Costly Alzheimer’s treatment is spreading around the world, with virtually no science to back it up
BERLIN — Looking more like a barber than a doctor, orthopedic surgeon Musa Citak squirted gel on on his patient’s head and massaged the gooey substance into his scalp as though it were shampoo. He then pulled out a handheld device and began sliding it across the side of the elderly man’s head.
“This is shockwave therapy,” Citak explained. As he moved the device, it made rapid clicking sounds, each click a high-frequency sound wave intended to stimulate brain regions and, according to Citak, help regenerate cells and halt the rapid deterioration of the patient’s brain.
