Complementary medicine, also known as alternative medicine, and which I will affectionately refer to as Cammy Care, has become very popular. But even though its use is growing and becoming increasingly “legitimized” as in insurers picking up the tab and medical centers begin to offer integrative services, there are still vehement attacks against it.

I have inadvertently found myself on a few of these blogs, and the narrow mindedness is incredible. I was silly enough to post a few intelligent comments on one or two of them, but it was sort of like posting a comment about Civil Rights on a KKK website.

What is more amazing is that some of these blogs are authored by doctors, and some of the commentators also said that they are doctors. How frightening to be a patient, having such a dinosaur take care of you. No wonder so many patients are afraid to discuss using alternative medicine with their doctors. They don’t necessarily want their doctors to agree with it, but they would like some advice, maybe a referral to a licensed practitioner, or would like to discuss possible drug/herbal interactions. But if you have a Tyrannosaurus Rex yelling in your face, about how dumb Cammy Care is, and how the effect is only placebo, well, that ends the conversation. The patient will continue to use it, but without physician guidance, knowledge or input. And that is not a good thing.

Or maybe they will go and find a different doctor, one who understands that it is the patient’s body and health, and at the very least, even if he doesn’t approve of Cammy Care or thinks its stupid, can at least give the patient information about drug/herb/supplement interactions; find out what the patient is using/doing; refer patient to a licensed practitioner or online resources that are legitimate. Something, anything. You have to keep the dialog open.

At any rate, there is one thing that I’ve noticed in my limited strolls around these websites—none of them discuss the reasons why patients are turning away from conventional medicine. I haven’t seen one post. Granted, I don’t read these on a daily basis, but from what I can see, all they do is rant and rave about how Cammy Care doesn’t work, its all placebo, its not scientific, no studies, its a scam, its dangerous, and on and on.

So what about posting something a little more useful, instead of the proverbial preaching to the choir?

The reality is that most people in the US seek out alternatives because of dissatisfaction, on many levels, with regular healthcare.  Despite the very chi chi names of some of these blogs, which make it sound like conventional medicine is oh-so-science-based and based on powerful evidence, and so effective, there is obviously a gap between the theory and reality.

I will write more about the drug approval process in another post, but for now, I just want to get to the point of this post.

People are dissatisfied with conventional healthcare because:

1) it offers nothing for their symptoms/disease–as in no wonder drugs to cure them or even provide symptom relief

2) The drugs prescribed are only minimally effective and the physician has nothing else to offer them except to “learn to live with it.”

3) Drugs may work but side effects are too toxic.

4) Doctor can’t figure out what’s wrong and finally tells patient that it is all in their head

5) Healthcare is too expensive, can’t afford the drugs or tests or surgery. Patient has no insurance, or underinsured.

6) Physician doesn’t seem interested in them, and is too rushed (unfortunately, in our era of managed care and crunching the clock, this is a growing problem and often distresses the physician as much as the patient. The physician may want to spend more time with the patient, but can’t due to time constraints. It’s a whole different world from Dr. Welby)

7) Treatment just masks symptoms and doesn’t get to root of problem. As time goes on, more prescriptions may be needed, disease progresses.

While all conventional physicians are not dweebs, and all alternative practitioners are not Gandhi incarnates, those practicing Cammy Care are often perceived as being more caring and attentive. And many do have more time to spend with the patient, since their offices generally operate on a different type of system.

So my point is that instead of ranting and raving and ridiculing Cammy Care, the naysayers on their fancy blogs might instead honestly explore the problems confronting healthcare and what is driving patients away and into the arms of those Cammy Care quacks. Maybe they might offer up some solutions to the problems and situations faced by physicians.

Now here is an example, and it is a true one. A guy named Bobby, type 1 diabetic since age 9, went into kidney failure. Not that unusual for a long term diabetic. Lucky for him that he was able to get both a pancreatic and kidney transplant. So now he’s off dialysis, and to boot, no more diabetes. Both his transplants are very successfull, and he is very happy.

But…his diabetes caused extensive neuropathy in his hands, to the point where he had to go on disability. There is no cure for it and no standard treatment for it, except to slow the progression of the disease and thus slow down neuropathy; treat with anti-seizure meds or anti-depressants; or painkillers. Not a great choice, and none very effective, at least not for most. Plus the drugs can cause side effects which can outweigh any benefit, as they did for Bobby.

His girlfriend convinced him to try acupuncture, and he did, with much skepticism. To his surprise, it worked. It has restored enough function to allow him to return to part time work, and has diminished the pain.  But according to Skeptics Choir, it is all placebo effect. The acupuncture did nothing, and the relief is all in his head.

Well, all I can say is that even if it is placebo, and the acupuncture is worthless, it certainly stimulated a powerful mind-body response.  Would it have been better for Bobby to sit around in pain, and not be able to work, or pop a few painkillers every day? Is that a better route? Would he have been better off not getting acupuncture, especially since it causes no toxic side effects and the worst case scenario would have been that it didn’t work and he’d be out a few bucks?

This is the situation that has to be considered, when patients show a remarkable improvement after Cammy Care. Placebo effect or not, the patient is better, so should that be ignored? Or should we just say, “it’s not evidence based and toss it out the door?” Or tell the patient that even if conventional medicine has nothing to offer, they shouldn’t try anything else and but just sit and suffer and pray for a miracle (oops, sorry, prayer is also considered bogus so scratch that).