Just a few years ago, I was a practicing naturopathic
doctor. I considered myself to be a primary care physician who had been trained
in the best of two worlds: supposedly, one was modern medicine and the other
was a mixture of alternative practices based in “ancient wisdom.”
I went to naturopathic school at Bastyr University where my
proclivity to think that natural medicine could greatly improve upon
conventional medicine developed into a fully fledged naturalistic way of life.
It is not unfair to say that my fellow classmates and I were brainwashed. We
believed that we were being trained just like medical doctors but with the
added bonus of learning the secret knowledge of harnessing the healing power of
nature, which could somehow supersede science. I am already having flashbacks
to my homeopathy classes.
By many societal measures, I was a doctor. I held a DEA
number, so when I called in prescriptions to pharmacies I seemed just like
other authorized practitioners. In some cases, I could bill my services to
insurance companies and state health care programs. To many, the “ND” after my
name appeared as a legitimate medical degree. My patients, family, and friends
called me “Doctor Britt.”
I got to that point, it seems, because naturopaths
aggressively lobby for laws to issue them medical licenses. I would
characterize this political effort as a perverted redefinition of the words
“physician,” “doctor,” “medical school,” and “residency” in order to mask the
inadequacy of the training provided in naturopathic programs. ND students do
not realize that they are taking educational shortcuts and therefore do not
possess any demonstrable competencies found in modern medicine. Instead, NDs go
on to make money by fooling themselves that they are legitimate doctors, while
not taking a moment to question the validity of their methods, even in the face
of criticism levied by the scientific community. I didn’t realize that this
sort of parochialism is a defining feature of my former profession until I
unexpectedly found myself in a nerve-rattling situation.
While in practice in Tucson, Arizona, I discovered that my
former boss, a licensed naturopathic doctor, had been importing and
administering a non-FDA approved drug to cancer patients, many of whom were
terminally ill. I had been helping him give various intravenous injections and
drips to many of his patients because his schedule was busy. It turned out that
under his orders I had unwittingly administered this drug to several patients.
The same day I resigned from my practice, I received a call
from a close mentor, who happened to be a former president of the American
Association of Naturopathic Physicians. This friend tried to convince me I
should ignore the advice I had received from my newly hired lawyer to report my
boss’s criminal activity to the regulatory board and state attorney general.
His words suggested that ethical and legal transgressions, like the one before
me, were prevalent in the naturopathic community and tolerated due to the
special kind of medicine we were practicing.
Indeed, his assessment was correct. When I started to look
at licensed naturopaths across North America, I found appalling examples of
professional misconduct and unethical treatments advertised online or discussed
favorably on social media communities. I eventually learned that the drug my
former boss was importing, named ukrain, had a sordid history at the hands of
charlatan chemist in Austria, who is now facing criminal charges of commercial
fraud. My boss ended up with a token punishment of a warning letter. His errant
behavior was not egregious enough for the authorities to revoke or suspend his
license, levy a fine, or require him to return the tens if not hundreds of
thousands of dollars he billed patients. I had to extradite myself from
naturopathy. I had to speak out against this profession.
It is true, I am a bit bitter about being duped into
thinking I was a real doctor. I borrowed over $250,000 in federal loans for a
fake medical education, which, by the way, is how much one can borrow to pay
for real medical school.
Now that I am largely past the heartache of losing friends,
a livelihood, and a quarter of a million dollars, I am trying to be grateful
for my scientific rehabilitation. My accidental involvement in my former boss's
reprehensible activity and being urged to turn a blind eye led me to
re-evaluate my belief system. Prior to this seminal moment, I was skilled at
ignoring information that I did not agree with. Today, I can no longer disregard
the inconvenient fact that I was a quack.
I am currently completing a Master of Science program in
biomedicine, while trying to understand my journey into, and out of, magical
ways of thinking. Along the way, I am exploring why I have a (surprisingly
persistent) bias toward naturalistic philosophies, how to think critically, and
what can be done to educate the public to prevent mistakes resembling mine or
those of my former patients who only wanted to be treated by a doctor like me.
