Alternative? Why not mainstream?

It is always interesting, as an “alternative health” practitioner, to speak with a member of the “scientific community” and hear their opinions regarding the efficacy and validity of “alternative remedies”. I had one such encounter today, and I thought I would share some of the thoughts I had following this unnecessary verbal bashing.

I have the unique position of being the child of 2 very medical and scientific parents, and despite this unfortunate start to life I have not adopted their opinions regarding “health care”. I have much faith in “alternative remedies”, especially in chiropractic (I am a chiropractor). My personal journey has lead me to experience and see some really amazing things happen without evidence that is substantiated by someone who has done randomised double blind clinical trials. It is fascinating that these scientists and/or medical practitioners find it so difficult to give any credit to anything that has not been had it’s efficacy proven by trial after trial and had several scientific articles published. I do agree that scientific articles and scientific research are absolutely imperative when it comes to the furthering of the human race and increasing knowledge, however, when we are talking about non-invasive care and interventions that pose little risk to the health of an individual, is this research as crucial??

When it comes to chiropractic (I use this as an example, because this is what I know the best), I have the privilege of watching people’s lives change for the better every day. In my heart and with every part of my being, I know that what I am doing for people is making a difference in their physical being as well as in their general well-being. This takes place through re-educating people about what it means to be healthy and how to prevent illness and dis-ease. It is also very refreshing for people to go to a health professional and hear them talk optimistically about life and about health. I know many alternative health practitioners who see the same amazing results and are equally excited about the work that they do with people. So who do these scientists think they are telling us that what we are doing doesn’t work because they haven’t read an article confirming that it does??

I know that this sounds quite fluffy, but there is something to be said about faith when it comes to health. If you consider that every time you consult your GP, you have faith that what he or she is prescribing for you is the best possible thing for your health at that time, then this “having faith” to which I am referring is not so far from the mainstream. It is a similar concept to changing religions (although not so spiritually relevant) – when you have believed in one for so long, it is difficult to change to another. For lack of a better expression, people are brainwashed. We are motivated by fear and unsubstantiated claims suggesting that if we don’t do what the doctor tells us, we will put ourselves and everyone else at risk. There are also these little comments that the medical community throw at patients to make sure they stay loyal to the medical fraternity. “Chiropractors put people in wheelchairs”, “Naturopaths don’t know what they’re talking about”, “Ear candling is dangerous and it hurts people” (please keep in mind that all of these statements are false!!!!). I could go on, but you get the general idea. It would probably interest you to know that medical mistakes are responsible for millions of deaths worldwide every year (these deaths are referred to as iatrogenic – just to confuse people, as most don’t know the meaning of this word). I have to admit that I don’t have much faith in a discipline that accidentally kills so many people!!

I am going to be brave here and do something that I never thought that I would do. I am going to stand up and say that I don’t care what these scientists say, because I know that the work that all of the “alternative health” professionals out there is helping the world to be a better place. Things like homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, myotherapy, naturopathy and chiropractic are the things that should be mainstream! People shouldn’t be running to the doctor (meaning General Practitioner – MD) every time they have a runny nose. They shouldn’t even be going for basic things! They should have a network of practitioners around them to support them and help to prevent their need for medical intervention. If this kind of philosophy is practiced from birth, people grow up with a better understanding of their bodies and what it truly means to be healthy. In my experience (please let me know if this is inaccurate), most medical practitioners practice the mushroom theory when it comes to patient education (for those who don’t know what the mushroom theory is, it involves educating patients the same way a mushroom is grown – keeping them in the dark and feeding them excrement). I am not suggesting that there are alternative health practitioners who don’t do this; in fact, I know that there are. My experience, however, although limited, suggests that there is little or no education provided for patients regarding their bodies or their afflictions when they consult their GP.

So here is my challenge for today: if you are a “mainstream” medical practitioner, I encourage you to make friends with a local “alternative” health practitioner and listen to them with no prejudice; if you are an “alternative” health practitioner, I encourage you to stand strong in your discipline and stay as up-to-date as you can with ways in which you can further help your patients (even do some research to further strengthen your discipline if you are that way inclined); if you are a patient, I encourage you to start to look at things differently – that maybe “mainstream” medicine shouldn’t be your first port of call when there are “alternative” health practitioners out there who are absolutely committed to your health and have as much or more knowledge than your local GP. Maybe there should be no “mainstream” or “alternative” disciplines, just a variety of health practitioners.

If you would like more information on alternative health, you can look at the following links:

The Australian Vaccination Network
The Chiropractors Association of Australia
Institute of Registered Myotherapists in Australia
Chiropractic and Osteopathic College of Australia
Homeopathy