I'm not big on woo woo. When practitioners choose modalities simply because they "resonate" with them, I am skeptical. But when science backs up the use of something that has long been thought of as energy medicine, I am happy to recommend it. Of course people will tell you something is backed by science when it isn't, so you have to go look at the science for yourself, or find sources like me that you know are science-minded and skeptical to help filter the claims for you.

Here's a case of energy medicine turning out to be something real. Scientists have found that acupuncture points are detectable by CT (computed tomography, fancy medical imaging). All those points have a certain size of larger blood vessels, and also thick mats of fine blood vessels that have lots of forks (birfucations) in them. Piercing the tissues at these points is probably affecting the nervous system associated with those blood vessels. This supports my belief that energy medicine (that actually works) has a anatomical and physiological basis. Acupuncture is well proven to be effective for pain, short term at least. To treat pain longterm one must take the naturopathic approach and find the reason for the pain, and change that.

Medicine is "like working in an auto repair shop," writes veteran internist Brendan Reilly. "You listen to what the car owner says; you ask him some questions; you listen carefully to his answers; and then you look under the hood. People today think medicine is all about technology -- DNA tests and MRI scans and robotic surgery. But it isn't. There's an age-old, tried-and-true method to clinical medicine, and there's nothing mysterious or high-tech about it. It's grunt work.... If you shortcut the grunt work you'll screw up the job."

The idea behind the bill is to make sure that the women are aware of the gestational age and viability of the fetus before they are permitted to abort it. It passed, but they dropped the requirement for the transvaginal ultrasound, instead requiring that the women submit to the procedure to the exterior of their abdomens. It would be difficult to pass a law saying a woman must submit to imaging that requires invasion of a body cavity, even if it is the best way to visualize the fetus. The Republicans said that a woman has "a right to know" about the fetus. I wonder, does a woman have a right to remain ignorant?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/va-senate-approves-contentious-ultrasound-bill/2012/02/27/gIQAvhiVgR_story.html?wpisrc=al_comboNP

This is terrifically interesting to anyone into music or minds.


( Notes: Charles Limb is aCollapse )

What are the face, skull and foot changes seen with acromegaly?
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Assessment of Acute Shoulder Injury
( by me: feedback, corrections, etc are welcomeCollapse )

ACR CODING (not entirely dependent on mammogram findings, may be given based on US, Bx)
0: needs imaging
1: negative
2: benign
3: indeterminate: probably benign but recommend short term followup
4: suspicious, consider biopsy
5: highly suspicious mammogram finding, suspected malignancy
6: bx findings confirm bad news