Science 2.0 offers a great platform to raise awareness of
the corruption of the scientific enterprise and epidemic of deluding social
currents towards magical ways of thinking. For example, I often wonder how the
authors of research studies feel about their work being used by alternative
medical practitioners to sell patients on dubious diagnoses and treatments. I
plan to find out and write about it here, among other issues relating to the
interface of quackery with scientific institutions. Having been one of these practitioners
myself, I have a unique perspective to help unravel these pseudoscientific
transactions.
Starting over is hard but not impossible. I’ll take the
challenging work of a science-based career any day over a life acting as a fake
doctor. I hope you will join me as I continue to engage with the world of
science now that I am out of the rabbit hole.
How A Former Naturopath Can Help Unravel The Trickery Of Alternative Medicine
Comments
Your voice needs to be heard. You are in a unique position to question the dubious claims of alternative medicine.
Anonymous (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 06:11 AM
Admirable, but don't be that hard on yourself. I wish the mainstream medical profession and pharma industry would be that self-critical. Particularly with regard to the massive advertising behind pharma and over-prescription of meds, which is driven by profit, not the actual medical need of patients. I watch the t.v. ads at dinner time every day and am astonished.
For instance:
Abilify (for depression)
"Side effects include heart attack and stroke. Other serious side effects include weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and involuntary movements of the tongue, lips, face, trunk, arms, or legs, which may be permanent. The drug costs about $900 per month." It seems like taking the drug could cause a person to become depressed.
Lyrica (for fibromyalgia)
"Side effects include blurred vision, confusion, dizziness, liver and kidney problems, suicidal thoughts, and dangerous swelling of the face, mouth, and throat. A month’s supply costs around $260."
Ritalin
"Sid effects include nervousness, agitation, anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia), stomach pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, headache, vision problems, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, skin rash, psychosis."
While alternative medicine is by no means perfect, the public is exposed to much more quackery by pharma companies who push over-medication and "real" doctors who happily go along with it because that's what they were taught in med school.
For instance:
Abilify (for depression)
"Side effects include heart attack and stroke. Other serious side effects include weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and involuntary movements of the tongue, lips, face, trunk, arms, or legs, which may be permanent. The drug costs about $900 per month." It seems like taking the drug could cause a person to become depressed.
Lyrica (for fibromyalgia)
"Side effects include blurred vision, confusion, dizziness, liver and kidney problems, suicidal thoughts, and dangerous swelling of the face, mouth, and throat. A month’s supply costs around $260."
Ritalin
"Sid effects include nervousness, agitation, anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia), stomach pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, headache, vision problems, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, skin rash, psychosis."
While alternative medicine is by no means perfect, the public is exposed to much more quackery by pharma companies who push over-medication and "real" doctors who happily go along with it because that's what they were taught in med school.
Anonymous (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 07:04 AM
You demand medicine that has no side effects and instead prefer non-medicine with no benefits. The average life expectancy is 50 years higher than when only natural medicine was available so the data are not on your side.
On marketing, while I agree, your same mentality a generation ago is why it occurred. No one expects doctors to spend every waking moment reading journals and white papers on new medicines so companies used to take groups to dinner and have products discussed. The claim by paranoid people then was that a steak dinner made a doctor lose their mind and so consumers should have direct marketing. So what is your solution, go back to direct doctor marketing after they are done with office hours or no new medicine at all?
Hank Campbell | 06/22/16 | 07:34 AM
"You demand medicine that has no side effects and instead prefer non-medicine with no benefits." I said no such thing, but thanks for the straw man.
Good medical care is based providing the best overall solution for the patient's condition, starting with the least invasive or risky treatments. And a solution that is absolutely not based on profit. For instance, if a patient is suffering from depression the doctor could advise that they take a brief walk every day, which has been shown to be as effective in many studies as anti-depressant therapy, but without the side effects described above. http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-and-depression-repo... A science based, intelligent, effective solution to try with the great majority of patients before drug therapy.
