The cover of the July Reader’s Digest refers to back pain “cures.� The inside headline refers to seven “breakthroughs.�

C’mon Reader’s Digest: stop the hype. Here are the seven:

1. A neurostimulator for which RD provides not one shred of evidence – only anecdote.
2. An infrared belt which the inventor “is trying to get approved.� Cost: $2,335!
3. A “magic� spine wand. (I’m not into the Harry Potter School of Health Care Devices.)
4. A flexible spine support system as an alternative to fusion. Again, no evidence provided, only anecdotes.
5. Stem cells to regenerate damaged disks. The story admits that human trials are two years away. Kinda early to be talking “cures� and “breakthroughs.�
6. A “grow a new backbone� idea that’s only been tested in rats and mice. Good news for rodents with back pain.
7. Get a new bed. Even the article admits “it sounds like cheerleading from bedding companies� and discloses the study was partly sponsored by a sleep products trade group.

Final score:
Headline hype: 7
Cures & breakthroughs: 0

Just back from New York, where one of the inaugural Mirror Awards honoring excellence in media industry reporting was given to HealthNewsReview.org.

The other awards went to:

Clive Thompson, New York Magazine

Philip Weiss, New York Magazine

David Carr, The New York Times

Andreas Kluth, The Economist

American Journalism Review

Dean Miller, Nieman Reports

Lifetime Achievement Award: Peter Bart, editor-in-chief, Variety

Details, including links to the winning work, are on the Mirror Awards website.

It's been an eventful first year for HealthNewsReview - winner of a Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism, an e-Healthcare Leadership Award, and now the Mirror Award.