Alternative
Medicine -10 Feb 2000
Preview | Transcript
Forty-two percent of Americans use therapies outside mainstream medicine. The number
may be increasing. Chiropractic, herbal therapy, massage and Reiki fit into the
Alternative Medicine grouping. Homeopathy is more controversial. It's based on ancient
philosophy and is compared to vaccines. Many types of therapy, like magnets, have little
scientific backing and few regulations.
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More Information
www.altmedicine.com
www.vitamins.com
www.equipoisecare.com
www.jama.com
(G) JUST AHEAD ON "NEED TO KNOW"-
WE'RE LIVING IN THE YEAR 2000 BUT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
SEEM TO BE GOING BACKWARDS-
THAT IS- BACK TO THE DAYS- OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE.
(E) IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, STUDIES SHOW THAT MORE THAN
42-PERCENT OF AMERICANS ARE USING SOME TYPE OF
ALTERNATIVE THERAPY- IN FACT, THERE ARE MORE VISITS TO
ALTERNATIVE CARE PRACTITIONERS- THEN TO PRIMARY CARE
PHYSICIANS.
JUST AHEAD, WE'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE ANCIENT WORLD OF
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE- FIND OUT WHY IT'S BOTH ALLURING-
AND DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT.
(G) IT'S ALL COMING UP NEXT ON "NEED TO KNOW".
((**TAPED OPEN TO PROGRAM**))
(G) THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WHO DOESN'T WANT TO LIVE LONGER AND LOOK BETTER- AND
SPEND VERY LITTLE ENERGY DOING IT.
THAT WAS THE LURE OF THE VITAMIN.
BUT NOW, DECADES AFTER ITS INCEPTION, WE KNOW THE
VITAMIN IS NOT A "MAGIC PILL"- BUT THE ATTRACTION IS
STILL THERE- AND THAT OPENED THE DOOR TO A GROWING
ACCEPTANCE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES.
AMERICANS ARE SPENDING CLOSE TO 25-BILLION DOLLARS-
MUCH OF THAT- OUT OF POCKET- FOR TREATMENTS THAT ARE
NOT CONSIDERED CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE- TREATMENTS WITH
VERY LITTLE SCIENTIFIC BACKING.
BUT ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IS COLLIDING WITH TRADITIONAL
MEDICINE- AND IT IS CREATING A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF
PRACTICE-
(G) AND THAT SEEMS TO BE- WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR PHYSICIAN.
YOU MAY BE EXPERIMENTING WITH ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE OR
THERAPIES ON YOUR OWN- AND NOT, EVEN REALIZE THAT YOU'VE
CROSSED THE LINE OF TRADITIONAL TO ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
(G) SO WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES TYPICALLY FALL UNDER A HOLISTIC
CATEGORY- HOLISTIC MEANING TREATMENTS WHICH ARE APPLIED
TO THE "WHOLE SELF"- AND NOT JUST THE AFFECTED AREA.
THERE ARE LITERALLY DOZENS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF
THERAPIES- SOME OF THE MORE POPULAR ONES ARE: ---
ACUPUNCTURE - WHICH IS THE USE OF NEEDLES TO AFFECT
YOUR BODY'S FLOW OF ENERGY- , AROMATHERAPY - THE USE
OF SCENTS AND OILS TO AFFECT YOUR HEALING POWERS - ,
CHIROPRACTIC- THE USE OF SPINAL MANIPULATONS ,
HERBAL MEDICINE - THE USE VITAMINS FOR MEDICINAL USE ,
HOMEOPATHY - THE USE OF ANCIENT REMEDIES BASED ON THE
PHILOSOPHY THAT LIKE SYMPTOMS CAN BE CURED BY LIKE
THERAPIES - SORT OF LIKE THE IDEA BEHIND VACCINES
AND FINALLY - MASSAGE THERAPY WHICH IS MUSCLE MANIPULAION.
(G) HOW POPULAR ARE THEY REALLY?
IT'S ESTIMATED THAT- IN AMERICA, EACH YEAR, THERE ARE
MORE THAN 629-MILLION VISITS TO ALTERNATIVE CARE
PRACTITIONERS- THAT SURPASSES THE NUMBER OF YEARLY
VISITS TO CONVENTIONAL PHYSICIANS.
