Alternative Medicine

1. Alternative Medicine • What is Alternative Medicine? • How can there be an alternative to medicine? • Is there alternative chemistry, alternative physics, biology?

2. Alternative Medicine Defined • Alternative has two possible meanings. Correctly employed, it refers to methods that have equal value for a particular purpose. (An example would be two antibiotics capable of killing a particular organism.) When applied to unproven methods, however, the term can be misleading because methods that are unsafe or ineffective are not reasonable alternatives to proven treatment. To emphasize this fact, we place the word "alternative" in quotation marks throughout this book whenever it is applied to methods that are not based on established scientific knowledge.

3. Quackery Defined • Quack originated during the Renaissance when quicksilver or mercury was a popular remedy for syphilis. Wandering peddlers known as "quacksalvers" sold mercury ointment. They would claim that their agents would cure all diseases. The term was later shortened to "quacks," who became a symbol of evil medical practice. Dictionaries generally define "quack" as a pretender to special health-related skills. This definition implies an intent to deceive, which would not fit promoters of unproven methods who believe in what they are doing.

4. Other Definitions • Nontraditional incorrectly suggests that an unscientific method is innovative, while falsely suggesting that the scientific community is traditional (meaning staid, rigid and close-minded). Actually, science is an antagonist of traditional medicine as it destroys old myths and establishes new approaches to healing. "Traditional" is correctly used in reference to folk medicine. Folk healers, not scientific healers, are the traditional ones. A considerable amount of quackery stems from the commercialization of traditional folk medicine and ancient dogma.

5. Other Definitions • Complementary and integrative are claimed to synthesize standard and alternative methods, using the best of both. However, no published data indicate the extent to which practitioners who use these labels actually use proven methods or the extent to which they burden patients with useless methods. Typically these practitioners employ a "heads-I-win, tails-you-lose" strategy in which they claim credit for any improvement experienced by the patient and blame standard treatments for any negative effects. The result may be to undermine the patient's confidence in standard care, reducing compliance or having the patient wish to abandon it altogether.

6. Other Definitions • Holistic implies that an approach is special and more complete because it treats the "whole patient" and not just the disease. However, good physicians have always paid attention to patients' social and emotional concerns as well as their physical problems.

7. Important terms • Fraud is defined in dictionaries as an intentional perversion of truth for gain. The FDA has defined health fraud as promotion of an unproven remedy for profit. Although the FDA definition eliminates the question of intent, some people object to its use because ordinary use of the term fraud implies an intent to deceive. • Unscientific means contrary to scientific evidence. • Nonscientific means not based on a scientific approach. • Unconventional and unorthodox are used to avoid denunciation of the method under consideration. Both of these words may falsely imply that medical science is wed to established doctrine and is too rigid.

8. Important Terms • Cult is a health system based on dogma set forth by its promoter. • Faddism is a generic term used to describe nutrition nonsense. Food faddists are characterized by exaggerated beliefs in the role of diet and nutrition in health and disease. • Unproven has fewer negative connotations than most of the other terms. It correctly implies that, under the rules of science, proponents have the burden of proving that their methods work. Unproven methods that appear logical and consistent with established knowledge carry no connotation of quackery. However, methods that appear illogical and in conflict with established knowledge should be regarded with great suspicion and labeled more harshly. • Questionable and dubious generally mean unproven but inconsistent with established facts. The word "dubious" is used by critics who wish to make it clear that they have a low opinion of the method under consideration.

9. Important Terms • Nontraditional incorrectly suggests that an unscientific method is innovative, while falsely suggesting that the scientific community is traditional (meaning staid, rigid and close-minded). Actually, science is an antagonist of traditional medicine as it destroys old myths and establishes new approaches to healing. "Traditional" is correctly used in reference to folk medicine. Folk healers, not scientific healers, are the traditional ones. A considerable amount of quackery stems from the commercialization of traditional folk medicine and ancient dogma.

