patient is asked to take a deep breath. When the patient’s muscle is relaxed, the practitioner springs up and drops down according to the respiratory cycles rhythmically, i. e, 1eaping up gently in the inhaling period and falling down in the exhaling period

http://www.tcmwindow.com/tuina/counter/Stepping-in-Chinese-Tuina.shtml

 

erm....sod that.

 

At least as, a Chinese therapy, this does not seem to involve the extermination of flora or fauna.

 

Not sure about that, I may be one of those things, and stomping/jumping up and down on me does run the risk of extermination, of me.