(G) SO HOW DOES ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE STACK UP TO
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN TREATMENT AND COSTS--
"NEED TO KNOW'S" MATT CUMMINGS TAKES A LOOK AT THE
WHOLE PICTURE- FROM THE PATIENT'S VIEWPOINT--
MEDICAL OPTIONS: PRODUCED MY MATT CUMMINGS
DR. JOHNSON: IT'S NOT THAT CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE DOESN'T WORK, IT
WORKS VERY WELL FOR ACUTE ILLNESS. WHERE CONVENTIONAL
MEDICINE HAS A TENDENCY TO FALL DOWN WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS.
IT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IF ANTIBIOTICS, IF
ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, IF ANTI-SOMETHING ISN'T THE SOLUTION.
AND WHEN THAT'S THE CASE, THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE SEEK ME OUT.
REPORTER: DR. ROBERT GORDON JOHNSON SAYS MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE ARE SEEKING ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE DOCTORS TO CURE
THEIR ILLS. HE IS A LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST IN NEW YORK
STATE. IN ARIZONA HE IS ALSO LICENSED AS A NATUROPATHIC
PHYSICIAN. SOMEONE WHO GOES THROUGH THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF
MEDICAL SCHOOL JUST LIKE MORE TRADITIONAL DOCTORS, BUT
SPENDS THEIR LAST TWO YEAR STUDYING HOMEOPATHY, NUTRITION,
PHYSICAL THERAPY, CHIROPRACTY, AND MASSAGE. HE SAYS THE
MEDICAL FIELD IS BECOMING CONSUMER-DRIVEN BY PATIENTS.
DR. JOHNSON: SO THAT'S THE MAIN PROBLEM, THEY JUST FEEL THEY'RE
NOT BEING HEARD. THEY'RE DISSATISFIED WITH THE ANSWERS
THEY GET. FOR INSTANCE, A TYPICAL INTERVIEW FOR ME, WITH A
NEW PATIENT IS AN HOUR. A TYPICAL INTERVIEW WITH A NEW
PATIENT WITH MOST DOCTORS, NOT ALL DOCTORS, IS GOING TO BE
FIVE OR TEN MINUTES. ALSO A LOT OF TIME WITH MEDICINES
THEY'RE FEELING SIDE EFFECTS. AND THE SIDE EFFECTS IN SOME
CASES ARE SOME TIMES MORE DEVASTATING THAN THE BENEFIT FROM
THE MEDICATION. AND PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THAT SO THEY WANT
SOMETHING NATURAL.
REPORTER: THAT GETS TO THE HEART OF THE DIFFERNCES BETWEEN
TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE.
DR. PERACCHIA: TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IS BASED ON SCIENCE.
AND IT'S BASED ON THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO WORK.
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IS MORE PASSED ON OVER TIME, SORT OF
THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TRIED IN THE PAST AND WORKED AND YOU
KNOW, SOME MORE ANECDOTAL PATIENTS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER WITH
THIS HERBAL MEDICINE, OR THIS THERAPY.
REPORTER: THE BEST WAY TO ILLUSTRATE THE DIFFERENCES IS TO
EXAMINE HOW EACH FORM OF MEDICINE WOULD CARE FOR A COUPLE
OF SAMPLE HEALTH ISSUES. DEBBIE, HAS LOWER BACK ARTHRITIS. DR.
JOHNSON
CHOOSES TO TREAT THIS CONDITION WITH ACUPUNCTURE.
DR. JOHNSON: THE ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES DON'T GO INTO NERVES. THEY
DON'T GO INTO BLOOD VESSELS. BUT THEY GO INTO MERIDIANS
THAT CARRY A FORM OF ENERGY, WHICH IS MERIDIAN ENERGY,
WHATEVER THAT IS. AND YOU HAVE BASICALLY THESE MERIDIANS
ON THE FRONT AND BACK OF YOUR BODY. YOU PUT A NEEDLE IN
THAT CHANNEL TO AFFECT THE FLOW OF ENERGY. AND WHEN YOU
CAN AFFECT THE FLOW OF ENERGY IN A POSITIVE MANNER, THEN
THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU'RE ADDRESSING USUALLY BEGIN TO
CORRECT OR JUST DISSIPATE ALTOGETHER.
