Alternative medicine vs Modern Medicine #101
The only victim in the medical divide? The patient.
Hello,
Do you lean towards alternative medicine or modern medicine? Which one do you think holds the truth?
I received my three-year education in Naturopathic Nutrition from the College of Naturopathic Medicine. As you can tell from the titles, this falls under alternative medicine.
However, throughout my career, I've also worked with Registered Dieticians, Type 2 diabetes nurses, behavioural scientists, surgeons, GPs, and other medical doctors. My long-term goal is to attend Medical School.
Who is right?
Spoiler alert: I believe in both approaches; a combination of both is the future.
Recently, I debated with a fellow graduate about the right and wrong approaches to health. My perspective is nuanced. On one side, I acknowledge that alternative medicine sometimes lacks a scientific foundation. It concerns me when I see colleagues jumping to conclusions with little evidence to support them.
By contrast, I see conventional medicine rigidly following guidelines and evidence-based methodologies, often ending with just a prescription and a "good luck." Too many patients hear: "I'm sorry you barely have energy, but your tests are normal, so there's nothing wrong." The reality is that many people fall outside standard guidelines, revealing a significant gap in our healthcare system.
The divide runs deep.
Alternative medicine practitioners criticise the medical world for being influenced by big pharma and lacking personal care, whilst prescribing supplements for everything.
Meanwhile, doctors criticise alternative medicine practitioners for profiting from unproven treatments yet fail to acknowledge the gaps in modern medicine. “Have PCOS? Here are your only options: the pill, weight loss, or Metformin. Good luck.” When a doctor casually told me I might miscarry when I would start trying and that I should just come back then, I was in shock. Just wait to go through a miscarriage, and we will talk then!
Shades of grey, not black and white
I appreciate naturopathy's belief in the body's inherent healing ability. I firmly believe that we can achieve balance with proper nutrition, sleep, exercise, and mental health. Humans have evolved over six million years, relying on these foundations. It's concerning that modern medicine often jumps to prescribing pills without asking basic questions about diet and lifestyle. We shouldn't neglect what has kept our species alive for millennia.
Yet, I deeply value modern medicine's scientific rigour. This is why I always include references in my writing. Using anecdotal evidence alone isn't enough to establish the truth. Modern medicine has made remarkable advances in human health, and we owe our increased longevity to these developments.
Both worlds are just at extremes at the moment. From the dangerous extreme of eating well can cure cancer (really????) to the other extreme of taking this pill, everything will go away.
The only victim in this medical divide? The patient.
I see these two worlds collaborating rather than conflicting.
Imagine visiting a doctor's office where you can discuss your diet with a nutritionist, your sleep and mental health with a psychologist, your exercise routine with a personal trainer, and your medical condition with a doctor. Picture receiving a "prescription" that incorporates all these elements. That's how we'll truly address chronic disease.
Our condition, PCOS, is a true example of this multi-dimensional approach. PCOS requires us to eat well, move and take some medication.
The issue? People do it alone. They read things on the internet, go on extreme diets, fail and start over again. There is another harsh truth: people don’t want to pay for other services outside of a “doctor”. We all need it, but few do. The few that do, it’s when the pain is too big. Should governments pay for PTs, nutritionists and therapists? Perhaps, but it will be hard to prove the business case in our capitalist system.
What's your belief system? Which approach resonates more with you?
See you next Sunday,
Francesca
Greetings my friend, your posts often appear on my feed; and I must say I do find them interesting, thank you.
I thought I’d drop a comment as you may enjoy the work I share.
My latest is regarding an alternative type of medicine:
https://open.substack.com/pub/jordannuttall/p/alchemical-medicine?r=4f55i2&utm_medium=ios
When it comes to PCOS, I experienced symptoms for years but never took the step to get a formal diagnosis. Ultimately, I felt that all a doctor could do was confirm what I already suspected: that I had PCOS. The usual response was, "There's no real treatment plan—just try birth control." Over the years, I tried several forms of birth control, but each one seemed to disrupt my hormones, except for the NuvaRing. However, even with insurance, the cost of the ring was prohibitively expensive, so I couldn’t continue using it.
For almost a year, my partner and I had been engaging in "adult hugging" without actively trying to conceive, but we weren't using any form of protection either, as I wanted to give my body a break from everything. Then, a few months after I started consistently eating healthier, working out almost every day, and focusing on my mental well-being, I discovered I was pregnant with my daughter. I truly believe that, in some cases, taking care of yourself holistically—listening to your body—can make all the difference, rather than relying on prescriptions or adding another vitamin to your routine.