Dr. Edzard Ernst is the most prominent apostate and critic of alternative medicine. He began his career as a physician by pursuing treatments like acupuncture, homeopathy, and spinal manipulation, and eventually became the world’s first professor of alternative medicine. However, his experiences and research convinced him that alternative medicine was largely nonsense, and he became arguably the world’s most authoritative critic of alternative medicine in general, and chiropractic in particular.

Dr. Ernst has published more than 40 books, perhaps most notably Trick or Treatment, and (right up my alley) 2007’s Complementary Therapies for Pain Management. He has also published more than a thousand articles in the peer-reviewed medical literature, and is the founder of two scientific journals. He has been given visiting professorships in Canada and the US. His work has been awarded with many scientific prizes.

As of 2021, Dr. Ernst blogs prolifically at EdzardErnst.com, and is active on Twitter (@EdzardErnst). His autobiography is A Scientist in Wonderland: A Memoir of Searching for Truth and Finding Trouble.

~ Paul Ingraham, PainSci Publisher

Related Content

1. “Interview: The complementary medicine detective,” Michael Bond, NewScientist.com.
2. “Massage therapy for low back pain: a systematic review,” Ernst, Journal of Pain Symptomology Management, 1999.
3. Mini-bio for "Simon Singh" on PainScience.com.
4. “Acupuncture: Does it alleviate pain and are there serious risks? A review of reviews,” Ernst et al, Pain, 2011.
5. “Aromatherapy for health care: an overview of systematic reviews,” Lee et al, Maturitas, 2012.
6. “Evidence-based massage therapy: a contradiction in terms?,” Ernst, Massage Therapy: The Evidence for Practice, 2002.
7. “The role of complementary and alternative medicine,” Ernst, British Medical Journal, 2000.
8. “Chiropractic: a critical evaluation,” Ernst, Journal of Pain & Symptom Management, 2008.
9. “A systematic review of systematic reviews of homeopathy,” Ernst, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2002.
10. Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts About Alternative Medicine (book), by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst. Amazon.com ❐
11. A Scientist in Wonderland: A Memoir of Searching for Truth and Finding Trouble (book), by Edzard Ernst. Amazon.com ❐
12. Complementary therapies for pain management: an evidence-based approach (book), by E Ernst, Max H Pittler, and Barbara Wider. Amazon.com ❐

These five articles on PainScience.com mention Dr. Edzard Ernst as a source:

1. A Deep Dive into Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness
2. The Chiropractic Controversies
3. Does Arnica Gel Work for Pain?
4. Massage Therapy Side Effects
5. Homeopathy Schmomeopathy

Authored by (or directly relevant to) Dr. Edzard Ernst:

• Singh S, Ernst E. Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts About Alternative Medicine. 1st American ed. W.W. Norton & Co.; 2008.

Cited by these PainSci article(s):

• Extraordinary Health Claims
• The Chiropractic Controversies
• Does Spinal Manipulation Work?
• Spinal Subluxation
• Ernst E. A Scientist in Wonderland: A Memoir of Searching for Truth and Finding Trouble. Imprint Academic; 2015.
• Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B. Complementary therapies for pain management: an evidence-based approach. Elsevier/Mosby Ltd.; 2007.