10. Important Terms • Complementary and integrative are claimed to synthesize standard and alternative methods, using the best of both. However, no published data indicate the extent to which practitioners who use these labels actually use proven methods or the extent to which they burden patients with useless methods. Typically these practitioners employ a "heads-I-win, tails-you-lose" strategy in which they claim credit for any improvement experienced by the patient and blame standard treatments for any negative effects. The result may be to undermine the patient's confidence in standard care, reducing compliance or having the patient wish to abandon it altogether.

11. Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks 1. When Talking about Nutrients, They Tell Only Part of the Story. 2. They Claim That Most Americans Are Poorly Nourished. 3. They Recommend "Nutrition Insurance" for Everyone. 4. They Say That Most Diseases Are Due to Faulty Diet and Can Be Treated with "Nutritional" Methods. 5. They Allege That Modern Processing Methods and Storage Remove all Nutritive Value from Our Food. 6. They Claim That Diet Is a Major Factor in Behavior. 7. They Claim That Fluoridation Is Dangerous. .

12. Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks 8. They Claim That Soil Depletion and the Use of Pesticides and "Chemical" Fertilizers Result in Food That Is Less Safe and Less Nourishing. 9. They Claim You Are in Danger of Being "Poisoned" by Ordinary Food Additives and Preservatives. 10. They Charge That the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) Have Been Set Too Low. 11. They Claim That under Everyday Stress, and in Certain Diseases, Your Need for Nutrients Is Increased. 12. They Recommend "Supplements" and "Health Foods" for Everyone.

13. Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks 13. They Claim That "Natural" Vitamins are Better than "Synthetic" Ones. 14. They Suggest That a Questionnaire Can Be Used to Indicate Whether You Need Dietary Supplements. 15. They Say It Is Easy to Lose Weight. 16. They Promise Quick, Dramatic, Miraculous Results. 17. They Routinely Sell Vitamins and Other "Dietary Supplements" as Part of Their Practice.

14. Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks 18. They Use Disclaimers Couched in Pseudomedical Jargon. 19. They Use Anecdotes and Testimonials to Support Their Claims. 20. They Claim That Sugar Is a Deadly Poison. 21. They Display Credentials Not Recognized by Responsible Scientists or Educators. 22. They Offer to Determine Your Body's Nutritional State with a Laboratory Test or a Questionnaire.

15. Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks 23. They Claim They Are Being Persecuted by Orthodox Medicine and That Their Work Is Being Suppressed Because It's Controversial. 24. They Warn You Not to Trust Your Doctor. 25. They Encourage Patients to Lend Political Support to Their Treatment Methods.

16. More Ploys That May Fool You "We really care about you!" Although being "cared about" may provide a powerful psychological lift, it will not make a worthless remedy effective. It may also encourage over-reliance on an inappropriate therapy. "We treat the whole patient." There is nothing wrong with giving due attention to a patient's lifestyle and social and emotional concerns in addition to physical problems. In fact, good physicians have always done this. Today, however, most practitioners who label themselves "holistic" are engaged in quackery and embrace the term as a marketing tool. Few actually "treat the whole patient."

17. More Ploys That May Fool You "No side effects" "Alternative" methods are often described as safer, gentler, and/or without side effects. If this were true -- and often it is not -- their "remedy" would be too weak to have any effect. Any medication potent enough to help people will be potent enough to cause side effects. FDA approval requires evidence that the likelihood of benefit far exceeds the probable harm. "We attack the cause of disease." Quacks claim that whatever they do will not only cure the ailment but will also prevent future trouble. This claim is false. Illness can result from many factors, both internal and external, some of which have been identified and some of which are unknown. Scientific medical care can prevent certain diseases and reduce the odds of getting various others.

