New laws to govern alternative medicine

[Vladd67]

New laws to govern alternative medicine - Times Online
About time, anyone worried about this, makes you wonder what they have to hide.

[Overread]

as it seems to be a volentary list, I think it is about time that something like this happened - to help protect the innocent who are seeking out new forms of healing.

Out of interest, anyone know if anything has been done about platic surgery? because that was also one where you needed no licence

[mosaix]

I see some comments on the article implying that the multi-billion pharmaceutical companies are behind it because natural remedies are a threat. What they don't realise is that the aromatherapy and homeopathy companies are part of this multi-billion dollar industry - an unregistered part.

[HardScienceFan]

Medicine an be defined as anything that makes people better(has palliative value).
If it can be shown that humming "om Mani Padme" can cure appendicitis,I'm all for it.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by HardScienceFan

Medicine an be defined as anything that makes people better(has palliative value).
If it can be shown that humming "om Mani Padme" can cure appendicitis,I'm all for it.

Placebo effect, Ben?

The problem is that such "medicine" has very limited value, yet claims (either by commission or omission) much. Such methods may well work with minor ailments, but their efficacy with cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, and other life-threatening diseases has been pretty much demonstrated to be entirely negligible. This also has the broader application that people will rely on such method when dealing with colds, influenza, etc. Which might not be a problem in some cases, but the hardier strains are another matter... and it allows the infection to be spread.

So, no... I have severe problems with such methods being relied on with anything that has potential to seriously harm....

[Rosemary]

All forms of medical treatment should be registered! With a plus for more natural remedies if they help patients recover.