Alternative medicines and therapies (sometimes, way, way alternative) are bigger than ever. People want to try more methods to ease discomfort or treat symptoms for everything from a sniffle to a major, life-threatening disease.
The problem is that most of these alternative treatments haven’t really been tested. Often they do nothing. Sometimes, they’re harmful. And, yet people believe. And little is done to regulate the various alt health industries. So you end up with a ton of dough being spent on potentially harmful non-remedies.
How did things get this way?
Fifteen years ago, Congress decided to allow dietary and herbal supplements to be sold without federal Food and Drug Administration approval. The number of products soared, from about 4,000 then to well over 40,000 now.
Ten years ago, Congress created a new federal agency to study supplements and unconventional therapies. But more than $2.5 billion of tax-financed research has not found any cures or major treatment advances, aside from certain uses for acupuncture and ginger for chemotherapy-related nausea. If anything, evidence has mounted that many of these pills and therapies lack value.
When people are hurting and/or worried, you can sell them almost anything as long as you promise some relief, especially if there is a perception that the treatment is somehow natural or holistic. But treating a headache with a large mallet to the head is 100% natural and untouched by western medicine and those giant drug companies. Still, not a great idea.
He’s looking down kinda puzzled pokin’ that dog with a stick
Got his car door flung open he’s standing out on highway 31
Like if he stood there long enough that dog would get up and run
Struck me kinda funny, seemed kinda funny sir to me
At the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
- Bruce Springsteen, Reason to Believe
