Sunday, December 26, 2010

Alternative Medicines and Therapies

On MSNBC there was an article about a study documenting cases of adverse reactions to alternative (like “natural” and homeopathic) medications. The main danger was discontinuement of needed conventional treatment for illnesses (which sometimes led to death), but adverse reactions where not unheard of. As the MSNBC article said: “Unlike conventional medicines, whose side effects are tracked by national surveillance systems, there are no such systems in place for alternative therapies.”
We live in a society that expects medicine to have an answer to all our ills (even as we often simultaneously abuse our bodies with inactivity and horrendous diet, cigarettes, etc). Let us face the fact that medicine does not have an answer to every problem. HOWEVER, the medical and drug industry does try to give treatments that are effective, and effectiveness is proved not through word-of-mouth, but by controlled studies.
I have written about this subject before (three years ago), HERE.
(Please read this previous article if you haven’t yet.)


Batya said...

I really hate this use of "natural" for all sorts of remedies and eating/food regimes which are anything but natural. People are hypnotised by the word.

Board Certified Doc said...

I agree, not every illness, disease goes by mere controlling our food habits, Medications are necessary to get rid of illness quickly.

Quilting Corner said...

I just found your blog and find it very informative.
I am Etty Robinson from the quilting corner in Betar Illit. We are a group of English speaking ladies and we call ourselves the Zahava Quilters.

Mobile Drug Tester said...

I agree there should be some mechanism or association which can monitor the side effects of Alternative medicines.