REPORTER: HOW WOULD TRADITIONAL MEDICINE TREAT DEBBIE?
DR. PERACCHIA: BACK FILMS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START. JUST A PLAIN
X-RAY OF THE BACK WITH A COUPLE OF VIEWS. THAT ALSO GIVES
YOU AN IDEA ABOUT ARTHRITIS, ABOUT WHETHER THE SPINE IS
MISALIGNED, SPODELO OMESTHESIS, THINGS LIKE THAT. ONE OF
THE FIRST THINGS I WOULD DO IS LOOK AT WHETHER THE PATIENT
IS OVERWEIGHT, BECAUSE THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT ONLY A RISK
FACTOR FOR ARTHRITIS IN ALL JOINTS, PARTICULARLY THE
WEIGHT-BEARING JOINTS, BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S GOING
TO GET WORSE OVER TIME. KEEPING AS ACTIVE AS POSSIBLE, AND
GETTING THEM IN SOME SORT OF EXERCISE ROUTINE. THE OTHER
OPTIONS ARE PHYSICAL THERAPY, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, BUT MORE
JUST PAIN RELIEVERS. SO, ACTUALLY, TYLENOL IS ONE OF THE
MOST RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS.
REPORTER: LESLIE HAS BEEN TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT. SHE HAS TRIED
JUST ABOUT EVERY TRADITIONAL WEIGHT LOSS PLAN AVAILABLE,
WITH NO SUCCESS.
DR. JOHNSON: I TREAT THROUGH THE EAR. I USE FIVE SMALL NEEDLES
IN THE RIGHT EAR AND 15 IN THE LEFT. AND THAT'S BECAUSE
THE LEFT SIDE TENDS TO BE THE MORE EMOTIONAL SIDE, AND WITH
ANY OF THOSE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THERE IS AN
EMOTIONAL COMPONENT TIED UP IN THAT. THE RIGHT SIDE IS
STRICTLY TO GET THEM TO DECREASE THEIR CRAVINGS, THE LEFT
SIDE IS BOTH, DECREASE THEIR CRAVINGS AND APPROACH IT FROM
AN EMOTIONAL STANDPOINT.
DR. PERACCHIA: WELL, I THINK THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS MAKE
SURE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION CAUSING THEIR
WEIGHT PROBLEM. SECONDLY, AND ALMOST AS IMPORTANT IS DO
THEY HAVE OTHER CO-MORBIDITIES WHERE THE WEIGHT WOULD MAKE
ANOTHER MEDICAL PROBLEM WORSE. FOR INSTANCE, DIABETES,
HYPERTENSION, ARTHRITIS, SOMETHING WHERE IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO GET THE WEIGHT OFF. I REALLY
ENCOURAGE EXERCISE AND THE USUAL, FOLLOWING SOME SORT OF A
DIET. FOR PEOPLE WHERE I THINK THEIR WEIGHT PROBLEM IS A
VERY SERIOUS HEALTH RISK, I DO CONSIDER MEDICATIONS.
THERE'S MEDICATIONS THAT ARE APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS.
REPORTER: DR. JOHNSON DOESN'T ACCEPT INSURANCE, LEAVING THE FULL
COST OF HIS CARE TO THE PATIENT. THAT INCLUDES AN INITIAL
CONSULTATION FEE OF 75 DOLLARS. AND FOLLOW UP VISITS AND
55 DOLLARS PER VISIT. VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS USED AS PART OF
HIS HOMEOPATHY CARE, GENERALLY RUN ABOUT 34 DOLLARS FOR A
TWO MONTH SUPPLY. FOR TRADITIONAL CARE, INSURANCE COVERS
THE COST OF MUCH OF DR. PERACCHIA'S PRESCRIBED CARE.
INSURANCE COVERS ALL DOCTOR REFERRED X-RAYS AND OTHER
TESTING. DOCTOR'S VISITS ARE COVERED EXCEPT FOR THE
PATIENT'S CO-PAY OF TEN OR 15 DOLLARS. AND PAIN RELIEVERS
SUCH AS TYLENOL COST BETWEEN FIVE AND TEN DOLLARS A BOTTLE,
DEPENDING ON PILL COUNT.
REPORTER: ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IS STILL GRASPING FOR
ACCEPTANCE WITHIN MAINSTREAM MEDICINE. HOWEVER, DR.
