Why do you think doctors are biased against alternative medicine?

Answer 1

There are two major schools of thought on this, I've noticed.

Many people believe it's because doctors, the FDA, and/or the drug companies are just too greedy and ignore natural remedies (along with any combination of those groups). Along those lines, some people say the doctors want to keep people a little sick, or keep them coming back so they can make more money.

The actual facts behind it (which can be overly used, unfortunately) is because different people respond differently to different natural products. It's unfortunate, but it's true.
The big thing that many people don't realize above that is that natural products work to help the CAUSE of a problem, while drugs work to help the SYMPTOMS of a problem. Think about that....

Natural products actually give nutrients to your body that you may be lacking. When the body is lacking certain nutrients, it can break down some aspect of health.

With drugs, they typically turn off some natural process in your body to get a desired result. That's why they are effective in 90%+ of the population... but that's also why there are SO many side effects. After all, randomly shutting off a natural process in your body isn't usually a good idea, as it's there for a reason. Like how acid blockers that stop the production of acid also make it harder to digest foods.... because you NEED stomach acid to digest your food.


For a good overall example of this thought process, let's look at joints. When the joints lack nutrients, they break down and eventually start causing joint pain. If you supplement the nutrition that's lacking, the joint health will be repaired by your body's natural processes and the joints won't hurt anymore because they aren't damaged anymore. The drugs just mask the pain, while the lack of nutrition is still there.

Answer 2

Generally, alternative medicines are not for acute conditions. They also do not work as well on some virulent bacterial infections. In India at least, they are mainly used as supplements to keep you healthy.
They have little side effects (allopaths will say no main effects either).

Since patients expect symptomatic results quickly, doctors resist using alternative therapies. This is in addition to the issues raised by the other postings above.
Again, in India many large hospitals include yoga, and non-denominational meditation routinely in their procedures.

Answer 3

ABSOLUTELY!!!
I think it is because of accountability reasons (medicines prescribed by doctors are FDA approved where as alternative medicines are not).
Also, doctors feel that their practice is science based where as alternative medicines are faith based. Try finding any alternative medicine supported by a reputable research company online other than the one selling the product!
Thirdly, for liability reasons, doctors cannot prescribe or recommend alternative medicines.
Finally, for medical prescriptions, doctors cannot prescribe alternative medicines as they are not covered under insurance nor carried in a pharmacy.
BTW, I know that some doctors receive perks for perscribing a certain medicine a certain amount of times. So there are hidden incentives as well.....

Answer 4

Part of it is money, and not in a greedy way. A lot of people take natural/alternative aids as a form of preventative medicine. Insurance can't cover preventative procedures.
As stated above me, medicines often work with the symptoms, but alternative methods work with the problem. Who's to argue when you're feeling relief from your ailment?
Also, there's a lot of alternative routes where it's hard to prove that they work. Some assume it's a placebo effect. Such as things like energy healing. Reiki, healing touch, qi gong, etc. It's not like using an herb and getting better. It's using energy to work on someone. The good news is a lot of hospitals are teaching new nurses about this. At a hospital in my neighborhood they have volunteers to offer services like that to patients. Many more hospitals are integrating it into their pratice as a whole, not just volunteer services. :)

Answer 5

Alternative = unproven (i.e., bogus)

If there was ANY proof that ANY of these alternative methods actually worked better than placebo, they would quickly become "regular medicine". That is why chiropractic has gotten some limited acceptance -- it has been proven to be effective for lower back pain. (But NOT for high blood pressure, cancer, ADHD, or any other conditions, despite the claims of some unethical practitioners.)

The BS about "natural methods cure, regular methods just treat symptoms" is just an oft-repeated load of hogwash. For example, arthritis is NOT caused by a "lack of nutrients" in the joints. The crap that people believe is just laughable! Magnets do not affect the body in any way. "Energy" healing is just as effective as prayer (not at all)! Herbs may have some effect, but they tend to be very weak and/or inconsistent.

Answer 6

I'm a nurse (for real not pretend) as well as an alternative practitioner and I'm finding that the medical profession is becoming more and more receptive to alternative therapies when it is in conjunction with traditional medicine. (similar to how over time they became more accepting of chiropractors) Their biggest concern is over the fact that formulation of more natural remedies is unregulated and that people turn to alternative therapy until it is too late for traditional medicine to help.

Answer 7

doctors biased alternative medicine

Answer 8

There is certainly a place in this world for the ordinary GP doctor because they do help the community. Also, surgery is an important part of medicine. Most of the objections here aren't about doctors but about the drug companies that make huge amounts of money from their production of drugs. As well, there are whole industries arising from treatments like cancer and it's chemo and other dubious treatments. God help anyone, any small person, who finds a cure for something like cancer(which has happened).

Try Googling "Royal Rife" and have a read. He invented a scientifically proven method of curing/killing any dangerous virus, bacteria, cancer or microbe causing any human disease. All he did was cause an electromagnetic pulse set at the resonant frequency of the offending 'bug' and it would literally explode itself apart. No invasive surgery, no chemo or Radioactive treatments. Cured. Imagine a world with no need for pills. It would mean the death of a huge and lucrative industry.

Royal Rife also invented the only microscope that could see live bacteria and viruses(..the Electron Microscope kills anything it looks at). He used this microscope to record which frequencies caused the apoptosis or death of each of microbe. Rife had proved that it worked - scientifically and using live trials - and he tried to set up three factories to produce these machines. All three were mysteriously burnt down and destroyed, one after the other and he was hounded by the FDA from the early 1930s and all his life. Read his history, read about his experiments and successes - all based on the Science of Resonance, a very simple and proved theory.

Try Googling "Vitamin B17". This could put the cancer 'industry' out of business. They don't like this vitamin. Vitamin B17 is simply crushed Apricot Seed(called amygdalin or laetrile). You can't patent and make money from an edible fruit. And the FDA(which is funded by all the top drugs companies and is not an independent org) have banned it. Apricot seeds for Chrissake !!

I wonder why?

The gist of all this is that the FDA, AMA & ACA will always support the huge drug industry. These industries want the money and will do anything to safeguard their position to achieve this goal.

It is unfair to blame the doctors - they have a hard enough job understanding all the do's and don'ts and side-effects of all the drugs they prescribe. But the majority of doctors are brainwashed into beleiving theirs' is the best or only way. They are brainwashed in all the institutions where they are trained - whose standards and funding are all set by institutions like FDA, AMA and ACA who are all intimate brothers of the drugs industry.

Answer 9

Most are! I just found the greatest doctor who studies it all and not only is she a thorough doc but know's all about alternative medicine and suggests all of that before putting a band-aid on the problem.

I think most docs are biased because they are ignorant or haven't seen the miracles performed by alternative medicine. I also think the medical market is a huge money maker for a lot of people.

Answer 10

Because they think their line of treatment is the best. so in order to establish their faith-Some doctors are biased against alternative medicine. But time and faith has changed. Many people depend on and faith in Homoeopathic,Ayurvedic ,Unani and Naturapathic treatment.In this country--one line of treatment is not sufficient for the majority of people . I think due respect should be given to qualified doctors in other branches.