Synogenes.com

The continuing saga of the misplaced libel suit against Simon Singh brought by the British Chiropractic Association grinds into its latest phase today, as Dr Singh applies again for permission to appeal. He's been denied twice, but once he has exhausted the UK courts, he can then take the case to the European Court. He's back in court today, but with little chance of success - judges very rarely challenge each other's judgements.

Already we have seen the British chiropractors reeling from the attention they have attracted to unfounded claims of what they can treat, including childhood colic and asthma. More than 500 of them have been reported to the regulatory authorities including the Advertising Standards Authority, the Trading Standards Authority, and even their own regulatory council, the General Chiropractic Council.

The McTimony Chiropractic Association issued a rather panicky letter to its members urging them to take down their websites and remove unevidenced claims, and whole business is feeling the effects of the Quacklash.

The evidence offered by the BCA to support the use of chiropractic in treating childhood colic and asthma was reviewed by the British Medical Journal who had an exceptionally low opinion of them. The BMJ editorial described the references as having been totally demolished. Which to any reasonable person indicates that there wasn't any evidence there.

We hope that Simon Singh is successful, not just for him personally, so he can get on with his excellent work unhindered by this ludicrous case, but because there are wider implications for the free criticism of medical therapies. If someone comes along with a preposterous theory and starts charging confused people for treatment that has no scientific basis, we'd all be justifiably talking about fraud, deception, dishonesty, unethical practice and so on. And the way to establish whether or not that really is the case, is to look at the evidence. That's all Dr Singh tried to do.

The reaction of the BCA in resorting to libel laws to try to shut him up, rather than offering high quality scientific and medical research speaks volumes about them, and their concern for commercial opportunity rather than scientific credibility. Let's hope the Quacklash they've unleashed on themselves spreads to all the other purveyors of Woo. At the very least, it might make them think twice before trying to stifle the voice of reason.