General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Naturopaths and the creep of pseudo-science [View all]TM99
(8,352 posts)Naturopaths in Arizona get the equivalence of a medical school training with all the same anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pathology, etc. courses but they are also trained in using alternative & complementary treatments that work with, and not against, the allopathic DO's & MD's.
That training has positive consequences where these men and women think 'outside' of the box far more than the allopathic physicians that I have dealt with. As a pushing 40 year old man who had suffered with medical problems for two years with no MD or DO willing to explore outside of standard practices, my NMD was a welcome relief. He was the one who ordered labs that showed that I had a pituitary tumor that was reeking havoc on my entire endocrine system. I received referrals from him to the endocrinologist who confirmed the diagnosis. After surgery and during chemo, his 'naturopathic woo' supported my body in dealing with the harsh chemicals necessary for treatment. When I lost weight, the herbs he prescribed helped with the nausea and weight gain I sorely needed. His 'woo' of B12 injections and vitamin & herbal IV's boosted my immune system so that I didn't get secondary infections bacterial or viral. I also received acupuncture and tried homeopathy, the first helping me greatly, and the second only minimally but still noticeably.
There was not one bit of animosity from him towards the other MD's involved with my treatment and care. But quite a few MD's and nurses on the other side, even when observing the positive effects his 'remedies' had on me during all of this, were just assholes about it. The compassion he and his staff showed and still show was amazing compared to, again, many of the MD's that I have dealt with over the last seven years.
I needed both forms of medicine, and both worked for me. Call it anecdotal if you want, but I have observed this with others here as well. The OMA might want to look to those US states that train, license, and regulate the naturopathic profession. In these states, bullshit that could be harmful is dealt with swiftly and definitively. Pitting themselves against naturopaths does not help patients. It takes away options, choices, and support that can be used as a complement to the care & 'medicine' they prescribe.
When the allopathic medical professions start to deal with the harm they cause then they can worry about the 'woo'. The 3rd leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer in the US is preventable medical error. Close to a half a million patients a year go to the hospital for surgery and care and die from errors that were completely avoidable.
Are there some dangers associate with herbs and vitamins? Sure. Over a ten year period several hundred died from the use of Ephedra. Compare this to Vioxx which killed anywhere from 10's of thousands to as many as 55,000 in four years. Several hundred, Sid, versus 50,000+? Yup, I am terrified of the 'woo'.
There is no grand conspiracy here. This is just old-fashion human behavior - greed, power, and control. Once gotten, it is rarely shared or relinquished.