The Many Forms of Alternative Medicine
Some scientists and many doctors claim that alternative medicine has no real validity. These claims are not entirely devoid of merit: many alternative medicines don’t hold up to scientific scrutiny. Sometimes their claims are downright silly, such as actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s psychic vampire repellent. Other types of treatments are difficult, or even impossible to put through the double-blind required to rigorously prove the effectiveness of a treatment.
Despite these claims, alternative medicine is experiencing a rise in popularity across Cache Valley, and other parts of the US as well. Alternative medicine comes in many forms. Some are adopted from eastern cultures, such as tai chi, yoga, and acupuncture. Others are based on older forms of medicines that predate modern pharmacology, like homeopathy and herbalism. A few are based around physical therapies, like chiropractic adjustments.
But if scientists and doctors are unconvinced that these treatments have little or no effect, why are so many people turning to them?
Why Go An Alternative Route?
While it’s fun to laugh at the idea of a crazy actress selling snake oil to suckers, studies have actually found that people who use alternative medicine are often more educated than people who don’t, so it isn’t a question of how smart or educated a person is. Other studies have found that the highly wealthy just as frequently go to alternative medicine as poorer people, so it isn’t a question of trying to save money. What is it then?
We asked a local, Michelle Ferran, owner of My Ferr Lady’s Magickal Boutique, why she thought more people come to her. Here are a few of the reasons she said she’s seen.
1. It’s Natural
Probably the most common reason people seek out alternative medicine is a concern over the artificial chemicals and compounds used in modern pharmaceuticals. Artificial substances may have unexpected side effects that only show up over long-term use, or may trigger allergies in some patients. Any drug will also have a list of possible side-effects listed on the bottle that you should know about. Going the natural method feels safer to many people.
2. No Risk of Dependency
Addiction is a serious issue with pharmaceuticals. In recent years, the opioid epidemic has been a major concern, as some doctors may prescribe highly addictive opioid-derived drugs leading to addiction and an uptick in overdose deaths. Alternative medicines don’t rely on chemicals, so the risk of addiction isn’t present.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk
3. Depersonalization and Long Wait Times
When you last went to a doctor, how long did you sit in the office? Twenty minutes? An hour? Once the doctor finally came to see you, how long was the visit? Five minutes? Twenty minutes? It can often seem like we spend more time waiting for a doctor than actually talking to one.
Furthermore, when we finally do talk to a doctor, there’s often a sense of alienation. Some patients have described visits to the doctor’s office where the doctor entered the room, picked up a chart, and then proceeded to not look at them even once the entire visit. They feel as though doctors treat them as a list of symptoms rather than as people.
In alternative medicine, it’s more standard practice to get to know the individual and spend more time with them. People feel like they’re being respected and cared about instead of just being given pills and a push out the door.
4. Other Treatments Haven’t Been Effective
Many people seek alternative treatments after other medical treatments have failed. Certain issues, like chronic pains, sleep troubles, mood disorders, and anxiety are all serious conditions people face that often aren’t effectively treated by pharmaceutical solutions. Many doctors, for example, will simply prescribe potentially addictive painkillers for chronic pains, which may deaden the pain, but not resolve it. Alternative treatments, on the other hand, will spend time trying to address underlying causes of pain and resolve that rather than treat the pain as the problem.
5. There Are Benefits
While some claims might be suspect, there is some evidence that alternative treatments may have benefits. Yoga and Taichi are exercises that can strengthen joints and muscles, providing relief from chronic joint pain and weakness. Reiki, meditation, and aromatherapy do provide a sense of relaxation that reduces stress, which is known to exacerbate other symptoms of injury or disease. Acupuncture seems to trigger the release of endorphins and other chemicals that can stimulate the body’s natural self-repair functions. While it’s difficult to quantify how meaningful these effects are in a lab, the positive psychological effect on health is observable.
Is Alternative Medicine Safe
While all of these are valid reasons why someone might turn to alternative medicine, it’s important to realize that fraud is common in every practice and this is no exception. While we have positive associations with terms like “natural,” not everything natural is good. Cyanide naturally occurs in fruit seeds and it will kill you if you get too much in you. It’s important to be careful what we trust.
A clear warning sign to watch for is cure-all claims. While it’s true that modern medicine may benefit from a more holistic approach, it’s clear that illness has many different causes and those causes will require specific treatments for them. A chiropractor may have some validity in claiming to help reduce chronic back pain, but if he tells you it can also cure your indigestion, that’s questionable. Hypnotherapy has some valid psychological applications, but it won’t cure hair loss (yes, that’s a real claim). If an alternative medicine claims to target multiple different issues across the whole body with a single treatment or substance, it’s likely a scam.
The biggest warning sign to watch for, however, is practitioners who discourage tested and proven treatments for real diseases. If someone tells you that shouldn’t go to a doctor for cancer and instead rely entirely on alternative medicine, listening to them is a sure-fire way to go out like Steve Jobs.
What’s the Best Approach
It’s tempting to look for a simple yes or no answer when it comes to medicine. Traditional medicine has a long history of scientific testing and methodology behind, but there can also be monetary incentives for companies to lie about and hide side effects. Alternative medicines may have a negative reputation for many, but some claims seem to have possible validity, even if it’s difficult to prove how strong their effects are.
The best advice is to consider alternative medicine as a supplement to traditional treatments. The most likely value of alternative medicine is the positive psychological benefits, and the way it may stimulate the body’s natural healing capacity. This can aid in the recovery from certain medical issues, as long as the real, underlying cause is effectively addressed. If one is suffering chronic pain and stress from surgeries and medical procedures, alternative medicine may help relieve those problems and speed recovery.
They should not, however, be thought of as a complete replacement for traditional medicine. Meditation is just as unlikely to cure cancer as a painkiller, but both might help ease the pain and stress of chemotherapy. The trick is to find the right cure for the right issue.
Cover photo by AS Photography
