Consumer Guide to Steamboat Bodyworks-Animal & Pet Services

The Dog Wash at Mountain View

This is a self-serve, do-it-yourself dog wash facility. No licensing or certification is required in the State of Colorado.

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Pet Kare Clinic

All veterinarians on the company's website are licensed with the State of Colorado. For consumers, there are two items of concern that are listed for pet health care; acupuncture and supplements.

From the National Center for Biotechnology Information

National Library of Medicine

National Institutes of Health

J Vet Intern Med. 2006 May-Jun;20(3):480-8.

Effectiveness of acupuncture in veterinary medicine: systematic review.

Habacher G1, Pittler MH, Ernst E.

Abstract

Acupuncture is a popular complementary treatment option in human medicine. Increasingly, owners also seek acupuncture for their animals. The aim of the systematic review reported here was to summarize and assess the clinical evidence for or against the effectiveness of acupuncture in veterinary medicine. Systematic searches were conducted on Medline, Embase, Amed, Cinahl, Japana Centra Revuo Medicina and Chikusan Bunken Kensaku. Hand-searches included conference proceedings, bibliographies, and contact with experts and veterinary acupuncture associations. There were no restrictions regarding the language of publication. All controlled clinical trials testing acupuncture in any condition of domestic animals were included. Studies using laboratory animals were excluded. Titles and abstracts of identified articles were read, and hard copies were obtained. Inclusion and exclusion of studies, data extraction, and validation were performed independently by two reviewers. Methodologic quality was evaluated by means of the Jadad score. Fourteen randomized controlled trials and 17 nonrandomized controlled trials met our criteria and were, therefore, included. The methodologic quality of these trials was variable but, on average, was low. For cutaneous pain and diarrhea, encouraging evidence exists that warrants further investigation in rigorous trials. Single studies reported some positive intergroup differences for spinal cord injury, Cushing's syndrome, lung function, hepatitis, and rumen acidosis. These trials require independent replication. On the basis of the findings of this systematic review, there is no compelling evidence to recommend or reject acupuncture for any condition in domestic animals. Some encouraging data do exist that warrant further investigation in independent rigorous trials.

PMID: 16734078 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

From www.sciencebasedmedicine.org

The Top Ten Pet Supplements: Do they Work?

Glucosamine, Fish Oil, Probiotics, Multivitamins, Lysine, Milk Thistle, S-adenosyl methionine (SAM-e), Digestive Enzymes, Coenzyme Q10, Azodyl

Of course, the marketing used to promote these supplements goes well beyond anything justified by real scientific evidence and is almost universally untrustworthy. Likewise, the testimonials and anecdotes about their effects, whether from patients, pet owners, veterinarians, or Nobel Laureates, are all just stories with almost no probative value. And since most good ideas in medicine ultimately fail to become real, effective clinical therapies, it is likely that many even of the more plausible of these products will turn out not to be useful or to have unknown risks. Without adequate supporting evidence and without effective quality control, regulation, and post-market surveillance, we can never be sure we are helping and not harming our patients by using them. 

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Red Rover Resort

This company provides basic pet-sitting services. No licensing or certification is required in the State of Colorado.

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Rocky Mountain Pet Resort

This company provides basic pet-sitting services. No licensing or certification is required in the State of Colorado.

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Total Teamwork Training LLC

Laura Tyler is certified as CPDT-KA, Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, and ACBDC, Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

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Consumer Guide to Steamboat Bodyworks-Aesthetics & Skin Care

Bare.A Skin Care & Waxing Studio

Sara Clapp is licensed with the State of Colorado, COZ.0611868, to provide all services listed.

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Family Medicine of Steamboat Springs

According to their ad, this practice consists of two medical doctors and one physician assistant, who are licensed with the State of Colorado.

Millie Flanigan, PA.0001325

Rosanne Iversen, DR.0031614

Phaedra Fegley, DR.0043109

However, there is no mention of any credentials that would qualify them to perform esthetician services and there is no mention of a person involved in their practice who might be qualified as an esthetician and would have a license that can be verified. Of particular concern for consumers is that this practice includes the sale of supplements.

From the American Medical Association (AMA), Opinion 8.063 – Sale of Health-Related Products from Physicians’ Offices

 In-office sale of health-related products by physicians presents a financial conflict of interest, risks placing undue pressure on the patient, and threatens to erode patient trust and undermine the primary obligation of physicians to serve the interests of their patients before their own.

(1) Physicians who choose to sell health-related products from their offices should not sell any health-related products whose claims of benefit lack scientific validity. When judging the efficacy of a product, physicians should rely on peer-reviewed literature and other unbiased scientific sources that review evidence in a sound, systematic, and reliable fashion.

