I love it when people stand up for anything they believe in, I hope my children do so one day. The fact that the author of "Skepticism in a Small Town" refers to natural medical practices as "quackery" is just plain ignorant. It is unfortunate that for her medicine has to be natural or not. Both are very important in our lives. I am so thankful for medications when they are needed, but am a strong believer and a customer of "quackery" such as cupping, acupuncture, chiropractic care to name a few. I would be curious to know why some feel that fluoride needs to be in the water instead of given as a supplement from one's doctor. Why shouldn't each family be able to choose?
I was just continuing this conversation with a physician friend and he had a great line, "It's only called alternative medicine until it works... then they start calling it medicine". -Great point. For some people efficacy ceases to exist until something is peer reviewed etc. If it works for you, fine. So long as it's not endangering yourself or others. I think there is validity in some "alternative treatments". I'm curious though, what's this "cupping" all about? What do people use this to treat and what, if any, is the positive physiological effect?
My understanding of "cupping" is that it's an ancient Chinese practice used for pain and releasing toxins in the body. My husband went in for a massage and the woman talked to him about it a bit before letting him try it. He has a seizure disorder and is on Keppra every day so is always looking for ways to rid his body of the toxins from the medication. Not sure he will try it again, but it's always fun to learn new things. He does use acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage on a regular basis. They work great for him. I am very thankful I came across chiropractic care when searching for solutions to my youngest son's tendency to get ear infections with colds. I like to save antibiotics for when they are really needed. As I am sure you already know, doctors are not treating most minor ear infections with medication anymore but my little guy definitely needed some relief. I prefer the term "ancient medicine" as oppose to "alternative care". Most of these practices have been around forever. I love that so many people are getting back to the basics. We, as a family, try to live this way as much as possible. I'm not ready to get rid of the school nurse just yet, but I don't want her giving my kids a flu shot either.
What I am encouraged to see is that conventional medicine is beginning to be more proactive. Instead of just treating symptoms, primary care doctors are now trying to treat the cause. There is no secret that having a healthy lifestyle will lead to increased health, yet many "old school" physicians will not speak truth to their patients and will prescribe medications that mask symptoms and do nothing to alleviate the problems. Times are changing. The over use of antibiotics is a real concern, as virus' mutate we will eventually be left with no recourse. You're wise to not over-use them. As for your husband, I think he's faking just to get a weekly massage ;-) --one of the better treats in life, imo. Not sure I buy in to the "cupping", but then again... I've not tried it or read up on any studies. Hope it helps him feel better.
As the spouse of a physician that values both naturopathic and allopathic treatments, I can understand your disdain for the use of the word "quackery". My guess is that you are not the type of person she is having to deal with in her town. From my quick study of the book being used to validate the fluoride fears, I gather that her opponents value hyperbole over evidence. This can be frustrating for someone that is trained to use a scientific method to validate treatment -something I for one am most thankful for. If cupping, seeing a chiropractor or acupuncturist are what works for you and your family... great. Just don't expect people to sign a petition to remove the school nurse because she's not in to bloodletting. As for the fluoride being in the water as opposed to as a supplement given by parents, how many parents do you think will have the where-with-all to provide this? Keep in mind that outside the normal suburban family, there are millions of children that either come from less than ideal families, live in rural areas where preventative care is often scarce or don't have the monetary resources to provide for such things. Since it's implementation, it is estimated to have prevented 40% of cavities. It seems to be effective. I should state that I'm not sure where I stand on this issue as I've not researched it much but I do suspect that if I were opposed it would likely be on the grounds of freedom of choice rather than fear of fluoride. P.S. Good to see ya here ;-)