"Quackery" - Are ND's Quacks? Am I a Quack?!

I have to breathe deeply when I approach sites that condemn naturopathic medicine and alternative medicine.


What gets me the most is many of the folks running these sites state:

• no research behind our methods
• herbs are dangerous
  
• ND's are dangerous
  
• no basis behind our methods
• and many others...too tired to list!

Research behind alternative methods is enormous. I wish the word alternative would go south but for now it is here. In about 10 years I believe naturopathic medicine and the word alternative will no longer co-exist.

To find complementary and alternative medicine research, go to PubMed. This site houses research from all over world related to medicine. I have selected to limit the results only to "alternative medicine." So whatever you type in the search bar will be alternative medical research done on your searched topic.

For example: I typed in 'migraine'. I received 852 results showing alternative medical research done on migraines. Another - 'cancer'. I received 66233 results for cancer! No research? They're not looking.

Yes herbs are dangerous - they are drugs. Many pharmaceutical drugs come from plants. They must be prescribed carefully and monitored. MD's should not prescribe herbs unless they are highly trained in herbal medicine; ND's and herbalist should prescribe herbs as we have proper training. Over the counter herbs hopefully are safe but from what I've seen that is not always the case. There are many potent herbs sold everywhere. But so are many OTC drugs and chemical laden foods.

ND's are dangerous? Well those ND's that claim to be ND's. There are certificate programs such as Clayton College that are breeding problems for us true ND's that have received a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. ND graduates from Clayton College are dangerous. They do not study a medical program.

To see what it takes for me to receive my doctorate in naturopathic medicine, visit page 11 on the Bastyr Universtiy Naturopathic Degree Information sheet.

No basis behind our methods is a frequent statement as well. There are 1000's of years of basis in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. 100's of years in 'alternative medicine' which began in Europe using herbs, water, air and food. Type in 'hydrotherapy' or 'balneotherapy' in PubMed link offered above and you'll see 100's of studies here.

What is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States?

• Properly prescribed medications by doctors knowing what they are for
• Nosocomial infections - hospital borne
• Medical mistakes basically
• Don't trust me though - visit Wrong Diagnosis - a trusted resource.

Being anti-'quacks' is a good thing if it is targeting the right population. People who pretend to know what they are doing and are harming people is one major category. People who are performing dangerous techniques that puts patients at risk must be stopped.

However, I must state that graduates from accredited naturopathic medical schools are equivalent to medical doctors. We study the same sciences, order the same labs, follow the same physical evaluation, use the same instruments, and prescribe pharmaceutical drugs if necessary.

I look forward to the day when naturopathic medicine will be nationally accepted by all. In Washington state, we are very strong and working with MD's in battling cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, minor surgery, sports medicine and numerous other medical conditions.

The president of Bastyr University, Dr Daniel Church, is helping form alliances. He has already accepted Former Children's Hospital CEO Treuman Katz to our Board of Trustees.

Graduation day is about a year or so away for me. I will walk into a medical profession that is not widely accepted. I welcome all to inqure why.

In health,

Ben
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If you're interested in some sites that promote anti-quackery, Ive selected two for you to see. It is always good to know what others consider quackery.

• Quackwatch [he's an MD that is not too open towards ND's - yet! :)]
  
• Anne's Anti-Quackery Blog [she's an accountant - no medical knowledge]