Response to the GyroStim story on treatment of brain injury – and one of my own

Lets just say my inbox has been hit hard by people including several current and former NHL players who want to know more about the GyroStim, which I profiled in Sundays paper.

There was a lot of stuff I couldnt get into the final version of the print story, including the fact that former Dallas Cowboys stars Tony Dorsett, Randy White and Darren Woodson are now singing the spinning machines praises, after years of head/brain injury problems.

Sidney Crosby and Joey Hishon arent the only NHL players who have credited the machine for their recovery from severe concussions. Ottawas Guillaume Latendresse, not mentioned in the story, also said the GyroStim cured his concussion and I know the word cure is a bit strong, but I dont really know what else to call it.

A lot of people, therefore, were excited to read about this new technology. And there is more to come from its inventor, Kevin Maher of Colorado Springs. Another thing that didnt make the story is about his new machine called the Performa that promises to improve the spatial awareness of normal, healthy athletes. Maher said he already has sold the machine to one of the biggest teams in the world, from Europe. (Manchester United perhaps???).

Ive also gotten a few get off my lawn emails and overall criticism of the story from people, most seemingly in the more established medical community. Case in point: under a blog called Gyrostim (sp) and the Infrastructure of Quackery on the website Science-Based Medicine, Dr. Steven Novella the sites founder and executive editor and an academic clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine took my story to task, ridiculing it for, essentially, having no skepticism of the machine, failing to note that no double-blind studies of the machine exist and basically just calling me a lay-person shill for writing the article.

Hey, fine, criticism comes with the job. But I wanted to respond to Dr. Novellas criticism, and I did, posting a response on the blog site. I registered to make a comment and everything. Only one problem: Dr. Novella, as executive editor of the site or whomever is moderating comments for him on the blog today doesnt seem to want to post it.

I posted the response at 12:05 mountain, but as of 1:06 mountain, it still says comment is awaiting moderation. Yet, another comment from someone else was posted well after mine was/is still awaiting moderation.

So, if only comments reiterating the doctors point of view are allowed, well, thats his right (but so much for hearing both sides, as the doctor laments about my work). But I have a blog too, and so here is my exact reply.

My article from June 2 clearly states that the GyroStim has yet to obtain FDA approval and that studies are currently ongoing to give more of a science-based assessment of its possible benefits. Right there in paragraph five of the story: The Food and Drug Administration is deciding whether to give the device its seal of approval. Double-blind studies have yet to be published. Also from the story: Miracle machine? A huge breakthrough for the treatment of brain-related injuries? Or quack science, nothing more than an expensive placebo? No one is sure. Dr. Novella seems to be criticizing me for not mentioning these facts and/or skepticism of the machine, when they are right there for anyone with functioning eyes to see. The story is about how so many people seem to be getting help using a device that is brand new, after long periods of time without success using more established medical treatment. Yet, the article points out that everything is very preliminary. But furthermore, nothing in Dr. Novellas blog proves that the GyroStim DOESNT work. He seems to automatically be dismissing the machine as quack pseudoscience on the one hand, while acknowledging that studies double-blind studies have yet to be fully performed (and I know that they are, in fact, ongoing) on the other. If anyone, therefore, seems most guilty of kneejerk reactions before having fully done the research, it would seem to be the good doctor himself. Adrian Dater Denver Post

Ive since learned more about the rivalries between the established medical community and the quacks in the alternative medicine field. (Its kind of like the one between mainstream media and bloggers, come to think of it).

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Response to the GyroStim story on treatment of brain injury – and one of my own