(2) Because of the risk of patient exploitation and the potential to demean the profession of medicine, physicians who choose to sell health-related products from their offices must take steps to minimize their financial conflicts of interest. The following guidelines apply:

(a) In general, physicians should limit sales to products that serve the immediate and pressing needs of their patients. For example, if traveling to the closest pharmacy would in some way jeopardize the welfare of the patient (eg, forcing a patient with a broken leg to travel to a local pharmacy for crutches), then it may be appropriate to provide the product from the physician’s office. These conditions are explained in more detail in the Council’s Opinion 8.06, "Prescribing and Dispensing Drugs and Devices," and are analogous to situations that constitute exceptions to the permissibility of self-referral.

(b) Physicians may distribute other health-related products to their patients free of charge or at cost, in order to make useful products readily available to their patients. When health-related products are offered free or at cost, it helps to ensure removal of the elements of personal gain and financial conflicts of interest that may interfere, or appear to interfere, with the physician’s independent medical judgment.

(3) Physicians must disclose fully the nature of their financial arrangement with a manufacturer or supplier to sell health-related products. Disclosure includes informing patients of financial interests as well as about the availability of the product or other equivalent products elsewhere. Disclosure can be accomplished through face-to-face communication or by posting an easily understandable written notification in a prominent location that is accessible by all patients in the office. In addition, physicians should, upon request, provide patients with understandable literature that relies on scientific standards in addressing the risks, benefits, and limits of knowledge regarding the health-related product.

(4) Physicians should not participate in exclusive distributorships of health-related products which are available only through physicians’ offices. Physicians should encourage manufacturers to make products of established benefit more fairly and more widely accessible to patients than exclusive distribution mechanisms allow. (II)

Issued December 1999 based on the report "Sale of Health-Related Products from Physicians' Offices," adopted June 1999.

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Grace Cure` Skincare

This esthetician is licensed by the State of Colorado, COZ.0000742. One of the offerings is reflexology, for which consumers should be aware of the recommendation from the National Council Against Health Fraud.

NCAHF advises practitioners and consumers of reflexology to be skeptical of therapeutic claims beyond the ability of foot massage for relaxation. Health professionals should be cautious about recommending practitioners who make, or encourage patients to believe in, unproved claims that reflexology is a valid method for assessing health status or for the treatment of diseases.

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Life Essentials Day Spa

No names are listed for this company, so no licenses can be checked. Their status with the Best of the Boat is more a result of a small popularity contest that can be used for advertising purposes and not a guarantee of quality.

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Spa Ooh La La

No names are listed for this company, so no licenses can be checked.

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Sundance Studio

Tania Demerdjian is licensed with the state of Colorado, COZ.0106427.

Consumers always have to be aware of buzzwords used to promote certain products. In this case, the term biogenetic is used to describe skin care products. The given definition, "of life, present in the skin" is inaccurate and misleading, as the accepted definition of biogenetic is, "of or pertaining to the production of living organisms from other living organisms."

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Yampa Valley Medical Associates

The website for this company lists an aesthetician on staff, Petra Chladek, however, no license with the State of Colorado could be found for this individual.

Consumers who are considering aesthetician care at this facility should ask for a licensed aesthetician, which guarantees a certain level of knowledge and skill.

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Best Advice and Expert Information

From the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA)

   The Office of Barber & Cosmetology Licensure regulates individuals who practice in the State of Colorado as barbers, cosmetologists, hairstylists, estheticians, and manicurists. The Office also regulates the Shops and Salons where these services are performed. Licensure for these occupations is mandatory in Colorado. The Office’s activities include licensing exceptions, investigation of complaints, determination of discipline, and enforcement of discipline for those who violate the Barber and Cosmetologist Act and the Office of Barber and Cosmetologist Licensure Rules. The purpose of the Office of Barber & Cosmetology Licensure is to protect the consumer.

Consumer Guide to Steamboat Bodyworks-Acupuncture

Frank Turano-Cutler, L. Ac.

The credentials, L.Ac, stand for Licensed Acupuncturist, which the State of Colorado requires to be licensed through the Department of Regulatory Agencies. This individual is licensed as Francis Turano Cutler, ACU.0001447.

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Tim Trumble, Dipl. OM

Although the credentials for licensed acupuncturist, L.Ac. are not listed, Tim Trumble has met the licensing requirements for the State of Colorado, ACU.0001045. Dipl. OM stands for Diplomate of Oriental Medicine, which is a certification by the NCCAOM, National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, however, Tim Trumble's name does not appear in the NCCAOM practitioner database or its registry, so this individual's use of this credential appears illegitimate.

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Yampa Valley Integrated Health

Kelley McDaneld, L. Ac., Dipl. OM and Lisa Thornhill, L. Ac., Dipl. OM are both licensed with the State of Colorado, ACU.0001139 and ACU.0001278, respectively, and both are listed in the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) practitioner database, which means they have earned those designations and can legitimately place those credentials after their names.

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Best advice and expert information 

The National Council Against Health Fraud has concluded:

•   Acupuncture is an unproven modality of treatment.

•   Its theory and practice are based on primitive and fanciful concepts of health and disease that bear no relationship to present scientific knowledge.

