That’s a great question. I know it is, because I asked it. I get this question almost daily. The secret answer is that there is no such thing as alternative medicine. You don’t believe me? Why not–I am a doctor…
There are several ways to define alternative medicine, and sometimes it is contrasted with “complementary medicine”. CM refers to treatments that “compliment” traditional medicine, while AM refers to treatments that stand in the stead of mainstream medicine. CAM is a broad category used to refer to both.
So what’s my problem? How can I say that there is no such thing?
Because “mainstream” medicine is medicine that works. It has been studied, tested, deployed, followed, and it is proven to do what it says. Alternative medicine is any treatment that is not yet, or may never be, mainstream. If it is found to work, it becomes mainstream very rapidly. If it is not proven to work, it remains “alternative”.
So, I guess there is, after all, such a thing as alternative medicine. It is any treatment that doesn’t work. Why would anyone want that?
There’s lots of answers to that question. There are also several incorrect answers. The most common incorrect answer describes a conspiracy of doctors and Big Pharma. Others include the myth that patients are dissatisfied with their physicians and the care they provide. In fact, most people like their doctors. But they like their friends even more, and if a friend testifies about a great new potion, well, why not try it?
Why not, indeed. Your doctor knows quite a bit about the medications being prescribed, and the problems being treated. Your friend, alas, does not.
When someone offers you an “alternative therapy”, ask them what it is an alternative to. Does it work better that something else? Is it safer? How do you know? Why should I believe you?
Those questions apply to your doctor as well, but hopefully, you have already decided whether or not you trust your doctor and modern medicine. Try applying this simple test–when you have crushing chest pain and shortness of breath, who do you want to call: the GNC guy or an ambulance?
September 5, 2007 at 10:42 am
Hmmm…try telling this to Native Americans who have used “alternative medicines” for centuries, long before convential medicine became mainstream. Try telling this to people of great faith who believe that the power of prayer can cure minor or major ailments. I think you’re mistaken in saying that if it can’t be proven then it can be defined as “alternative”. Alternative medicine is defined as methods and practices used in place of, OR IN ADDITION TO, CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENTS. Alternative simply means existing outside of convention. If we are to believe your definition of alternative then we should also believe that alternative lifestyles do no exist or work, alternative educations don’t provide proper educations, etc. Your example of chest pain or shortness of breath is extreme. Most people are not going to turn to an alternative method of treatment in favor of going to the hospital in the case of a suspected heart attack, but that doesn’t mean alternative medicine cannot be an acceptable choice for other ailments. Incidently, just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you’re all knowing. I’ve had personal experience with being wrongly diagnosed by a physician, with serious consequences.
September 5, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Its “alternative” but its not medicine, it doesn’t have any efficacy. Just because something is old doesn’t make it true, just because people believe something is true doesn’t make it true. Evidence is what we need to establish truth. If the evidence is strong that something works it gets absorbed into “mainstream” medicine. All those things where all the evidence points to it being complete bullshit stay in this alternative camp and continue to do nothing but steal money. If someone wouldn’t go to an alternative proponent for a major illness why should they go for a minor one?
September 5, 2007 at 12:34 pm
“Most people are not going to turn to an alternative method of treatment in favor of going to the hospital in the case of a suspected heart attack…”
Why not? Aside from the immediate seriousness of the illness, heart disease is no different from any other disease. If “alternative medicine” works, then it should work for anything.
I agree about alternative lifestyles. Divorced people used to be considered “alternative” but have become mainstream. Soon, same sex couples will also be considered conventional (hopefully) because they WORK…just as well as any other couple.
I’m happy to tell my Native American patients to visit a traditional healer in addition to conventional medicine, if it brings them comfort. Considering the rates of diabetes, etc among native americans, shaman’s practices should complement, rather than replace mainstream med (Alt med is usually used in place of rather than in addition to.)
September 5, 2007 at 1:03 pm
I have been having this debate now with like 6 different friends. They keep putting up the “subjective experience” as a valid system compared to science. Subjective is fine as long as it is kept subjective. But people don’t stop there, people always want to make an objective claim about it. As I have said now half a dozen times: if you tell me you do it because it feels good thats fine, I have nothing to say, but if you tell me you do it because it feels good and it works thats when you have crossed the line into questions that must be answered using evidence and science.
Somethings people are good at keeping subjective, usually in the realm of art, music, literature…..not everyone of course, but most people……but claims involving the nature of reality don’t work on that level. Someone can subjectively feel that they like a painting, and the fact that they know others will not doesn’t subtract from that. People can feel that a song is the best song in the world and know at the same time its not. But when its a reality claim you can’t hold those views. A reality claim is only “comforting” if you believe it is true. I have yet to meet someone that can make an epistemological claim that makes them “feel good” and at the same time know that its not true.
