Broadcast - The Lorne Trottier Public Science Symposium - Alternative Medicine: Trick or Treatment

Alternative medicine can be described as practices that are available to the public but which are not taught in conventional medical schools. The focus there lies on evidence-based methods and controlled experiments. Lack of evidence does not mean that a particular treatment cannot work; there may be alternative methods and practices worth pursuing. Alternative treatments can range from acupuncture to reflexology, and its practitioners range from energy healers to magnet therapists. Although risks tend to be low, there is always the danger of patients being seduced by unsubstantiated claims, possibly to the extent of forgoing evidence-based treatments.

Irrespective of one’s views on alternative medicine, there is no doubt that the subject merits attention and scrutiny.

Dr. Edzard Ernst is a former homeopathic practitioner who has become a vocal critic of alternative medical techniques that are not supported by scientific evidence.