The Fair Test: When Chance Decides

In 1948, a handful of sealed envelopes decided who would receive a scarce new drug. That simple step made a test fair, and changed how medicine knows what works. In this episode, Dr. Jocelyn Michel, D.Ac-CHM, climbs to the randomized controlled trial, the test medicine trusts most. Hear how one trial overturned years of advice given to women after menopause, what fair tests actually show about acupuncture, craniosacral therapy and nutrition, and why even the best trial still can't tell us everything about the person in front of us. Discover the three questions that turn any "a study showed" headline into something you can use. References Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. (2002). Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. New England Journal of Medicine, 346(6), 393–403. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa012512 Haake, M., Müller, H.-H., Schade-Brittinger, C., Basler, H. D., Schäfer, H., Maier, C., Endres, H. G., Trampisch, H. J., & Molsberger, A. (2007). German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC) for chronic low back pain: Randomized, multicenter, blinded, parallel-group trial with 3 groups. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167(17), 1892–1898. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.167.17.1892 Haller, H., Lauche, R., Sundberg, T., Dobos, G., & Cramer, H. (2020). Craniosacral therapy for chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 21, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-019-3017-y Medical Research Council. (1948). Streptomycin treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. British Medical Journal, 2, 769–782. Stampfer, M. J., Colditz, G. A., Willett, W. C., Manson, J. E., Rosner, B., Speizer, F. E., & Hennekens, C. H. (1991). Postmenopausal estrogen therapy and cardiovascular disease: Ten-year follow-up from the Nurses' Health Study. New England Journal of Medicine, 325(11), 756–762. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199109123251102 Vickers, A. J., Vertosick, E. A., Lewith, G., MacPherson, H., Foster, N. E., Sherman, K. J., Irnich, D., Witt, C. M., & Linde, K. (2018). Acupuncture for chronic pain: Update of an individual patient data meta-analysis. The Journal of Pain, 19(5), 455–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2017.11.005 Writing Group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators. (2002). Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: Principal results from the Women's Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 288(3), 321–333. This podcast is for education and inspiration and is not medical advice. Listening does not create a practitioner-patient relationship. Dr. Jocelyn Michel, D.Ac-CHM, is licensed as an acupuncturist in Wisconsin, USA. Please talk with your own healthcare provider before making changes to your care. Guest views are their own. Some links may be affiliate links. Full disclaimer: https://www.healingpathacupuncture.info/legal