JOHNSON SAYS ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE WILL PLAY A MUCH LARGER
ROLE IN PATIENT CARE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
DR. JOHNSON: IN FIVE YEARS YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT DOCTORS WHO
DON'T ALLOW THEIR PATIENTS TO DO SUPPLEMENTS OR WHO TELL
THEIR PATIENTS THEY SHOULDN'T WILL FIND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE
LESS AND LESS PATIENTS. BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT PEOPLE
WANT. THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SAY IN THEIR HEALTH
CARE. AND DOCTORS HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEM.
DR. PERACCHIA: THEY WANNA KNOW THAT PATIENTS ARE GONNA COME TO US
WITH THEIR PROBLEMS AND WE'RE GOING TO BE AT FULLY EVALUATE
THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE SOMETHING
LIFE-THREATENING OR SERIOUS THAT IN THE WRONG HANDS MIGHT
BE MISDIAGNOSED, MISTREATED.(studio here)
E) IN PRODUCING THIS PROGRAM - IT WAS HARD TO FIND
FOLKS TO APPEAR ON TAPE OR IN STUDIO - I'M ELISSA MARRA
AND YOU'RE WATCHING NEED TO KNOW - JOINING ME IN STUDIO
ARE DR. HENRY HESS AN O-B-GYN PHYSICAN AND
DR. RICHARD ABBOTT - A DOCTOR AND A PROFESSOR
AT THE U-OF-R
(((((((***TALK #1***)))))))
(E) HOLD ON TO THOSE THOUGHTS- WE'RE COMING BACK TO
TALK MORE ABOUT ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE- GARY?
(G) SO IF SCIENCE CAN'T PUT ITS SEAL OF APPROVAL ON IT-
WHAT'S BEHIND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE?
"NEED TO KNOW'S" JENNIFER REED HAS MORE-
((((((***PKG***))))))
"Good Energy"
Producer: Jennifer Lee Reed
((NAT SOUND UP: 05 OF WATER RUNNING))
>>Dr. David Heffer/Chiropractor: "We are the sum of
all the molecules, the energy that makes us up. There is a sum of energy around us."
>>REP: THE SOUND OF TRICKLING WATER IS SOOTHING- BUT TO
SOME, IT IS MUCH MORE- IT IS "FENG SHUI" (pronounced fung shway) - AN ANCIENT
PRACTICE OF BALANCING THE ENVIRONMENT WITH "GOOD ENERGY"- >>When you bring
something into your vibration field- whether it’s a vitamin or flower- or whatever,
it has in fact, an effect on our whole field."
REP: ENERGY- THE "CHI", IS REALLY WHAT COMES BETWEEN
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AND CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE. IT’S ALL ABOUT ACHIEVING OPTIMUM
BALANCE-
WHICH MAY BE WHY VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS AND HERBAL THERAPIES ARE
SO POPULAR
>>"Herbs are natural medicines. They are medicines
that are derived from they often can be used either to treat a disease or to boost the
immune system. "
REP: THOUSANDS OF US— INCLUDING MANY TRADITIONAL DOCTORS
AGREE WITH THAT-
BUT MUCH OF ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE DIFFERS
SIGNIFICANTLY FROM TRADITIONAL MEDICINE—BOTH IN TREATMENT---AND IN DIAGNOSIS.
>>"We can do a little experiment, right now, to
show you what energy is…
((NAT OF US "FEELING CHI"))
REP: JOHN SOBRASKE, ATRAINED HOMEOPATHIC CONSULTANT SOMETIMES
USES QI-GONG (pronounced chee goong) – AN "ENERGY-PRACTICE OF INDUCED
MEDITATION" -TO DETERMINE HIS CLIENT’S STATE OF HEALTH.
>>"Western medicine talks about energy but usually
when they do, they talk about nerve function or maybe the EKG on their heart, very gross
understanding, gross measure of energy- what we’re looking at is a much subtler kind
of energy that permeates your whole system."
>>Dr. Henry Hess/OBGYN Physician: "There are a
number of tests that traditional medicine doesn’t do- like Kineseology. I don’t
want to say that Kineseology is not an appropriate evaluation- it might be, and I think we
have to do more investigation of it to see where it stands."
