Alternative Therapies, Fact or Fiction?

Last week's Late Late Show had an interesting discussion on complementary and alternative medicine in Ireland, under the rubric of "Fact or Fantasy". Among the speakers were a medically trained ayurveda practitioner, a mainstream cancer specialist, Paul O' Donoghue from Irish Skeptics, a rebirther speaking for FICTA (the Federation of Irish Complementary Therapy Associations), and a smattering of complementary practitioners in the audience. Unfortunately there is no video download of the discussion on the RTE site.

The alternative practitioners were mostly on the defensive as they distinguished themselves from the activities of Dr. Carmody and Monik Kamper. Also, bunched together, complementary therapies came under a generalised attack for being irrational.

Missing from the program was the concept of integrative medicine, which combines conventional medical treatments and alternative treatments for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of their safety and effectiveness. See http://integrativemedicine.arizona.edu
There is plenty of peer research going on, as evidenced in the journal Alternative Therapies.

In the meantime, complementary practitioners can serve themselves well by keeping their claims in perspective and holding not slipping into fantasy and wish fulfillment. If alternative medicine could cure cancer, we would know about it. Patients seeking help need to keep a critical perspective, and be aware that there are chancers and worse out there.

BBC's Underground Britain covered the case of Robyn Welch, a self proclaimed psychic surgeon.
(She does 'surgery' over the phone, if you have forked out with your credit card first of course.) Ms Welch struck me as a dangerous and irresponsible lady, full of narcissistic and self deluded irrationality.

Give me Paul O Donoghue before this scary person anyday.