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Arthritis Quackery
(Unproven Remedies and Tests)

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Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Driver is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She currently is in active practice in the field of rheumatology in Mission Viejo, Calif., where she is a partner in Mission Internal Medical Group.

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Like many people with chronic ailments, sufferers of chronic arthritis are potentially vulnerable to proponents of heavily marketed "cure-all" treatments. These "quick fix" treatments are promoted as having great benefits, but in reality have no right to such claims.

Quackery (the business of promoting unproven remedies) is recognized as a billion dollar industry. We feel the buyer should beware!

Consumers should be especially cautious when products come with marketing claims such as "will cure," "ancient remedy," "has no side effects," "revolutionary new scientific breakthrough."

The following remedies and tests have no scientific proof of benefits related to arthritis:

[Now you've heard it from Alfalfa to Zinc. Beware when you take care!]

REFERENCE:

Barrett, Stephen. Quackwatch.com. Dec. 5, 2011. <http://www.quackwatch.com/>.