18. More Ploys That May Fool You "We treat medicine's failures." It is often suggested that people seek "alternatives" because doctors are brusque, and that if doctors were more attentive, their patients would not turn to quacks. It is true that this sometimes happens, but most quackery does not involve medical care. Blaming doctors for quackery's persistence is like blaming astronomers for the popularity of astrology. Some people's needs exceed what ethical, scientific health care can provide. Some harbor deep-seated antagonism toward medical care and the concept of a scientific method. But the main reason for quackery's success is its ability to seduce people who are unsuspecting, gullible, or desperate. Several years ago, a survey done in New Zealand found that most cancer patients who used "alternative" therapies were satisfied with their medical care and regarded "alternative" care only as a supplement [1]. A more recent study found that only 4.4% of those surveyed reported relying primarily on alternative therapies. The author concluded:

19. Signs of a Quack Device • It is said to use little-known energies that are undetectable by ordinary scientists. • It can diagnose or cure people living miles away. • It has a convoluted yet scientific-sounding name. • It was invented by a "world famous" doctor that is not actually well known. • It has bright lights that serve no apparent purpose. • It has knobs and dials that serve no practical purpose. • It shakes, rattles, rolls, sucks, shocks, or warms your body.

20. Signs of a Quack Device • It supposedly can cure just about anything. • It is available only through the mail or at special outlets. • You can't find one at a regular doctor's office. • The manufacturer isn't exactly sure how or why it works. • To get results, the patient must face a certain direction or use the device only at unusual times. • You're supposed to use it even if there's nothing wrong with you. • The FDA has outlawed it.

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25. Why does Alex Chiu teach people how to build their own Immortality Devices? • Why does Alex Chiu give out FREE Immortality Devices? • ANSWER:  Once a while, some nice hearted people will spend some money and buy the devices from me.  I don't need so much money.  All I need is enough money to pay for rent and food.  I believe that the Immortality Device is the most important invention in human history.  But now, so many people are laughing at it.  This invention is so incredible, it makes people laugh.  But this invention is so important to me.  So I am teaching everyone how to build the device.  I am also giving the devices out for free.  I think it's very important to educate people about this new invention.  I don't want this invention to be forgotten because this invention is the most important invention in human history.  I must educate everyone and make sure everyone knows how important this invention is.

26. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Although most Americans are harmed by quackery, few perceive it as a serious problem and even fewer are interested in trying to do anything about it. Many misconceptions appear to contribute to this situation: • Misconception #1: Quackery is easy to spot.Quackery is far more difficult to spot than most people realize. Modern promoters use scientific jargon that can fool people not familiar with the concepts being discussed. Even health professionals can have difficulty in separating fact from fiction in fields unrelated to their expertise.

27. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Misconception #2: Personal experience is the best way to tell whether something works. When you feel better after having used a product or procedure, it is natural to give credit to whatever you have done. This can be misleading, however, because most ailments resolve themselves and those that don't can have variable symptoms. Even serious conditions can have sufficient day-to-day variation to enable quack methods to gain large followings. In addition, taking action often produces temporary relief of symptoms (a placebo effect). For these reasons, controlled scientific studies are usually necessary to establish whether health methods actually work.

28. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Misconception #3: Most victims of quackery are easy to fool. Individuals who buy one diet book or "magic" diet pill after another are indeed gullible. And so are many people who follow whatever fads are in vogue. But the majority of quackery's victims are merely unsuspecting. People tend to believe what they hear the most. And quack ideas -- particularly about nutrition -- are everywhere. Another large group of quackery's victims is composed of individuals who have serious or chronic diseases that make them feel desperate enough to try anything that offers hope. Alienated people -- many of whom are paranoid -- form another victim group. These people tend to believe that our food supply is unsafe; that drugs do more harm than good; and that doctors, drug companies, large food companies, and government agencies are not interested in protecting the public. Such beliefs make them vulnerable to those who offer foods and healing approaches alleged to be "natural."

29. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Misconception #4: Quackery's victims deserve what they get.This is based on the idea that people who are gullible should "know better" and therefore deserve whatever they get. This feeling is a major reason why journalists, enforcement officials, judges, and legislators seldom give priority to combating quackery. As noted above, however, most victims are not gullible. Nor do people deserve to suffer or die because of ignorance or desperation.

30. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Misconception #5: All quacks are frauds and crooks. Quackery is often discussed as though all of its promoters are engaged in deliberate deception. This is untrue. Promoters of mail-order quackery are almost always hit-and-run artists who know their products are fakes but hope to profit before the Postal Service shuts them down. But most other promoters of quackery seem to be true believers, zealots, and devotees whose problem is lack of criticism -- a failure to apply skepticism to the favored therapy, very much like a religious person who blindly accepts "the faith."

31. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Misconception #6:Most quackery is dangerous.Quackery can seriously harm or kill people by inducing them to abandon or delay effective treatment for serious conditions. It can also wreck the life of people who are so thoroughly misled that they devote themselves to promoting the methods and welfare of the quack. Although the number of people harmed in these ways cannot be determined, it is not large enough or obvious enough to arouse a general public outcry. Most victims of quackery are harmed economically rather than physically. Moreover, many people believe that an unscientific method has helped them. In most cases, they have confused cause-and-effect and coincidence. But sometimes an unproven approach actually relieves emotionally related symptoms by lowering the person's tension level.

32. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Misconception #7: "Minor" forms of quackery are harmless. Quackery involving small sums of money and no physical harm is often viewed as harmless. Examples are "nutrition insurance" with vitamin pills and wearing a copper bracelet for arthritis. But their use indicates confusion on the part of the user and vulnerability to more serious forms of quackery. There is also harm to society. Money wasted on quackery would be better spent for research, but much of it goes into the pockets of people (such as vitamin pushers) who are spreading misinformation and trying to weaken consumer protection laws. • Misconception #8: Government protects us.Although various government agencies are involved in fighting quackery, most don't give it sufficient priority to be effective. Moreover, the agencies involved lack a coordinated plan to maximize their effectiveness.

33. THE DI BELLA AFFAIR • 1997/88 ITALY • THE “CURE” FOR THOUSANDS: SOMATOSTATIN,MELATONIN,BROMOCRIPTIN, VITAMINS, CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE • NEVER TESTED IN HUMANS OR ANIMALS • COST: UP TO $5000 / MONTH

34. THE DI BELLA AFFAIR • PATIENTS SUE GOVERNMENT • PRESS HAILS DI BELLA AS A HERO • COURT ORDER PUBLIC PAYMENT FOR 2000 TREATMENTS AND 10 CLINICAL TRIALS

35. THE DI BELLA AFFAIR • CLINICAL TRIALS SHOW NO EFFECT, BUT SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS

36. THE DI BELLA AFFAIR • OVERALLDIRECT COSTS: • $20 MILLION

37. THE DI BELLA AFFAIR • WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO DELAYED TREATMENT WHILE ‘EXPLORING THE OPTIONS’? • WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO CHOSE THE “CURE” OVER PROVEN THERAPY?

38. MANY NATURAL SUBSTANCES ARE VERY POISONOUS, INCLUDING SOME HERBAL REMEDIES

39. Natural Substances are Poisonous TOBACCO ARISTOLOCHIA CHAPARELLE GERMANDER EPHEDRA

40. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Misconception #9: Quackery's success represents medicine's failure. It is often suggested that people turn to quacks when doctors are brusque with them, and that if doctors were more attentive, their patients would not turn to quacks. It is true that this sometimes happens, but most quackery does not involve medical care. Doctors should pay attention to the emotions of their patients and make a special effort to explain things to them. But blaming medicine for quackery is like considering the success of astrology the fault of astronomy. Some people's needs exceed what ethical, scientific health care can provide. The main reason for quackery's success is its ability to seduce unsuspecting people. Several years ago a survey done in New Zealand found that most cancer patients who used "alternative" therapies were satisfied with their medical care and regarded "alternative" care only as a supplement.