Does that mean that if a patient has an osteosarcoma their oncologist should start with a round of healing stones and Reiki? No. Patients in extremis need extreme measures. But for the majority of patients with routine problems the physician should consider options such as professionally supervised diet and rehab exercise, for instance, before just writing a scrip. Most physicians don't do that, the default taught in med school is write the scrip without really pursuing non-pharma options first. And pharma companies are just fine with that. Which would explain why Americans are the most heavily medicated population on earth, but not the healthiest.
Good medical care is based providing the best overall solution for the patient's condition, starting with the least invasive or risky treatments. And a solution that is absolutely not based on profit. For instance, if a patient is suffering from depression the doctor could advise that they take a brief walk every day, which has been shown to be as effective in many studies as anti-depressant therapy, but without the side effects described above. http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-and-depression-repo... A science based, intelligent, effective solution to try with the great majority of patients before drug therapy.
Does that mean that if a patient has an osteosarcoma their oncologist should start with a round of healing stones and Reiki? No. Patients in extremis need extreme measures. But for the majority of patients with routine problems the physician should consider options such as professionally supervised diet and rehab exercise, for instance, before just writing a scrip. Most physicians don't do that, the default taught in med school is write the scrip without really pursuing non-pharma options first. And pharma companies are just fine with that. Which would explain why Americans are the most heavily medicated population on earth, but not the healthiest.
Anonymous (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 08:40 AM
Where did you learn that med school defaults to writing a prescription as the first line of defense?
Anonymous (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 13:14 PM
I'd just like to add a little note here - a side effect is simply another effect of the drug. (Sleepiness is a 'side' effect of Benadryl unless it's prescribed as a sleep aid). Side effects are effects.
Patty (not verified) | 06/25/16 | 15:06 PM
Nasty Big Pharma, telling you what the side effects are thereby allowing you the choice of either living with the illness, or living with the side effects. What an unpleasant way of doing business.
As opposed to the naturopath manager in the article, and apparently the naturopathic method, of teaching people the skill of to ignoring information that they did not agree with, prescribing non-FDA approved drugs, taking thousands of dollars of patients money, and paying for all that by being issued with a warning letter.
Seems to me that Little Pharma is the worse of the two options. In spades.
As opposed to the naturopath manager in the article, and apparently the naturopathic method, of teaching people the skill of to ignoring information that they did not agree with, prescribing non-FDA approved drugs, taking thousands of dollars of patients money, and paying for all that by being issued with a warning letter.
Seems to me that Little Pharma is the worse of the two options. In spades.
Bob Hamilton (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 07:52 AM
I do hope you realize that these are cumulative lists of ALL the side effects that have occurred to a wide range of patients. It's incredibly rare for a single patient to develop many, let alone all the side effects. Each side effect might have many supplemental causes like age, gender, use of alcohol/drugs, genetics, eating habits etc that do not apply to a majority of other people who take the drug.
These lists sound incredibly scary and evil, but if pharmaceutical companies were indeed that bad, wouldn't they try to hide these problems ? There are international rules on how these side-effects are noted and reported. In almost all cases these are written in "trade jargon" ie scientific and medical language that sounds very scary to a lot of people because they are not used to it and can easily be misinterpreted.
Imagine if someone drew up a list of all the things could that could go wrong with a car and list them visible on a part of the dashboard, you'd be worried about tires exploding, a fuel line catching fire, the electronics going haywire, the gas pedal getting stuck, the breaks fail etc ... A person might conclude that the risks presented by cars are just too much and try to forbid them.
These lists sound incredibly scary and evil, but if pharmaceutical companies were indeed that bad, wouldn't they try to hide these problems ? There are international rules on how these side-effects are noted and reported. In almost all cases these are written in "trade jargon" ie scientific and medical language that sounds very scary to a lot of people because they are not used to it and can easily be misinterpreted.
Imagine if someone drew up a list of all the things could that could go wrong with a car and list them visible on a part of the dashboard, you'd be worried about tires exploding, a fuel line catching fire, the electronics going haywire, the gas pedal getting stuck, the breaks fail etc ... A person might conclude that the risks presented by cars are just too much and try to forbid them.