September 5, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Well, I didn’t write this piece to make friends, so I’m happy to see the disagreement, even if it’s wrong.
September 6, 2007 at 4:33 am
“try telling this to Native Americans who have used “alternative medicines” for centuries, long before convential medicine became mainstream. Try telling this to people of great faith who believe that the power of prayer can cure minor or major ailments.”
This is nonsensical to the point of humor. Because people believe in something, it must be true? I’d hate as a first time poster here to lower the level of discourse by to great a degree, but this has got to be the most moronic statement I’ve read this week. What is the threshold for this wondrous effect? If 50 million children all believe in Santa Claus, does that mean we should expect to find the north pole swarming with little people making toys?
Broadly speaking it seems that medical practices can fall into one of three categories:
1) Those that work
2) Those that may or may not work
3) Those that are demonstrably false
“Conventional” medicine is everything that clearly falls into group one. Additionally it may temporarily contain elements from groups 2 and 3 which have been, though error or unseemly haste, accidentally included.
“Alternative” medicine contains elements from groups 2 and 3. Any practices which have been shown to be effective are included in group one and thus will be adopted by eeeeeeeevil conventional medicine (EeCM), and are no longer to be trusted.
Thus choosing “alternative” medicine seems to be about the stupidest thing a person can do if they are concerned with their health. Do Big Evil Profiteering Pharmaceutical companies occasionally produce a product which does more harm than good? Sure, and then it makes the evening news, gives their PR departments fits, and costs them immense sums of money.
Are they out to get your money? Absolutely. Which is why they have interns, grad students, and post-docs crawling through half the jungles on the planet testing every folk remedy they come across which looks like it has any chance at all of functioning. Remember, if it works, they can sell it to you. It therefore seems reasonable to postulate that there exists not a single “alternative” or “traditional” medical practice that has existed for more than a few decades which, if it has any efficacy at all, has not been turned into a conventional treatment.
Conflating “alternative” medicine with “alternative” lifestyles is nothing more than playing semantic games. Human languages are imprecise, get over it. Taking issue with the words of an argument while avoiding the argument itself is the refuge of the intellectually bankrupt.
September 6, 2007 at 8:02 am
Interesting philosophy, Vietor. And this coming from a “first time poster” who’s blog name has a direct and only link to his online business. Very clever. How many hits does your business get whenever you post a controversial comment?
September 6, 2007 at 8:36 am
I think that Vietor made the point very clearly by demarcating categories. I may have to steal, er, borrow that.
September 6, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Wow “lovesleftovers” manages to combine an ad hominem with a non-sequitur..your like a walking logical fallacy factory.
September 6, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Awww…gee thanks tmtoulouse…I love you too
September 6, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Lovesleftovers:
Please take note: People often react strongly whenever they feel their belief system is threatened. They attack personally and avoid intelligent discussion. These are usually folks whose own belief system is weak - they lack confidence in their own beliefs (as well as in themselves) and tend to lash out at anyone who presents a view contrary to theirs. They often write on an intellectual plane while acting like spoiled children - some just write like spoiled children.
In short, you’re wasting your time trying to have an intelligent discussion with those who aren’t capable of having one.
I’m certain this will incite the wrath of those individuals who fit this description.
September 6, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Excellent point fuerbach. Perhaps tmtoulouse should read your comment. I now realize that responding to comments such as his is simply a waste of time and effort.
September 6, 2007 at 4:23 pm
btw, tmtoulouse, you must have your dictionary and thesaurus going overtime. Peppering your comments with big, ponderous words doesn’t make your point any more valid. However, it’s too bad you can’t even figure out which “your” you should use. “your like a walking fallacy factory” It should be “you’re”.
September 6, 2007 at 4:24 pm
As much as you may wish to change this discussion into an analysis of the discourse itself, it does not advance any argument about whether or not a particular alt med therapy works, nor does it discuss whether or not qi, for instance, is a useful biological idea.
I would love to discuss the ideas, rather than the discourse itself, but whatever.
September 6, 2007 at 7:11 pm
“Interesting philosophy, Vietor. And this coming from a “first time poster” who’s blog name has a direct and only link to his online business. Very clever. How many hits does your business get whenever you post a controversial comment?”
I’m not sure why “first time poster” is in quotes, seeing as how it was a simple statement of fact. Deciding that the field clearly labeled “website” in the comment form is somehow actually supposed to exclusively mean “blog name”, seems to be letting your preconceived notions get in the way of easily verified empirical facts.