41. Common Misconceptions About Quackery • Misconception #10: "Alternative" methods have moved toward the scientific mainstream.In 1991, Congress passed a law ordering the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish an office (now called the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to foster research into unconventional practices. It remains to be seen whether any useful research will be done as a result. Meanwhile, of course, "alternative" proponents have been labeling the very establishment of the NIH office as "scientific acceptance" -- and media outlets have been repeating this claim without bothering to investigate whether it is true.

42. Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked • Promoters of quackery know how to appeal to every aspect of human vulnerability. What sells is not the quality of their products but their ability to influence their audience. Here are ten strategies to avoid being quacked:

43. Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked 1. Remember that quackery seldom looks outlandish. Its promoters often use scientific terms and quote (or misquote) from scientific references. Some actually have reputable scientific training but have gone astray. 2. Ignore any practitioner who says that most diseases are caused by faulty nutrition or can be remedied by taking supplements. Although some diseases are related to diet, most are not. Moreover, in most cases where diet actually is a factor in a person's health problem, the solution is not to take vitamins but to alter the diet.

44. Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked 3. Be wary of anecdotes and testimonials. If someone claims to have been helped by an unorthodox remedy, ask yourself and possibly your doctor whether there might be another explanation. Most single episodes of disease recover with the passage of time, and most chronic ailments have symptom-free periods. Most people who give testimonials about recovery from cancer have undergone effective treatment as well as unorthodox treatment, but give credit to the latter. Some testimonials are complete fabrications. 4. Be wary of pseudomedical jargon. Instead of offering to treat your disease, some quacks will promise to "detoxify" your body, "balance" its chemistry, release its "nerve energy," or "bring it in harmony with nature," or to correct supposed "weaknesses" of various organs. The use of concepts that are impossible to measure enables success to be claimed even though nothing has actually been accomplished.

45. Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked 5. Don't fall for paranoid accusations. Unconventional practitioners often claim that the medical profession, drug companies, and the government are conspiring to suppress whatever method they espouse. No evidence to support such a theory has ever been demonstrated. It also flies in the face of logic to believe that large numbers of people would oppose the development of treatment methods that might someday help themselves or their loved ones.

46. Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked 6. Forget about "secret cures." True scientists share their knowledge as part of the process of scientific development. Quacks may keep their methods secret to prevent others from demonstrating that they don't work. No one who actually discovered a cure would have reason to keep it secret. If a method works-especially for a serious disease-the discoverer would gain enormous fame, fortune and personal satisfaction by sharing the discovery with others.

47. Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked 7. Be wary of herbal remedies. Herbs are promoted primarily through literature based on hearsay, folklore and tradition. As medical science developed, it became apparent that most herbs did not deserve good reputations, and most that did were replaced by synthetic compounds that are more effective. Many herbs contain hundreds or even thousands of chemicals that have not been completely cataloged. While some may turn out to be useful, others could well prove toxic. With safe and effective treatment available, treatment with herbs rarely makes sense.

48. Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked 8. Be skeptical of any product claimed to be effective against a wide range of unrelated diseases-particularly diseases that are serious. There is no such thing as a panacea or "cure-all." • 9. Ignore appeals to your vanity. One of quackery's most powerful appeals is the suggestion to "think for yourself" instead of following the collective wisdom of the scientific community. A similar appeal is the idea that although a remedy has not been proven to work for other people, it still might work for you.

49. Ten Ways to Avoid Being Quacked 10. Don't let desperation cloud your judgment! If you feel that your doctor isn't doing enough to help you, or if you have been told that your condition is incurable and don't wish to accept this fate without a struggle, don't stray from scientific health care in a desperate attempt to find a solution. Instead, discuss your feelings with your doctor and consider a consultation with a recognized expert.

50. Why Bogus Therapies Often Seem to Work 1. The disease may have run its natural course. 2. Many diseases are cyclical. 3. The placebo effect may be responsible. 4. People who hedge their bets credit the wrong thing. 5. The original diagnosis or prognosis may have been incorrect. 6. Temporary mood improvement can be confused with cure. 7. Psychological needs can distort what people perceive and do.