P. Wolf (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 08:34 AM
Spoken like someone who has never lived with a health issue that's seriously impacted their life. I was on the verge of flunking out of school before I was diagnosed with ADHD and given drugs in the Ritalin family. I now have a PhD and work as a professional research scientist. I live with someone who has severe depression. Without medication, he'd sleep 18 hours a day because he couldn't rouse the energy to get up. For the few hours he'd be up, he'd be an unresponsive zombie. And I'm not even going to start on the panic attacks or the Crohn's disease.
Yes, drugs have side effects. They can also make the difference between being completely miserable and being a functional human being. Every single time some fool rants about "Big Pharma, they have all these side effects, blah blah blah, they aren't real diseases anyway", you trivialize a tremendous amount of human suffering and the scientists who want to alleviate it. So stop acting like you know anything.
Yes, drugs have side effects. They can also make the difference between being completely miserable and being a functional human being. Every single time some fool rants about "Big Pharma, they have all these side effects, blah blah blah, they aren't real diseases anyway", you trivialize a tremendous amount of human suffering and the scientists who want to alleviate it. So stop acting like you know anything.
MadScientist1023 (not verified) | 06/23/16 | 15:08 PM
Well that's America for you,. Having to pay retarded prices for your meds and treatment, You never see adverts for anything other than over the counter cold medicine in the UK, (Beechams hot lemon etc) But then we don't have to pay for our treatment, or to see a Dr - .thats what we pay tax for.
Anonymous (not verified) | 06/26/16 | 20:14 PM
Ugh. Thanks for reminding me about the horrors of Abilify. My father, who is bipolar, was prescribed and took Abilify for many years despite side effects. His doctors convinced him the benefits would outweigh the side effects. He has been off it for many years but unfortunately he lives with tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements of the tongue, lips, face, trunk, arms, or legs) which are for him, now, permanent. It is so depressing for our entire family to see him this way. He doesn't know he is doing it most of the time, but it is so jarring and makes him self conscious. He is often stared at in public for these involuntary movements. :(
AJ (not verified) | 06/27/16 | 02:48 AM
Bollocks! You will find the possible side effects listed are a exhaustive precautionary list of all possible effects. In itself this is a reflection of the fact that the drugs have at least some active ingredient. Not much point listing the possible side effects of homeopathic remedies other than a strong and unpleasant feeling of a lightness in the wallet.
haheial (not verified) | 06/29/16 | 16:35 PM
Imagine if acupuncture therapy were advertised heavily on TV as a treatment for fibromyalgia. And the voice over during the warm and fuzzy video stated that "Acupuncture has reported side effects including blurred vision, confusion, dizziness, liver and kidney problems, suicidal thoughts, and dangerous swelling of the face, mouth, and throat." The same side effects as Lyrica. The AMA would go berserk, there would be Congressional hearings and the practice would be outlawed. But for some reason, the risk of these side effects is considered acceptable - for millions of patients who are taking Lyrica - because it is mainstream "medicine".
Anonymous (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 08:50 AM
Supplements are a huge industry, and exempt from any evidence of being efficacious, but not only do natural medicine proponents want it to be exempt from standards like double-blind clinical trials, they want it to nonetheless be treated like medicine.
Here is the solution: Raise money, which should be easy because "it works" we are told over and over, and fund clinical trials. Then your alternative medicine becomes regular medicine and you can all get rich as well.
Hank Campbell | 06/22/16 | 11:23 AM
Stop calling it MEDICINE - naturopathic technique or chiropractic technique or complimentary and alternative techniques - when we use the word medicine it elevates their position to proven science - where they should not be
anonymous (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 19:01 PM
The etymology of the word "medicine" starts long before western/scientific medicine.
Some definitions of 'medicine' from the OED: "The science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease; A substance or preparation used in the treatment of illness; a drug; esp. one taken by mouth."
There are more, but these seem to cover the modern definitions of 'medicine'. These definitions include Naturopathic and some other non-western practices (by the way, Naturopaths also use proven science in their practices). Naturopaths diagnose, treat and prevent disease, and they also prescribe substances in the treatment of illness, as the definitions allow for.
Some definitions of 'medicine' from the OED: "The science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease; A substance or preparation used in the treatment of illness; a drug; esp. one taken by mouth."
