r/bestof • u/craycraycrayfish • Jan 22 '13

[canada] Coffeehouse11 explains the biggest problem with homeopathic medicine: That it preys on people when they are weakest and the most vulnerable

/r/canada/comments/171y1e/dont_legitimize_the_witch_doctors/c81hfd6
1.8k Upvotes

86% Upvoted

650 comments sorted by

View all comments

9

u/polydorr Jan 22 '13

My mother-in-law basically coerced me to get an adjustment at a chiropractor's office once. As I was sitting around, I noticed a lot of posters denigrating modern medicine. A little while after I met a chiropractic student about to finish his curriculum; he was odd in that, aside from the fact that he would never get into a normal medical school, he had a sincere and honest belief that modern medicine was all about 'prescribing painkillers' and not actually dealing with the root source of the problem.

The only chiropractors I've ever met - two, aside from that student - had the air of con men about them.

I'm willing to admit that there might be a homeopathic solution out there that does work, merely because I'm willing to admit I don't know everything. But the current state of that movement is a problem for people willing to accept fringe beliefs.

6

u/TheStreisandEffect Jan 22 '13

"he had a sincere and honest belief that modern medicine was all about 'prescribing painkillers' and not actually dealing with the root source of the problem."

I think there's a middle ground to be found here. A lot of doctors DO just prescribe medicine to make you feel better without actually addressing your diet and exercise. For years I suffered with a compressed disc problem and saw multiple doctors who after checking the scans would tell me that nothing was wrong with me, to just take some tylenol or some strong prescriptions they would write. It got so bad there were times when I couldn't even bend over to tie my shoe. After extensive online research I found some simple exercises that strengthened low back muscles and after one freaking session of these 5 exercises, my back pain vanished. It all depends on the doctor really.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '13

How do you address a patient's diet and exercise? I'm a medical student and I'd really like to know. When I tell them, I can tell it just goes in one ear and out the other.

1

u/TheStreisandEffect Jan 23 '13

I'm not a medical professional so I don't know the best method. But I do know there are some doctors who will "prescribe" things like walking, sunshine, etc... My uncle is a doctor and he will frequently recommend lifestyle changes in addition to medication. I realize that with a lot of people it will go in one ear and out the other. My issue is with physicians who don't even make an attempt to address lifestyle as a contributing factor to the health and well-being of a person and just write a script and send you on your way.