Getting Well

Another book I finished reading recently was the medical tome, Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts About Alternative Medicine, by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst. This book, written by two very competent physicians and research fellows, tackles some of the biggest alternative medicine boondoggles and ideologies of our time, including chiropractic, acupunture, herbal medicines and cures, and dozens of other alternative therapies (many of which, I noted, are actually covered under my medical insurance plan).

Essentially, these guys offer up piles of evidence showing that most of these alternative medicines and cures are caught in the crosshairs with no supportive medical evidence detailing their effectiveness. Still, millions of people swear by these "cures" (such as acupuncture) when, in fact, there is not a single medical study anywhere that supports their effectiveness.

As a child and teen, I recall being taken to a chiropracter by my mother and grandmother. The chiropracter over the years claimed that he could "cure" not only a chronic back pain, but also (at various times) the inflammation in my knees, hemmeroids (not mine!), and my father's baldness. I can still remember my dad using (what looked like at the time) a Medieval instrument of torture that had been provided by the chiropracter who claimed that, by "scalding" his scalp with an electrical surge, the hair on his head would grow back. My brother and I used to make fun of him by the hour every time we watching him "shocking" his head with these bolts of lightening from the bathroom socket. Of course, Dad still went bald and my knees still hurt, even though we shelled out lots of bucks for these alternative "cures". Not all chiropracter's make such claims, I know, but the history of chiropractic is far less than stellar and is laden with some of the most corrupt practitioners in any line of work.

Reading this book made me think of the old Barnum & Bailey quote: "There's a sucker born every minute."

And when it comes to health and our well-being, people get very passionate about their own "cures". As for me, I just stick to the basics: eat right, excercise, stay clear of power lines. And when I need medical attention, I ask my doctor or get a call from my "health coach" in Dallas. She'll be calling me soon, I know, asking me if I've lost that five pounds I promised. And I'll just tell her I'm still following "The Outcalt Plan" . . . which is slow, methodical, and heavy on the pastries.