There are more, but these seem to cover the modern definitions of 'medicine'. These definitions include Naturopathic and some other non-western practices (by the way, Naturopaths also use proven science in their practices). Naturopaths diagnose, treat and prevent disease, and they also prescribe substances in the treatment of illness, as the definitions allow for.
Anonymous (not verified) | 07/01/16 | 20:11 PM
I don't understand the problem. The drug side effects are a true telling of what researchers have found during testing of the drug and the side effects are required to be reported according to FDA regulation. A person can make an informed choice and take a medication that has been shown to work for the symptoms they are reporting.
Acupuncture has not been found to work better than sham or placebo so a list of side effects is not required because it is a non-treatment and not covered by FDA regulation.
Acupuncture has not been found to work better than sham or placebo so a list of side effects is not required because it is a non-treatment and not covered by FDA regulation.
Carolyn (not verified) | 06/25/16 | 22:45 PM
Very brave Britt, I appreciate you and will follow with great interest! Thanks!
Brad (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 14:19 PM
Wonderful piece. Britt, I admire you for your stance. Science is not perfect but is the best way to understand and explain the world we live in. I am a physician, skeptic and I struggle daily to offer my patients the best there is in terms of hard science based medicine. Hope your new journey will be rewarding one. May I suggest you check out this excellent web site which I read daily an honest web site. https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/
Victor Rivera (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 15:09 PM
Around 16 years ago I came to a similar realization while practicing iridology as part of a naturopathic team. As annoying as it is to realize that I accepted some pretty stupid stuff, and was part of hurting people and bilking them out of hard-earned money, I used the experience to guide me into my currently happy career as a nurse. It was hard to take my wife and three young children through my transition into my current career, but my children have learned to value truth, and to be willing to question their assumptions. Thank you for writing this. You are stronger than you think, and smarter than you feel.
Josh Mather Sr (not verified) | 06/22/16 | 15:47 PM
The Naturocrit Podcast and Blog:
Well, a long time ago, my 10th grade science teacher Mr. Rotandaro, really, said this:
"science is self-testing and self-correcting. Organized and systematized...we must establish a fiduciary point..."
Bravo.
-r.c.
Well, a long time ago, my 10th grade science teacher Mr. Rotandaro, really, said this:
"science is self-testing and self-correcting. Organized and systematized...we must establish a fiduciary point..."
Bravo.
-r.c.
Naturocrit Podcast and Blog (not verified) | 06/23/16 | 02:54 AM
Oh, excellent transition! Thank you for making this very difficult change in your life.
I think you would like Karla McLaren's essays on leaving the New Age and alternative medicine. She was a psychic healer who began questioning everything, and discovered that none of her former beliefs could stand up to scrutiny. She ended her career and went back to school, and now she's a social science researcher. https://missingthesolstice.wordpress.com/about/
I think you would like Karla McLaren's essays on leaving the New Age and alternative medicine. She was a psychic healer who began questioning everything, and discovered that none of her former beliefs could stand up to scrutiny. She ended her career and went back to school, and now she's a social science researcher. https://missingthesolstice.wordpress.com/about/
Jasper (not verified) | 06/24/16 | 21:21 PM
Good for you! Glad to see you've seen the light and are even going so far aa to pursue a degree in a legitimate field of study.
Sigurther (not verified) | 06/26/16 | 13:45 PM
You are a very ignorant, and uneducated person. You have just cost so many many people life saving medicine, and quality of life. It is not the education you received that was bad. You received an excellent education, and don't even realize it's value. Shame on you for giving all naturopaths a bad name. If you really paid attention in school, you would know the value of natural medicine. After reading your article if is obvious that you would be a poor doctor of any kind. Who could trust someone who spent 4 years in a top notch school, learned the true value of natural medicine, but only after practicing for a while figured out it was all a scam? Unlikely! And by-the- way, there is much science backing up natural medicine. Apparently you slept through that class. There are natural products that are life saving - and approved be the FDA! More people have died from prescription (supposed science based) drugs in the last month than have ever died in recorded history from natural medicine. Some of these brave naturopaths that you claim are doing illegal things, are in fact saving lives. The bad ones are few and far between. Most naturopath follow the laws and administer treatments within their scope of practice. The 2nd largest county in America (I'll leave that up to you to research since it appears you need to hone your research skills) employs naturopaths as their primary care physicians and gate keepers for their employees. There are millions of people who are helped every year, no thanks to ignorant people like you. These doctors have integrity - something you do not have.