REP: KINESEOLOGY IS ANOTHER TYPE OF-TESTING- IT IS AN ENERGY
FIELD TEST- USING THE "CHI" THAT SURROUNDS THE BODY.
IT’S THESE TYPES OF TESTS THAT MAKE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY.
>>We hypothesize on Homeopathy, that when you’re
sick, your energy will change, your energy will not feel the same Homeopathic medicine is
a difficult thing to describe. It is based on the principal of ‘like cures
like’- which is a very ancient principal of healing. It works holistically with your
body."
REP: IN CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHY, NO MATTER HOW MANY SYMPTOMS-
CONSULTANTS USE ONE REMEDY PER CLIENT.
((34:38:22))
>>For example, there’s a remedy that has the
descriptor- a kind of "black cloud" hanging over them. ((Nat sound here)) This
is a remedy made from zinc. There’s not a single molecule of zinc in this bottle,
what we’ve done is, we’ve taken the energy principal of zinc- and what does that
mean? The energy principal- it’s like going back to Einstein- we know that energy
equals matter times the speed of light square."
REP: IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN THIS TYPE OF KINETIC ENERGY- BUT IN
HOMEOPATHY- IT IS THAT VERY "FRICTION" THAT IS ADDED TO THE REMEDIES- WHICH ARE
THEN BOTTLED AND SOLD AS MEDICINE.
>>So, what we want to do- is find a remedy that is going
to match the energy disturbance that clears it out and allows your natural chi or your
energy to come back much stronger." "The remedies come like this—(shows
client). With Homeopathy you only have to take a couple does. (Melody asks?) I’ll get
you a very powerful remedy- you will take it for probably a couple of days and then the
remedy will keep working."
REP: UNLIKE HOMEOPATHY, CHIROPRACTIC CARE IS ONE OF THE FEW
FORMS OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE COVERED BY INSURANCE-
DR. DAVID HEFFER-, WHO IS A DOCTOR OF CHIROPRACTY, USES AN
INSTRUMENT CALLED AN "ACTIVATOR" (CLOSE UP) AND TESTS LEG LENGTHS TO DETERMINE
ADJUSTMENT NEEDS.
>>The type of Chiropractic I use in my office is called
"Activator Methods. The more traditional types of Chiropractic tend to be more
forceful. There’s a certain amount of twisting and things like that- sometimes,
sounds are made during the adjustment. There’s really none of that with Activator
type of Chiropractic. The patient is face down on a table and the instrument itself is
used to give thrusts.
((NAT SOUND OF EXAM))
>>How’s your wrist today- Ramona? Ramona- pretty
good. Feeling better? Ramona- much.
>>Dr. Carol Peracchia, M.D.- Internist: "I would be
very skeptical of this type of thing and would certainly not recommend a patient have this
done.
>> Dr. Heffer: "There’s fairly a substantial
amount of literature that deals with leg length and inequality and how it effects
conditions in the spine. I think patients look for a number of things they have not been
getting in traditional medicine and one of them is high touch. There is much more doctor
patient face to face in a Chiropractic office then there is generally in the medical
community. We tend to be more involved with our patients, we tend to see them more often.
>>John Sobraske/Homeopathic Consultant: "Sometimes,
people will say complementary medicine only works if you believe in it."
Dr. Peracchia: "I think that probably part of alternative
medicine is the patient’s desire to feel better- and hear something else- maybe,
it’s mind over matter.
(E) THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT PEOPLE ARE SEEKING OUT
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE - WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHY -
I'M ELISSA MARRA AND YOU'RE WATCHING NEED TO KNOW -
AGAIN JOINING ME IN STUDIO ARE DR. HENRY HESS
AN O-B-GYN PHYSICAN AND DR. RICHARD ABBOTT - A DOCTOR
AND A PROFESSOR AT THE U OF R
(((((((***TALK #2***)))))))))))))
(E) MANY THANKS TO OUR GUESTS - DR. HENRY HESS AND
DOCTOR RICHARD ABBOTT FOR JOINING US ON NEED TO KNOW
(E) IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON ALTERNATIVE
MEDICINE - JUST DIAL UP OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WXXI.ORG
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(G) AND THAT'S "NEED TO KNOW" FOR NOW- THANKS FOR
JOINING US
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