Daily Dose of Common Sense

An AP story came out this week discussing how alternative medicine is more often sneaking into the mainstream. But, at what cost? The benefits of alternative medicine have yet to be proven, and some practices and supplements are flat-out harmful.

A few herbal supplements can directly threaten health. A surprising number do not supply what their labels claim, contain potentially harmful substances like lead, or are laced with hidden versions of prescription drugs.

“In testing, one out of four supplements has a problem,” said Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent company that rates such products.

Some doctors interviewed said they include alternative methods in their treatment because it causes patients to relax and, at the same time, feel as though they are receiving better care. The doctors know it’s hoodoo, but are concerned more about what the patient perceives than the science. It’s almost a prescription of the placebo effect.

And it’s not just supplements, which may be just a waste of money. More dangerous are people with life-threatening diseases who miss a critical treatment window while off seeking unproven cures. Last week, a couple in Australia were found guilty of manslaughter after homeopathic treatments of their daughter’s eczema failed. The little girl died after the parents continued to reject conventional treatments for the condition.

Mainstream medicine and big pharmaceutical companies have had problems over the years, for sure. But, regulatory agencies, consumer watch-dog groups, and standard guidelines are in place to act as a system of checks and balances. So, the level of risk involved isn’t as high as that of alternative medicine.

The latest government survey shows the magnitude of risk: More than a third of Americans use unconventional therapies, including acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and native or traditional healing methods. These practitioners are largely self-policing, with their own schools and accreditation groups. Some states license certain types, like acupuncturists; others do not.

The “natural” claim doesn’t mean it’s without risk. If a treatment promises something that is too good to be true, chances are it is a waste of time and money.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 2:57 pm and is filed under Health, Science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.