naturemom (not verified) | 06/26/16 | 21:42 PM
So how many people with HIV, HCV, Parkinson's, MS, Hansen's disease, etc etc etc are being "cured" or their diseases held in check by the nonsense that is naturopathy?
Naturopathy is only useful for imagined illnesses.
Naturopathy is only useful for imagined illnesses.
James Acton (not verified) | 06/28/16 | 17:28 PM
If you really wanted to know the truth you could find many researched and peer reviewed articles that support the use of cutting edge therapies that keep many fatal illnesses in check. It is ignorant and dangerous to ignore the overwhelming evidence coming out of every country on the use of alternative treatments to help and cure disease. Some of these treatments will be, and have been FDA approved. Others are treatments that do not fall under their guidlines. Medicine has its place and is life saving, but a physician swears to, "First do no harm". Altervative treatment, with virtually no side effects definitely falls under this oath. Cutting someone open, and poisoning their body would not exactly be , "First do no harm". So many people die each year from medical mistakes and drug mistakes, you would think that a physician who really cared about his patients would, "First do no harm". Your "scienced based" cures are imagined cures, as very few of the treatments ever support the body and aid it to improve the immune system. Those therapies target symptoms and only treat the illness without respect for the body and the future health of the individual. The healthiest groups of people on earth by far (science backed facts) are those those that have a vegetarian lifestyle, and refrain from drugs (yes, even your science-based drugs). Scientific facts are only theories that haven't been proven wrong - yet. That's not the most comforting thing to hold onto. But tried and true alternative treatments that have been used for 100's of years, and some that are just now being understood, have little to no drawbacks, especially if being administered by trained professionals and medical doctors working together.
naturemom (not verified) | 06/28/16 | 18:24 PM
That's not what I asked. Instead you pulled the classic "do your own research" trick which means "I can't prove anything". Then launch into absolute drivel with no evidence, and contradictory drivel.
You also have no idea how any other health system works in the world. They are not all purely profit. In Australia if there was a way to save money on treating let's say HIV, we would use it. Because the hospitals are accountable to the taxpayer, are independent, and are well run.
So if these magical cures work for HIV why don't publicly funded hospital systems anywhere in the word used them?
Show me one of these magical cures keeping HIV or HCV or TB at bay more effectively than current treatments. Actually, that's an easy one. Show me one of these magical cures that cures TB. If you can, I will fly you and your family first class out here to Australia to meet with our federal health minister. She would love to meet you, shake your hand and congratulate you on saving us millions of dollars that could then go to dialysis treatment, cancer treatments, A&E departments, etc etc.
You also have no idea how any other health system works in the world. They are not all purely profit. In Australia if there was a way to save money on treating let's say HIV, we would use it. Because the hospitals are accountable to the taxpayer, are independent, and are well run.
So if these magical cures work for HIV why don't publicly funded hospital systems anywhere in the word used them?
Show me one of these magical cures keeping HIV or HCV or TB at bay more effectively than current treatments. Actually, that's an easy one. Show me one of these magical cures that cures TB. If you can, I will fly you and your family first class out here to Australia to meet with our federal health minister. She would love to meet you, shake your hand and congratulate you on saving us millions of dollars that could then go to dialysis treatment, cancer treatments, A&E departments, etc etc.
James Acton (not verified) | 06/30/16 | 00:44 AM
I usually never comment on blogs, or articles but this one is special. You have shown a couple of rare character traits, them being an ability to learn from new evidence and act on it, and also a deep sense, or pathos, for justice.
I applaud that you've broken away from a profession of charlatans where you most certainly could have paid of your mortgage, and instead started over with a new profession. I hope that your life will sort itself out in the best possible way.
