| The most common objection to alternative medicine | | | | Sclerosis - Clinical and Laboratory Research in August |
| from conventional physicians is that it is "not proven." | | | | 2003, researchers evaluated the effects of |
| What doctors mean by this is that alternative medicine | | | | reflexology on relieving the symptoms of multiple |
| has not been rigorously tested the way | | | | sclerosis. |
| pharmaceutical drugs have been. | | | | They found incredible results. Reflexology decreased |
| A rigorous test according to a Western medical doctor | | | | the patients symptoms with paresthesias (burning, |
| means that the medicine must have gone through one | | | | prickling, itching, tingling), urinary symptoms and |
| or (preferrably) more randomized, double blind clinical | | | | spasticity (uncontrollable spasms). This was compared |
| trials. This is considered the gold standard of Western | | | | to a control group who received a kind of fake |
| medicine. | | | | reflexology. |
| Doing a clinical trial like this is expensive. You need | | | | Another study, published in the Journal of Clinical |
| highly qualified researchers, a good research | | | | Psychiatry in July 2002, aromatherapy helped patients |
| methodology, a bunch of patients to test, and a long | | | | suffering from severe dementia to be significantly less |
| period of time to observe results. | | | | agitated and more interested in social interaction and |
| But the doctors are wrong. | | | | participating in constructive activities. |
| Alternative medicine has been rigorously tested in a | | | | Both of these studies were "gold standard" trials, that |
| multitude of ways. | | | | is, they were randomized double-blind controlled trials. |
| That's right. Chiropractic adjustments have been | | | | And in both cases, there were NO side effects of the |
| tested. Massage has been tested. Acupuncture. Yoga. | | | | treatments. |
| Reiki. Reflexology. Herbs. Vitamin therapy. You name | | | | These two studies are two of hundreds that have |
| the alternative therapy, it's been tested, probably many | | | | been conducted around the world, many of them |
| times. | | | | proving conclusively that alternative medicine works. |
| Why haven't you heard about these results? Well, | | | | We have, on our hands, many types of alternative |
| without going into some conspiracy theory, I can only | | | | medicine, effective, proven treatments that can help |
| say that there is no single corporation who benefits | | | | people with a wide variety of illnesses, conditions and |
| from having these studies published widely, so they | | | | symptoms without causing the discomfort, side-effects |
| are generally kept quiet and known only to people who | | | | and death that pharmaceutical drugs cause in so many |
| read the medical journals where they were originally | | | | cases. |
| published. | | | | I believe that the combination of alternative medicine |
| Here are a couple of examples that are really | | | | usage and a better approach to health insurance will |
| amazing. | | | | help all of us live healthier lives and pay much less for |
| A study published in the medical journal Multiple | | | | healthcare and insurance. |