Dr Frank: Alternative medicine -v- conventional medicine?!

Dr Frank: Alternative medicine -v- conventional medicine?

A friend of mine recently went to see her GP about her aching jaw. It became apparent that it was muscular ache due to the grinding of teeth at night. The GP prescribed her a muscle rub and told her to use it regularly and it would help relieve any discomfort. Upon reading the ingredients in the lotion, I found that all the ingredients in the lotion were none other than the essential oils that I use regularly on my patients when carrying out Aromatherapy treatments. If GP's are happily prescribing medication containing essential oils and herbal extracts etc, does this not prove that Alternative medicine is just as effective as conventional?

4 months ago
I wonder if Dr Frank has ever prescribed any medicines containing herbal extracts..

And of course - Dr Frank is an expert on both sides of this question!! I'm not an expert on either but have vast experience of both & am refreshed when GPs are open minded enough to embrace something that might swing away from their mainstream. Blinkers off & remember their Hippocratic oath - the one that says about not harming people (every drug in the BNF has potential harmful side effects!). Of course, one has to bear in mind that even complementary therapies can be unsafe in untrained hands so if conventional doctors set out with the belief that it's safe because "there's nothing in it" they are sorely mistaken. Lots of complementary therapies can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. They shouldn't "dabble" anymore than Joe public should.
In my experience as a Homoeopath, I am dealing with serious pathology every day - most patients end up with an alternative practitioner because conventional medicine has not helped them - or made them worse. My results are very good - the vast majority see improvements very quickly & continue with the healing process until many are cured.
It is true that some conventional drugs are based on natural materials but they are synthesised & contain many other dangerous ingredients so that is a very poor arguement. It's not a competition - conventional medicine has it's place - and that is in absolute emergency situations I believe. The vast majority of illnesses can be very well treated with complementary therapies - don't knock it until you've tried it!!