I applaud that you've broken away from a profession of charlatans where you most certainly could have paid of your mortgage, and instead started over with a new profession. I hope that your life will sort itself out in the best possible way.
Wulf Haven (not verified) | 06/27/16 | 02:15 AM
Lets make something clear- most of you are arguing past each other on topics that are too broad to make the generalizations being made. All allopathic medicine is not good and all naturopathic medicine is not bad. The fact is that the MD education systems in place has been taken over and contaminated by Big Pharma and Big Insurance. Even MDs will admit that they are forced into substandard care due to overregulation by the government and insurance companies. MDs are also not educated sufficiently on physiology, nutrition or natural healing processes. Most MDs write scripts as an obsessive compulsion. I have personally had doctors try and put me on medications for things that I could get naturally (vitamin D). Most medications only alter symptoms, and do nothing to cure. Anyone knows that the diabetes epidemic currently unfolding is a result of the massive amounts of sugar and carbohydrates in processed foods, sedentary lifestyles and obesity. It has been scientifically proven beyond the shadow of a doubt. However the MDs just keep pumping out more Metformin and insulin, all the while watching their patients wither and die. My wife fell into that trap and was going down fast. I made her quit taking all her medication and start exercising. She no longer has pains, she is losing weight, her blood sugar is slowly dropping and she sleeps all night long now. She has never felt better. Our Pharmacist tells us that she knows quite a few people who have done the same thing. All my wife's doctor wanted to do was to keep increasing her meds. All medical practice needs to be vetted and verified, but lets not make the incorrect assumption that just because there are quacks in naturopathic medicine, that all naturopathic medical science is quackery. Diet therapy is legitimate. Physiology is legitimate. Vitamins and supplements have a role to play. Eating healthy, exercising and taking certain supplements as needed are all things MDs should be knowledgeable about and inclined to use. Unfortunately that seldom happens. They either do not know, do not care or cannot make the time or money work by actually healing patients. I am 53, take nothing but an occasional vitamin, and I exercise and eat right. At my check-ups my doctor is shocked that I am not "on medication". He says that I am a freak of nature. What he means is he cannot believe someone in their 50s can survive without designer chemicals saturating their bloodstream. Much of 'alternative" medicine is absolutely a joke, but not all of it. What we need to focus on is how and by whom are our medical establishments being operated, and what exactly are MDs being taught and why. I can tell you from my studies of the curriculum of several medical programs that curing diseases has been almost completely ignored compared to the pharmaceutical treatment of symptoms. Lets not pretend that our current system cannot be improved, and lets not pretend that money has nothing to do with it.
Craig Domin (not verified) | 06/29/16 | 09:11 AM
Hank Campbell | 06/29/16 | 10:56 AM
A scientific approach is the only way one can really be assured that a treatment has merits.
The unfortunate things is that big pharma has way too much influence on medical practice. The public is not protected from the pharma lobbyist; we can't necessarily feel secure knowing that scientific medicine is the best we can do given our knowledge today.
But Natropathic certainly doesn't do any better. Patients are led down a path of witch-doctory, with vu-doo cures. It would not surprise me in the least to find that certain natural cures have more than merit. But naturopathy is not willing to submit to scientific scrutiny. Again, too many $$ at stake. And, to be fair, scientific researchers aren't interested (no-one is going to fund a research project that looks for a natural cure where there is little or no money to be made).
So the quandary is trust scientific medicine which is heavily influenced by money, or trust naturopathy which is heavily influenced by money from a different direction.
My choice is the lesser of two evils... scientific medicine. Scientific medicine may not reach the highest potential, but at least it has scientific backing for what it CAN do and what it DOES offer.
The unfortunate things is that big pharma has way too much influence on medical practice. The public is not protected from the pharma lobbyist; we can't necessarily feel secure knowing that scientific medicine is the best we can do given our knowledge today.
But Natropathic certainly doesn't do any better. Patients are led down a path of witch-doctory, with vu-doo cures. It would not surprise me in the least to find that certain natural cures have more than merit. But naturopathy is not willing to submit to scientific scrutiny. Again, too many $$ at stake. And, to be fair, scientific researchers aren't interested (no-one is going to fund a research project that looks for a natural cure where there is little or no money to be made).
