Research on Alternative Therapies Is Sought

[HuckleB]

Research on Alternative Therapies Is Sought

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/13/politics/13treat.html

"More research is needed to show that alternative therapies like acupuncture and herbal supplements work, and this may mean changing laws that protect the industry, a committee of experts said Wednesday.

Nearly a third of Americans use such therapies, and it is increasingly important to standardize those treatments and show whether and how they work, the Institute of Medicine committee said.

..."

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Dr.Phool]

2. You'll find tons of research, and debunking

at the Skeptical Inquirer website.

[HuckleB]

3. Yes.

But double blind research regarding acupuncture treatment, for example? I've yet to see much of this, though the research I have seen in professional journals has shown it to be safe and fairly effective for a number of maladies.

[Stevepol]

4. The makers of herbal remedies often can't afford to fund clinical studies.

How can they be expected to fund double-blind studies of the efficacy of some herbal substance? At present the huge drug companies are the only ones capable of doing such studies. When they complete the studies, whether or not the evidence is convincing that the drugs actually work, the FDA, which is really just a marketing arm of the pharmaceutical industry, will approve the use of the drugs. Within a few years, a large number of the drugs will have been found to produce dangerous side-effects and will have to be pulled from the shelves. By that time 10 more new drugs will have been approved for the same malady and in time, each of those new drugs will be pulled because of their dangerous side-effects. Meanwhile, the alternative remedies and techniques continue to have a modest but generally positive effect with few side effects, since the body tolerates natural substances better than the highly refined and souped up chemicals that are most often prescribed by mainline physicians. Osteopathic or chiropractic adjustments or acupuncture or colonics or massage, etc., of course, have almost no side effects at all. Changes in diet and exercise regimens are probably more effective than any alternative treatment protocol. Then, the industry complains that the producers of the herbal and other natural healing substances or the users of healing techniques won't do double-blind studies. Those alternative remedies that are obviously dangerous should be regulated; those that are almost certainly not dangerous should be allowed to continue being used. Almost anything is preferable to the drugs the doctors give nowadays, usually more than one, and in combinations that are more dangerous than any one drug alone, IMHO.

[Dookus]

6. According to this article

the European herbal remedy market is 2.2 billion, and the US is 2 billion. 4.2 billion and they can't fund any research?

http://www.chclibrary.org/micromed/00050960.html

[Moderator]

5. kick

..

[Ripley]

7. More research? Hahahah!

I believe the Chinese have been effectively using acupunture for thousands of years.

This argument sounds exactly like the ones they use against Global Warming (or more accurately Climate Change). They are not interested in finding out if "alternatives" are safe, they are protecting corporate interests. Just imagine how much money the pharmaceutical and medical industries would lose if people used more natural products and actually became more healthy thus not requiring that seemingly mandatory cholesterol-lowering medicine or arthritic pain pill for the rest of their lives?

I'm not against testing for safety, but Europeans have been doing this for years. Why do they act like we discovered these things just this year? Besides, look at the USA's "safely FDA reviewed" drugs to market....Vioxx, etc!

[Dookus]

8. So because a treatment has been around a long time

it's therefore efficacious? I don't think that's true.

[Ripley]

9. Have you read anything about acupuncture?

I didn't say just because it has been around thousands of years it works. It is clearly documented that it works. If you don't want to have acupuncture, don't, but it is really almost xenophobic the way so many Americans don't want to even consider something because it is "outlandish" and not FDA or AMA approved.

[Dookus]

10. Calm down, Sparky

Yes, I've read a bit about acupuncture. I believe current research shows it CAN be effective for some things, mainly pain relief. That's why more research is needed. Let's figure out what it CAN do and what it CAN'T. I'm dubious of MANY of the claims it makes, not all of them. That's why we need more research.

More important, though, is the herbal remedies. Some can actually be dangerous,( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62671-2004Sep4.html) and because the current US market is virtually unregulated, there's no guarantee one is receiving the right herbs, in the right dosage, and that they're unadulterated. Here's a Scientific American article about dangerous heavy-metals in some supplements:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0006CF30-606B-11BF-A06B83414B7F0000

I also believe a vast number of herbal remedies are useless. A few may be helpful. Again, that's why we need more research.

Some herbal "remedies" have been outlawed because of their dangers.


Anyway, my original point was that you seemed to be saying that because Acupuncture had been around for thousands of years, no more research was necessary. I disagree.

[Ripley]

11. No, I'm sure voodoo has been around a long time too.

But I don't believe it has been proven to work. But I could be wrong, don't know much about it.

Yes some herbal remedies can have side effects and should not be mixed. And yes people need to do a lot of research before they start taking tons of herbal supplements. And there are the scam guys pushing crap like coral calcium.

I'm not against research and studies, I just find it funny that a lot of research and studies have been done in other countries and it sounds like America wants to reinvent the wheel.

Sparky. Heh.

[HuckleB]

13. Actually, we reinvent the wheel with every form of medicine.

We simply refuse to consider studies of any type from other countries, not just alternative medicine. And, yes, it is goofy.

[Dookus]

15. heheh

no offense meant with the Sparky. Sincerely. I think it's a cute name.

[HuckleB]

12. Yes, indeed, there are a few double blind studies re: acupuncture.

In regard to depression treatment and pain, specifically. However, the last of these was done in the 1980's. I actually think that more study of acupuncture and other forms of serious treatment will help to legitimize them, making it impossible for insurance to deny this type of treatment. I've come across nothing that works better for insomnia, both short and long term without serious side effects, than acupuncture, for dozens of patients over the years. Unfortunately, it's an out-of-pocket expense for most people.

[Ripley]

14. My Dad swears it fixed his sciatic (sp) nerve problem.

I'm currently trying to find an acupuncturist in my area for neck problems. I've heard lots of positive experiences from many people.

I remember when insurance didn't cover chiropractic therapy and most do that now I believe. So hopefully acupuncture will be added soon.

[HuckleB]

16. Yeah, acupuncture can work wonders with musculoskeletal issues.

It helped a great deal with a strained shoulder many years ago, and did wonders for sciatica, both painful and functional. And I know dozens of folks with similar stories.