•   Research during the past 20 years has not demonstrated that acupuncture is effective against any disease.

•   Perceived effects of acupuncture are probably due to a combination of expectation, suggestion, counter-irritation, conditioning, and other psychologic mechanisms.

•   The use of acupuncture should be restricted to appropriate research settings.

•   Insurance companies should not be required by law to cover acupuncture treatment.

•   Licensure of lay acupuncturists should be phased out.

•   Consumers who wish to try acupuncture should discuss their situation with a knowledgeable physician who has no commercial interest.

Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act-Conclusion

C.R.S. 6-1-724. Unlicensed alternative health care practitioners - deceptive trade practices

The Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act acknowledges that some health care consumers access some forms of complementary and alternative health care, which can mean everything from buying vitamin and mineral supplements at the grocery store to entering into a client-practitioner  relationship. The state also recognizes the health and safety of consumers can be compromised by deceptive trade practices of practitioners with little or no education, training, skills, experience, or capabilities.

As a matter of fact, complementary and alternative health care is the only form of health care in which there are no requirements for education, training, skills, experience, or capabilities. This sets up an unacceptable situation for consumers who trust those who claim to provide health care to have the appropriate knowledge and best interests of the health care consumer. Furthermore, consumers do not consider that education in the complementary and alternative health industry is vastly inferior to standard medical education. Many times, a practitioner claims a degree, or even multiple degrees, which garners trust from the client, who does not know that a piece of paper that states a degree in complementary and alternative health can simply be bought, or at the most can take a year of distance learning. This is not good quality health care as much as it is deception and exploitation.

In theory, the Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act would work to ensure that consumers have the knowledge to make a sound decision as to whether complementary and alternative care will provide them with safe and effective health care. When a consumer enters into a client-practitioner relationship, the first thing that would happen, theoretically, is the practitioner would produce disclosures that set forth that the practitioner is not a health care professional, licensed, certified, or registered by the state, and list education and training. The consumer could then decide whether seeking health care from someone who is not a health care professional would be a good idea. After that, the consumer holds the responsibility to confirm education, training and skills, first by asking the practitioner pertinent questions, and then researching any education and schools that the practitioner claims for credentials. At this point, it would be in the consumer's own self-interest to consider that good quality health care cannot come from a practitioner that is not a health care professional and has inferior, or no education, skills, or training.

If the consumer decides to remain in the client-practitioner relationship, the practitioner would provide, in theory, disclosure of services to be provided, as well as a statement to the consumer to discuss all recommendations with a physician. Here again, the responsibility is on the consumer to confirm information from practitioners to ensure their own safety.

This is in stark contrast to conventional medical health care in which the state protects consumers by taking on the responsibility of checking credentials, education, and training of health care professionals, thereby ensuring safe and effective health care.

The Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act assumes that practitioners in complementary and alternative health, which, as a whole has a reputation of distortion, falsification, and exaggeration of education, training, skills, experience, and capabilities, customarily misrepresents facts, and regularly commits fraud and deceit, will now voluntarily abide by this act in an honest and forthright manner, even though doing so will severely restrict their practice and, thereby diminish their livelihood.

For consumers, the Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act assumes that those seeking complementary and alternative health care will have knowledge of this act and the wherewithal to know how to use this act to protect their health, safety, and welfare.

For that reason, all health care issues should be taken to educated, trained, qualified health care professionals, licensed, certified, or registered by the state.

The Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act can be read here 

Colorado Natural Health Care Consumer Protection Act-Part 7

C.R.S. 6-1-724. Unlicensed alternative health care practitioners - deceptive trade practices

Allowed sale of dietary supplements or other natural health care products, advising, educating, or counseling about the structure and function of the human body and the use of natural health care products to support health and wellness.

This is one place where the Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act falls short, in two key areas:

The first, by allowing practitioners to advise, educate, or counsel about the structure and function of the human body and the use of natural care products to support health and wellness, actually gives dodgy practitioners a way to work around the prohibition of providing conventional medical diagnosis.

Secondly, allowing practitioners to advise, educate, or counsel about the structure and function of the human body and the use of natural care products to support health and wellness assumes that practitioners that are not qualified to be licensed, certified, or registered by the state actually have standard knowledge of the structure and function of the human body and safe and effective health care  products to support health and wellness.

This one section really allows practitioners to continue to make up their own theories about the structure and function of the human body, invent fake diseases and phony health issues, and then sell consumers dietary supplements and other natural care products that do not work. Scammy practitioners that want to stay in the game simply need to choose their words a little more carefully when advising, educating, and counseling a client. Consumers will continue to be duped, by fraud and deception, for scams like adrenal fatigue, organ weakness, happy hormones, depleted digestive enzymes, toxins that must be removed, conditions that must be treated before they turn into cancer, organ repositioning, mental fog, and all other outrageous, conjured up claims that can be used to exploit consumers for the financial gain of the practitioner.

The Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act can be read here