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> I don't like this article because it doesn't sound like science The article is specifically about the fact that the scientific community has little knowledge

> I don't like this article because it doesn't sound like science The article is specifically about the fact that the scientific community has little knowledge or consensus about this topic, but that hypotheses are being formulated and research undertaken. This is the epitome of how science progresses in as-yet unexplored fields. > there are quite a few people promoting pseudo-scientific ideas that can influence patients to put off effective treatments Perhaps you should provide evidence that measures up to your own standards: what data is there to demonstrate that significant numbers of people have died of cardiovascular illness because they tried to treat serious limb swelling with just massage? On the flipside, here's some relevant data: – "Drug overdose deaths involving prescription opioids rose from 3,442 in 1999 to 17,029 in 2017" [1] – "Orthopedic pain (34.8%) was the primary reason for an opioid prescription, followed by [...], back pain (14.0%), and headache (12.9%)" [2] If it turns out that fascia-related issues are frequently a factor in these kinds of chronic pain conditions, which currently seems at least somewhat plausible, it may well turn out to be a scandal that this topic has not yet been more heavily researched, given that many people outside the pharmaceutical sector of the health industry have been talking about it for years or even decades. [1] https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/o... [2] https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(19)30216-8/pdf https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(19)30216-8/pdf

pharke 7y ago
If there's little knowledge or consensus then we should be cautiously optimistic about any perceived progress, we shouldn't run headlong into X fixes everything territory. It's important to keep in mind that we may not know why something works because that is also how science progresses, it's the motivation to continue refining a process or experiment until we have fully explained the method of action. Doing this often leads to important improvements in the method of application. The epitome of how science progresses is diligently applying the scientific method (repeatedly) and not fucking with the results to generate hype or feed a pet theory. The biggest news out of this is that stretching and exercise are still good for your health and you should do them more often. Massage probably won't hurt but if you have serious health problems you should probably still see a doctor.
- tomhoward 7y ago
  > we shouldn't run headlong into X fixes everything territory Nobody in the article or this discussion thread has said we should do this, or said anything else that seriously contradicts anything you've said. Not a single person has said anything to contradict the notion that you should see a doctor if you have serious health problems. The article is very clearly about early stage observations and preliminary research. These grave warnings are an unnecessary downer in a discussion that should be focused on interesting possibilities.

pharke 7y ago

If there's little knowledge or consensus then we should be cautiously optimistic about any perceived progress, we shouldn't run headlong into X fixes everything territory. It's important to keep in mind that we may not know why something works because that is also how science progresses, it's the motivation to continue refining a process or experiment until we have fully explained the method of action. Doing this often leads to important improvements in the method of application. The epitome of how science progresses is diligently applying the scientific method (repeatedly) and not fucking with the results to generate hype or feed a pet theory. The biggest news out of this is that stretching and exercise are still good for your health and you should do them more often. Massage probably won't hurt but if you have serious health problems you should probably still see a doctor.

tomhoward 7y ago
> we shouldn't run headlong into X fixes everything territory Nobody in the article or this discussion thread has said we should do this, or said anything else that seriously contradicts anything you've said. Not a single person has said anything to contradict the notion that you should see a doctor if you have serious health problems. The article is very clearly about early stage observations and preliminary research. These grave warnings are an unnecessary downer in a discussion that should be focused on interesting possibilities.