Why Bogus Therapies Seem to Work

[Guest guest]

Submitted by Tom K.

This is not a new article (it's from 1997!) but it's timeless.

Given the amount of therapies that are suggested for people with ME,

CFS,FMS, MCS and related conditions, I thought many people might

find it ofinterest. It gives lots of references if one ever needs to

make the points in anacademic situation. There is unfortunately a

negative side, with the way " chronic fatigue " andother conditions

are talked about in point 5 (Shorter is referenced!) (andalso

someone not familiar with ME or CFS after reading point 5 may think

ofthem when reading point 8?). So maybe not great to pass to others

outsidethe ME, CFS, CFS and MCS communities. (Also perhaps puts too

much weight onsome psychological issues/factors?).

Tom K --------------------------------

http://csicop.org/si/9709/beyer.html

Skeptical Inquirer magazine : September/October 1997 : Why Bogus

Therapies Seem to Work At least ten kinds of errors and biases can

convince intelligent, honestpeople that cures have been achieved

when they have not.

[Guest guest]

While I do think this article has some validity, I agree that it does have

bad research (Shorter et al!) underlying. I’d also like to point out that

people turn to alternative medicine, often precisely because the mainstream

is so utterly inept, for the most part, with these multisystem neuroimmune

diseases.

The author minimizes the good influence of palliative care, or symptomatic

relief, in helping sick folks. A reduction of pain and increase of energy

and clarity (often the benefits of many alternative therapies, in my

experience) can be a huge boon to folks like us. In the absence of medical

care from disbelieving docs, this can really be the only “alternative” to

getting any treatment at all.

There are therapies that are based on thousands of years of empirical

medicine, like acupuncture or Ayurveda, that, in the hands of a responsible,

trained, and experienced practitioner, can be very helpful, if not a cure. I

do not necessarily trust all modern research, as it can be so easily molded

and skewed to achieve the desired result in the hands of the unscrupulous,

or where there is money to be made or saved.

That having been said, these are the things that I watch out for, when

checking out an alternative therapy.

1) What claims are being made by the person/company offering the

treatment modality or product? If they say that everyone gets well under

their care, that’s a dead giveaway it’s bogus.

2) What does it cost…and can you get a short trial, or do they try to

convince you to pony up for an extensive course of treatment? Anything where

the cost spirals up and up is suspect.

3) Is the practitioner corporatized? By which I mean, made a

profitable, self sustaining empire built on their own sales of

products, supplements, books and seminars etc, all developed by the

practitioner, based on their own research and offered at enormous expense?

4) Or, are they part of a pyramid scheme of corporate sales of product?

I’m thinking of things like the Nikken magnet empire.

5) Are they “guru”-ized in their promotional material or website…with

testimonials galore as to their special talent or abilities, ultimate

spiritual answers or systems of thought guaranteed to transform your life?

Do folks who have seen them proselytize with almost (or overt) religious

fervor? The charismatic ones can be scary!

I personally have had very good benefit from massage, acupuncture,

chiropractic, and some other alternative treatments. I’ve had a ¾ reduction

in food allergies and chemical sensitivities and healing of severe IBS,

through non-mainstream treatments. These are real and measurable gains for

me, and, while no cure, have improved my life considerably.

On the other hand, the modern docs have offered me nothing and benefited me

less. If one cannot get to an actual specialist who is knowledgeable about

your disease and willing to go through the long and often complex process of

trying out different meds and treatments, fahgeddaboudit. It’s an exercise

in frustration. I’ve just spent 18 months and a lot of expense (I do live in

Canada, where the health care system does not generally bleed one dry,

financially) paying caregivers to transport me etc., running around to non

ME medical specialists to no avail…the final neurological analysis (from a

doc who did no testing etc) was that, perhaps my difficulties stemmed from

menopause, I should drink more water, and to think positively. GRRRR. (I’m

95% homebound, 90% wheelchair/scooter bound out of the house, must remain

horizontal or semi reclined & totally supported 18 hrs per day, can only

read a few minutes at a time, and an email like this will take up the

majority of my energy for the day, and only possible on a “good’ day,

etc.etc.etc.)

Ok, the sun is shining and I’m gonna try and get out there for a few

minutes! Aylwin xox