Is it a business? Yes. With an online presence? Yes. However it is also what I spent 100+ hours a week doing and thus the most concise online description of who I am. Just as “Additionally, it provides some collateral for accountability. By connecting what I say here to my professional life, it keeps me more polite.
As for hits? That was certainly not the point, and a quick check of our web stats show that (within the limits of noise and normal fluctuation) today is the same as yesterday is the same as Tuesday. So you may rest assured that my postings are not just a nefarious plot to cause people to make long term choices about data backup due to a link buried in a username attached to a comment in a relatively low traffic blog.
And “controversial comment”? Have you read the main page? I’m hardly espousing a minority view around here… Finally, would you be willing to address the content of my comment? I’d be interested to hear some opinions.
Moving on.
Am I the only one who gets the impression that feuerbach might not be speaking as plainly as the lead-in addressing it to lovesleftovers makes it seem? I got a laugh out of it anyway.
PalMD, borrow away, I would be honored. I found your blog ~2 days ago and have enjoyed it quite a bit so far. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with the world.
tmtoulouse, the following is immature, tasteless, offensive, and in no way appropriate for polite company of any sort. However it is memorable, and if the the your/you’re wasn’t just a typo, you may find it helpful (and amusing): http://www.warehouse.carlh.com/comic/comic_062.php
September 6, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Baal almighty! I’m so ashamed of how hard I laughed at that!
September 6, 2007 at 7:46 pm
Ignoring the fact that the alties didn’t make a single substantial point……
Properly controlled studies provide evidence for the efficacy of a treatment. The vast vast vast majority of evidence from such trials has proven that the vast vast vast majority of treatments that alties push are bullshit. We have the evidence. You loose. Pretty simple.
September 6, 2007 at 8:13 pm
you loose? YOU MEAN lose…proof your comments. there is no win or LOSE. you have your opinion, let me have mine. the end. oh, and, will you marry me?
September 7, 2007 at 1:15 pm
It seems to me that a person who uses ‘alternative medicine’ is more likely NOT to have a sudden heart attack! Most of the alternative healing techniques involve PREVENTATIVE medicine, something that traditional western medicine (and science) is just being introduced to. And it makes me laugh when I read one comment about alternative medicines just milking people for money. As if the pharmaceutical companies had any other agenda than the dollar! Unfortunately, these drug companies also hold many physicians in their pockets and these doctors no longer remain true to the hippocratic oath they have taken. In the best of worlds, east and west will marry and alternative/preventative and gentle forms of healing will co exist with more traditional medicine. We already see a lot of this with Cancer Care patients and the results are phenomenal.
September 7, 2007 at 2:25 pm
It seems to me that a person who uses ‘alternative medicine’ is more likely NOT to have a sudden heart attack! How it “seems” to you is irrelevant. Show me a study that proves that.
Most of the alternative healing techniques involve PREVENTATIVE medicine, something that traditional western medicine (and science) is just being introduced to. Another fallacy. Most of an internal medicine practice is focused on preventing problems. To show that an altie technique is preventative, you have to prove it works–with a study.
And it makes me laugh when I read one comment about alternative medicines just milking people for money. As if the pharmaceutical companies had any other agenda than the dollar! Unfortunately, these drug companies also hold many physicians in their pockets and these doctors no longer remain true to the hippocratic oath they have taken. In the best of worlds, east and west will marry and alternative/preventative and gentle forms of healing will co exist with more traditional medicine. We already see a lot of this with Cancer Care patients and the results are phenomenal.
When I need to use medications, I can usually get away with four dollar generics. These usually do not break the bank for a patient. We paid for the expensive research already, and now that the patents are up, we reap the benefits.
September 7, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Are you for real???? Spoken like a true doctor. Unfortunately doctor, many medicines are neither available in generic form nor are they available at four dollars. You know as well as we do that the cost of prescription medicines is astronomical. Just ask any elderly person trying to decide between buying their meds or buying groceries. Medicine is big business and you know it.
September 7, 2007 at 3:31 pm
You probably practice medicine in a different city than I do. A typical regimen for one of my diabetics with heart disease is:
Atenolol 50mg daily, $4 at Target
Lisinopril 20mg daily, $4 at Target
aspirin 81 mg daily, about $3 anywhere
Pravastatin 40mg daily, $4 at Target
Metformin 1g 2x/day, $4 at Target
About $20 per month.
There are many exceptions, but in general, the costs of meds are dropping for common conditions, if you know what to prescribe and where to buy.
