I've been lurking in this category for a while and can't understand why there is so much conflict between those who are for and those who are against alternative therapies. It seems that those that are against it only come into this area to trash it, while failing to answer people's questions on the matter.

Pharmaceuticals carry a lot of dangerous side effects, and conventional meds are consistently being taken off the market. Its not uncommon to hear of class action law suits against pharmaceutical companies for the damaging effects of some of their meds.

On the other hand, the numbers of people that are harmed by misusing natural therapies is nowhere near that, and you constantly hear about people that were helped with health problems that conventional medicine could not treat.

I know that conventional medical practitioners and pharmaceutical companies are getting frustrated my the growing numbers of people turning away from them for safer and more holistic approaches to health care, but rather than being bitter and resentful over the fact that their opinion does not carry as much weight as it used to, why don't they educate themselves instead of taking out their frustrations on their patients? To be fair, I realize that doctors aren't taught this in medical school because they receive the bulk of their funding from pharmaceutical companies, and that their malpractice insurance carriers don't allow them to recommend natural therapies. Still, that shouldn't raise such anger from people that are supposed to care about your health.

As for all the 'professionals' on this site....what do you get out of trashing alternative therapies? Why is there so much anger in your responses?That doesn't seem very helpful except to ease your own frustration, and I would expect more from a doctor or nurse. Its so disappointing that you just make your profession look so bad.