Question by Milk: Do you think there is room for the integration of “alternative” medicine into mainstream medical science?
Do you think there is room for the integration of “alternative” medicine into mainstream medical science and medical practice (or to borrow a phrase from a homeopath I once met, “allopathic

I ask not only because my medical aid (referred to as medical insurance) is spending massive amounts (in my view wasting massive) of the commonweal funding visits to homeopaths, herbalists and even *sniggers* flowerpaths.

In addition, in South Africa (where I am from) practitioners in the field of alternative medicine have called for more collaboration with doctors. Students of homeopathy in South Africa are petitioning the Department of Health for recognition in the form of compulsory community service (it is mandatory for all newly qualified main-stream health professionals to work in state hospitals and clinics for a period of two years – this has led to much consternation, as they can obviously earn far more). They have proposed that they work collaboratively with doctors to treat patients. Traditional healers (even though they have no formal qualification) are demanding the same recognition.

The understanding of disease and the body in alternative medicine is at variance with science in a number of regards. It is thus my view that any collaborative effort would be a massive waste of both time and money. I am a sociologist and my views are often greeted with suspicion and framed as politically incorrect.

I was wondering what your views on the issue are, and would like to apologize for being so garrulous.

Thanks in advance for your answers.
@Ben T – I digress my views are very partial. You argue your case well, and have opened my eyes to a new and refreshing perspective. I was just interested in which forms of alternative medicine should be included and which should be excluded?

Best answer:

Answer by ben t
I absolutely think there is room to integrate what is currently considered “alternative” medicine into what is currently considered “mainstream” medicine. I say this because what is considered “alternative medicine” today may be considered “mainstream” in the future.

Scientifically conducted studies at world-class research hospitals like Stanford Hospital have shown that certain treatments that used to be considered alternative (like acupuncture and medical hypnosis) can have a demonstrable benefit for patients.

We’re also improving how we define the role of medicine and health in our lives — current medical care tends to be reactive (fixing something that’s broken) and we’re usually not as good at promoting good health and being preventive (which includes diet, exercise, mental health).

For example, if stress (say, being laid off from work or a divorce) contributes to high blood pressure and depression, should an overall health plan pay for therapy and treatments pro-actively (group counseling, counseling, lifestyle benefits) or does it not count as “medicine” until someone needs a drug for high blood pressure, a bypass surgery for a heart attack, or emergency intervention for suicidal thoughts?

However, the examples you give seem a bit concerning — I don’t even know what floral therapy is, but some bad examples shouldn’t invalidate “alternative medicine” in general. It’s proven it can be a worthwhile area of investment, if it’s investigated and implemented thoughtfully.
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As a follow up to the added question (“which forms of alternative medicine should be excluded…”), to my understanding, first, there should be studies conducted by reputable, unbiased sources (like research hospitals), then, when there are shown benefits, I think it could be reasonable for insurance companies and public health plans to cover certain treatments.

Generally, before I would want my tax dollars spent on a program, I would want to see the benefits proven in unbiased research (i.e., not funded by that lobby), and would want to see a reasonable cost benefit analysis. In the US, I don’t know of any herbal or homeopathic treatments that are covered.

However, I have heard several instances where fairly mainstream researchers in the US are investigating diet-based “treatments” for health (like Dr. Esselstyn’s plant-based diets, which President Clinton adopted after his heart attack, and Dr. Li’s diet-based antiangiogenesis treatments for cancer — link added below).

But of course, one can go overboard putting faith into alternative treatments too soon — one Harvard researcher argued that had Steve Jobs chosen traditional treatments (chemo) for his cancer initially, he still might be alive today. (also, link added) Though this is also under dispute, especially because the details of Jobs’s cancer and treatments aren’t public.

Sorry I don’t have a list of researched alternative therapies, though I have seen some diet-based programs that are currently being researched and debated. I am not familiar with any studies relating specifically to herbs or flowers (except, potentially, as dietary supplements.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

 

 

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