September 7, 2007 at 3:50 pm
How fortunate for the “good” doctor. But you know darn well there are many more drugs that are not covered under this program. Please don’t split hairs doctor. Then tell me why, doctor, busloads of Americans cross the border to Canada to get prescription drugs that are significantly lower in price despite the fact that it’s illegal to do so??? Did you know the city of Springfield, Mass. is buying prescription meds. from Canada for city workers and retirees (with up to 9,000 eligible consumers)? The mayor says buying from Canada will save his city $9 million dollars. $9 million dollars in prescription drugs savings in just one city sounds like a pretty hefty profit to me. And before you say anything about these drugs being “potentially harmful” I’ll say that it is very telling when Americans are willing to take any legal or supposed health risk in favor of going to Canada to purchase medicines that should be affordable in their own country in the first place.
September 7, 2007 at 4:10 pm
And incidently, doctor, I don’t have to “practice medicine” to know how much medicine costs at my local pharmancy.
September 7, 2007 at 4:18 pm
ah, sorry for the “it seems to me” wording. There are significant studies proving that good diet and exercise contribute to healthy heart and I categorize food and yoga (as an example) in the alternative medicine category. Fortunately, science is now paying more attention to these areas. However, I still disagree with you that internal medicine is focused on Prevention. It would be great if they were but unfortunately there is too much money to be made on illness. Also, FYI, my mother was killed by an EXPERIMENTAL chemotherapy treatment. It gave her a HEART ATTACK. Unfortunately, she could not afford a trip to Mexico for an alternative treatment because it was not covered by her insurance. The clinic in Mexico, by the way, has a good track record for bringing about remissions with this particular type of cancer. So, she went with what her insurance would cover in a desperate attempt to save her life and it killed her. A lot of modern medicine is just as much hoodoo as the real voodoo. You guys often scramble in the dark along with the alternative community, although I do believe that both sides (at their best) are committed to shedding light and healing benefits to the world.
September 7, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Ok, if you wish me to list the studies that support the use of beta blockers, ace inhibitors, aspirin, and statins in heart disease, the most common killer of americans, and if you wish me to post Target and WalMart’s generic drug price list, I’d be happy to. But it really does take work and knowledge to be a doctor. We don’t just guess.
September 7, 2007 at 6:49 pm
So your alternative treatments are exercise and eating right? Thats pretty innocuous and not really “alternative” as both of those points are accepted with in real medicine. Its the ridiculous quack remedies produced in homeopathy, or “qi” faith healing techniques from the alternative crowd that we are calling bullshit on.
September 7, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Wow…tmtoulouse…you still sound irritated that other people have the nerve to have their own ideas with regards to alternative medicines. Perhaps I could send you some homeopathic salve for that irritation? It’s getting rather boring that you are still resorting to bullying, swearing and personal attacks to attempt to make your case. How very sad for you. And…by golly…you’re still making simple spelling and grammar mistakes. Let’s play where’s the mistake with tmtoulouse. Can you guess??? It’s hard to take your comments seriously when it’s filled with mispellings.
PalMd…if you were any king of doctor, your primary focus would be the well-being and care of patients regardless of whether it be with convential or alternative medicines. With all the time you’ve spent typing at the computer, trying desperately to sway opinions, you could have done something much more constructive…perhaps prescribing more overpriced medicines. And, no, I do not need you to send me a prescription drug list from any retailer. I am already well aware of what they cover and do not cover and it is a far cry from what is necessary or needed by the general public.
September 7, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Well, I’m glad that your declarative statements are more valid than documented facts.
Swaying opinions is part of public health, and public health has saved more lives than any other medical intervention, so it’s a good thing.
September 8, 2007 at 7:55 am
At this point, Doctor, I am merely responding to the rudeness of the comments. I think we’re long past trying to make one’s point regarding alternative medicines. You know as well as I this blog and ensuing comments have become more personal than anything else.
September 8, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Your the only one attacking anyone personally “lovesleftovers.” Everyone else is addressing the complete lack of evidence for efficacy of alternative medicine. You, however, merely attack spelling and grammar and pretend thats a valid argument……
September 9, 2007 at 9:07 am
You haven’t made one single point to make your case, my dearest tmtoulouse, in several posts. The overuse of the word “bullshit” just serves to make you appear childish and ignorant. Calling something “bullshit” and saying you win and believers LOSE is an idiotic and moronic argument. And for crying out loud, get it right: YOU MEAN “YOU’RE” NOT YOUR” look it up in your dictionary and get back to me. I’m beginning to think YOU’RE just a teenager living in YOUR mother’s basement.
September 25, 2007 at 6:59 pm
“… It’s hard to take your comments seriously when it’s filled with mispellings.
PalMd…if you were any king of doctor,…”
Pot, meet kettle…. got any more fish in this barrel to shoot at, Doc?
October 1, 2007 at 12:22 am
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