The balance between Science based and Alternative therapies

I subscribe to several Substack blogs because I am a shiatsu and registered massage therapist with an interest in increasing my knowledge, appreciation and understanding of all things medical. One blog written by Andrea Love PhD, immunologist and microbiologist entitled: “Real root cause medicine is based on science, not wellness disinformation”  has captured my attention. Ouch! That hurts because I am into wellness and all that that means for me. However, on balance I like her writings.

I certainly understand the intensity of this statement in the context of  the pronouncements of Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s unqualified medical ramblings as Secretary of Health and Human Services on behalf of the Trump administration. There seems to be a movement afoot that reminds me of what happened in Pol Pot’s Cambodia that knocked science, education and any type of intellectualism. That’s a bit of an understatement because he physically eliminated these people.

However, Dr. Love seems to critique all aspects of alternative medicine that have not been subjected to stringent investigation by mainstream medicine because they are “medically unproven.”   That infers that alternative approaches are all no better than folk medicine and something to be avoided at all cost for the treatment of any disease. That is a pity because sometimes there just has not been either the time, energy or financial resources to investigate the efficacy of natural products. 

Such a statement reflects not only on the process of the therapy but also dismisses the expertise of the practitioner. I recognise that not all alternative therapies or remedies are created equal and there are some that I would choose to avoid if I were faced with a serious illness. For example in 2019,  I was diagnosed with a “high risk” prostate cancer and was under the supervision of the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and scheduled for surgery. A colleague waved a divination pendulum over me  and declared me cancer free. Thank you, I think I will keep to my original medical team.  

The reality is that we cannot entirely rely on everything that our doctors describe as good for us. Some prescribed treatments are unavailable or not covered financially by our health plan. Therefore, we must often take some responsibility for our own health. That may include careful attention to diet and exercise. These are areas that are given scant attention in the curriculum of medical school.  For example, in advance of the onslaught from some of the chemicals that I was prescribed for the treatment of my cancer, I wanted to get my body in as good a shape as possible. That included watching my sugar intake, weight, alcohol consumption, sleep, exercise and, where necessary, taking nutritional supplements that, in my estimation, would help boost my immune system. I was still following the allopathic model of medicine and would avoid supplements contraindicated for someone in my condition. For example, Cur-cumin is not recommended for someone receiving Chemo. I am also not going to deny that, just because a remedy is called “natural,” that means that it purely benign or harmless.

I am sure that there are doctors who cringe when they hear the proposed course of treatment for a patient faced with some serious pathology because choosing an alternative treatment often implies that someone will choose to avoid a treatment protocol accepted and approved by the allopathic model of healthcare. However, it seems that, just as the average lay-person can be ignorant of the pronouncements of our doctors, doctors can be ignorant of or at least biased against the specialised knowledge and skills of chiropractors and naturopaths. They are missing a wealth of excellent information that can be a helpful conduit towards overall good health. Consider the extensive training of both chiropractors and naturopaths - usually four years of a bachelors degree in science followed by another at least four years of specialisation in their chosen field.  This is not to say that there are not, including medical doctors, practitioners who recommend a course of action outside what is accepted as the medical norm. There are conspiracy theorists and anti anti-vaxers in all professions and all walks of life. 

Science is evolving and consider that, before something is considered proven and evidence based, it probably originated as someone’s unsubstantiated inner thought. Gradually, with further investigation and clinical research, a thought starts to germinate and flower. I would suggest that there is no exact demarcation that determines where conventional medicine ends and alternative medicine begins. There is wisdom to be gained from both sides.

I would recommend following a common-sense approach to ones own healthcare. One should not fight against science but borrow the best available treatment from each discipline. This is in keeping with avoiding the word “alternative” in favour of finding a solution to ones health that is “complementary.”