Is Complementary (Alternative) Medicine Helpful?

Principle of Charity

What do we do when we don’t feel well and mainstream western medicine can’t seem to help us. Maybe it’s an irritable bowel, headaches that come too frequently, chronic fatigue or joint pain that just won’t go away. Maybe it’s more serious - a life-threatening diagnosis of cancer, or a neurological condition like parkinsons, and we are told by doctors that there’s no cure or they have limited treatment options. In all these cases, how should we assess complementary medicine? The alternative medicine market is a massive and growing industry increasingly framing health as ‘wellness’ which aims to help us live a life of flourishing rather than just an absence of illness. Is there a point, though, when the therapies shift from helpful to hoax?

In this episode with our guests Dr Norman Swan and Dr Penny Caldicott we explore what’s reasonable to do if we feel sick, but our doctor doesn’t seem to be able to help.

Dr Norman Swan

Norman is a multi-award winning broadcaster, journalist and commentator. He is the host and creator of the Health Report, on ABC Radio National, which is the longest running health programme in the English-speaking world.

Norman consulted for the World Health Organisation on global priorities in health research, putting evidence into health policy and clinical trial registration. He co-facilitated, with Richard Horton (editor in chief of The Lancet) a global ministerial forum in Bamako, West Africa which aimed to advance the global health agenda.

In his latest book “So You Want To Live Longer, Younger” Norman scrutinises the science and the fads to offer up a guide to living a longer, healthier life.

Dr Penny Caldicott

Penny is president of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association.

She’s also the founder and director of Invitation to Health, a holistic, patient-centred medical service on the New South Wales Central Coast.

Since graduating from medical school more than two decades ago, Penny’s passion for understanding the journey that contributes to a patient's disease has led her to practice what’s called integrative medicine. In this practice, complementary therapists like naturopaths and nutritionists work together with gp’s in an environment designed to apply the best of evidence-based conventional medicine and complementary therapies..

Penny believes that this kind of collaborative approach to the prevention of disease can play a significant role in turning back chronic disease in Australia. She’s a strong advocate within the medical establishment and to governments for a pre-emptive model of health care, one that aspires to both prevent chronic disease and to accompany patients back towards well being.

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You can be part of the discussion @PofCharity on Twitter, @PrincipleofCharity on Facebook and @PrincipleofCharityPodcast on Instagram.

Your hosts are Lloyd Vogelman and Emile Sherman.

Find Lloyd @LloydVogelman on Linked in

Find Emile @EmileSherman on Linked In and Twitter.

This Podcast is Produced by Jonah Primo and Bronwen Reid

Find Jonah @JonahPrimo on Instagram.

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