So the quandary is trust scientific medicine which is heavily influenced by money, or trust naturopathy which is heavily influenced by money from a different direction.
My choice is the lesser of two evils... scientific medicine. Scientific medicine may not reach the highest potential, but at least it has scientific backing for what it CAN do and what it DOES offer.
BnMe (not verified) | 06/29/16 | 16:57 PM
Science researchers did the CARET study, to see if vitamin A could chemo-prevent lung cancer (it made things worse). There are ongoing studies of fish oil to see if it reduces colon cancer rates. These studies were funded by tax payers, and it's OK if nobody makes any money, the healthcare savings alone might be worth it.
rork (not verified) | 06/30/16 | 12:33 PM
Instead of ND, substitute DD, and you have a whole other basket of charlatans - and that comment applies to all purveyors of religion, not only the "healers".
For the efficacy of prayer and faith healing, see: PubMed (Benson H et al), and "efficacy of prayer" in Wikipedia
For the efficacy of prayer and faith healing, see: PubMed (Benson H et al), and "efficacy of prayer" in Wikipedia
DG (not verified) | 07/01/16 | 00:24 AM
Britt, I admire your ethics in standing up for what you believe is right, and for sacrificing your career to do so. Your former boss should have had his license revoked, just for starters.
However, writing on a popular blog that all Naturopaths are quacks is irresponsible and erroneous, and is potentially harmful to others because you are likely seen as an authority for blogging here. You only see Naturopaths across America who are practicing misconduct and unethical treatments? Really? Why are you unable to see the ones who work within their scope of practice and refer to MDs when appropriate, just as many MDs refer to NDs? If you are looking for something in particular, that is often the only thing you will see.
And do you think that MDs who do breast enlargements and face lifts, only to make women look prettier for society and feed those patients' egos, are practicing 'medicine'? First do no harm: many patients of these surgeries end up with serious medical conditions as a direct result of these unnecessary surgeries. Do you consider this ethical medicine? My ND would never go into such a business - because she is a 'real' doctor, one who is committed to bringing me back to health, which she has done much more effectively than MDs were able to do.
It is more about the person, than the profession. If you pay attention, you will likely find this is true in most cases.
However, writing on a popular blog that all Naturopaths are quacks is irresponsible and erroneous, and is potentially harmful to others because you are likely seen as an authority for blogging here. You only see Naturopaths across America who are practicing misconduct and unethical treatments? Really? Why are you unable to see the ones who work within their scope of practice and refer to MDs when appropriate, just as many MDs refer to NDs? If you are looking for something in particular, that is often the only thing you will see.
And do you think that MDs who do breast enlargements and face lifts, only to make women look prettier for society and feed those patients' egos, are practicing 'medicine'? First do no harm: many patients of these surgeries end up with serious medical conditions as a direct result of these unnecessary surgeries. Do you consider this ethical medicine? My ND would never go into such a business - because she is a 'real' doctor, one who is committed to bringing me back to health, which she has done much more effectively than MDs were able to do.
It is more about the person, than the profession. If you pay attention, you will likely find this is true in most cases.
Anonymous (not verified) | 07/01/16 | 19:28 PM
I did a search engine on UKrain and there is a website describing UKRAIN as treatment for cancer.it has been approved in various countries as a standard treatment for cancer.derived from a plant called greater celandine.just because it is not approved by the FDA which appears to be politically corrupt,I don't think it should be criminal to use this medication in the USA.I think that Dr. britt hermes is over reacting her guilt at administering UKRAIN to terminal patients who may have tried everything else with no positive results.Dr. Hermes must have done a lot of good as a naturalpath.I feel that all her training,hard work,long hours studying and finally practicing that she "did no harm" and helped many of her patients.i have read many good things about alternative medicine.
donaldtrump (not verified) | 07/04/16 | 23:45 PM
It can't be easy to walk away from a career -- heck, a whole life, really. You showed that you have both the integrity and the grit to do the right thing. I know I'm just some random guy on the Internet, but I, for one, admire you for taking this stand.