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.... Natural Therapies .. potential dangerous? Compared to what?

... comments by Dieter Luske - Editor for useNature

Is the complementary health care industry under attack?

Yes, all the time, see below:

Alternative therapies potentially dangerous?

Many attacks on the CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicines) state the following:

"Cancer patients are increasingly turning to alternative therapies, but many are potentially dangerous.

Editor comments:

Most complaints are about :

• General attacks on Natural Therapies,
• Or specifically, "alternative therapies are potentially dangerous".
  Many of the (CAM'S) treatments are too expensive and possibly harmful.
• And " fraudulent practitioners".
  Fraudulent practitioners were misleading cancer patients and were offering dangerous treatments.

I will comment to the basic attacks:

1. Attack on CAM ...
   Attacking something as general as CAM - is an insult on all dedicated, compassionate Naturopaths, Natural Therapists and their patients..
   Why alienate a whole group of professionals, plus the people who use and are helped by Natural Therapies, over 60 % of the population?
   The nature of attacking is hostile, while at the same time negating the positive effects natural therapies have on our society.
   Instead of an attack, why not support and investigate Natural Therapy, while at the same time, educate people to seek help from accredited natural practitioners?
   Yes, I am sure there is" fraud", but it is obviously not isolated to CAM,it would be interesting to see statistics in which profession fraud is more prominent; medical, legal, political,..... natural therapies ?
   "Proper trained and educated Naturopathic Practitioners and Natural Therapists are as much appalled by fraud and fraudulent practitioners as Medical Practitioners."
   

2. Natural Therapies are potentially dangerous, - compared to what?
   I don't think anyone would argue, that medical treatment is much more potentially dangerous than natural treatments. I don't even want to go there.
   Here are some others:
   Life is potentially dangerous.
   Crossing the road...
   Driving a car,
   Going to work...
   Going to school
   Going anywhere, being anything, doing anything,
   Compared to normal life activities, natural therapies would have to be one of the least potentially dangerous activities of all.
   Potentially dangerous is simply a negative statement based on negative general assumptions, a much better question or statement would be:
   Can alternative therapies be potentially helpful? This is a question well worth investigating.

3. Fraudulent practitioners?
   There are very important distinctions to be made.
   First, as mentioned before, fraudulent practitioners don't have to be natural therapy practitioners, it may as well be medical practitioners, but much more likely, people without proper training at all.
   
   

Unfortunately, and that is one reason I am writing this,
there are still a lot of people out there, who don't make any distinctions between an accredited natural practitioner and someone who has no, or little training.

To the "well meaning", who attack the Natural Therapies, please let me say this:

In case, you are a Doctor or associated within the medical health system; please use your superior intelligence to tackle the positive issues of Health.

*And, if Doctors want to make Natural Therapies obsolete, they just need to improve patients health; not just keeping them alive, that way, patients wouldn't have to seek alternatives.

The main aim for a Doctor or Natural Practitioner should be always the health of their patients.

I applaud the effort of the medical profession to discourage smoking, an issue which has been at the forefront of Natural Therapy for many years.

There are many other issues like smoking.

We know that smoking causes cancer, but what about all the other toxic substances in our food, drink and air?

Why would it be dangerous to a cancer patient, if a Naturopath recommends organic grown food free of artificial anything?

Isn't there the possibility that by way of accumulation; herbicides, artificial colorings or preservatives, a level of toxicity is reached, which may cause cancer?

I also applaud the medical profession to slowly regard many specific forms of natural healing modalities as positive and as an aid to patients, such as:
acupuncture, naturopathy, massage, meditation, yoga, and more...
and it may be time to grant some recognition, that natural therapists have had a major positive result on improving health within our society.

In fact, most active prevention health advice is based on natural therapy.

Here are some more issues of health concerns worthy of "attacking", or as I like to put it, worthy of investigating:

1. Alcohol consumption

2. Food additives

3. Sugar consumption, including soft drinks, esp those claiming to be healthy.

4. TV commercials of health detrimental food items.

5. Junk food

6. Weight - Obesity problems

7. Drug side effects and over prescribing.

And finally, to all prospective patients of Natural Therapies.

Trained Natural Practitioners are members of Natural Therapy Associations, make sure you ask for their credentials.

Always tell your medical Doctor, what specific natural treatment you use.

If your Doctor is not supporting your holistic way to health, please look for another medical Doctor.

Above all, support health.... and peace and love, life is beautiful.

More articles: Naturopathy & Scientific Evidence

Comment by:
Dieter Luske - Editor for useNature.com

 

* Disclaimer - Any general advice given in any article should not be relied upon and should not be taken as a substitute for visiting a qualified medical Doctor.