We are often asked, “Do you search for alternative treatments.” However, answering this question is harder than it might seem. To us, this is not the right question. In our opinion, the real question is, “Does the treatment work or does it not?” Whether it’s labeled “alternative,” “traditional,” “Western,” or “Eastern” doesn’t matter. What matters is whether it has indicated that it might be effective in treating your illness through legitimate study.
Alternative to What?
Often when I’m asked about alternative treatments, I’ll ask, “Alternative to what?”
If you are looking for an alternative to a proposed treatment that isn’t very effective, because you want to find one that has some evidence that it may be better, then we definitely look for alternative treatments.
If you are looking primarily for treatments that have not been or are not being scientifically evaluated, you may be disappointed with our reports.
That said, when available, our initial report includes a section on less traditional methods that could be labeled as alternative. However, it is a small section, less than 10% of the report, and is still compiled from medical and scientific sources. Typically, it will includes articles on so-called alternative treatments or complementary medicines that have been empirically evaluated.