C. Scott Mahan - Are You Afraid of Snakes?: A Doctor’s Exploration of Alternative Medicine

Are You Afraid of Snakes?

A Doctors Exploration of
Alternative Medicine

C. Scott Mahan, MD

MedMaster, Inc., Miami

Copyright 2017 by MedMaster, Inc.

All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright owner.

ISBN13# 978-1-935660-26-2
ISBN10# 1-935660-26-6

Made in the United States of America

Published by
MedMaster, Inc
P.O. Box 640028
Miami, FL 33164

Acknowledgements

I extend a special thank you to my family and friends who have put up with my antics for the past five years. My three boys, Connor, David, and Thayer, are undoubtedly relieved that they will receive a break from my embarrassing stories. My wife and soulmate, Beth, tirelessly edited multiple iterations of my book and also allowed me to expose our personal life within the pages. I also thank my sister, Amy Tamargo, who read and reread my book despite practicing law and juggling the demands of a family. Also, Id like to give a shout-out to my sister-in-law Jamie Mahan who provided proofreading and guidance, and also to my artistic brother-in-law David Kim, who along with his girlfriend Molly, produced the book cover. Dr. Stephen Goldberg, the head of MedMaster publishing, was willing to take a risk and publish a book outside the typical genre of his publishing house. He also provided excellent editorial support. Last, I thank the many alternative practitioners who poked and prodded me in an attempt to cure my many maladies. I have attempted to keep their identities anonymous, but Asheville is a small town so I am sure some will put two and two together. Nevertheless, I was always treated with compassion no exceptions.

Contents

Preface

I spent the past five years exploring the wilds of alternative medicine. What is alternative medicine you might ask? How does it differ from complementary medicine? Alternative medicine refers to a non-mainstream practice used in place of conventional medicine, while complementary medicine is a non-mainstream practice used in conjunction with conventional medicine. Many disciplines, such as acupuncture, commonly fall into both categories. In researching this book, I have personally experienced approaches that are often at odds with my training as an infectious diseases specialist. My explorations opened my eyes to many different approaches to health and wellness. I have had my nasal cavity probed, my spine stretched, and my body bathed in crystal energy. My goal in writing this book is to take the reader behind the closed doors of alternative medicine to find out what really happens.

As a Western-trained doctor, I often hear my colleagues disparage alternative medicine, but most of their opinions are based on innuendo rather than a true examination of alternative practices. In researching this book, I visited each alternative practitioner with an open mind and a willingness to follow the prescribed recommendations. In relating my experiences, I hope to both entertain and educate. In an attempt to limit my bias for or against any particular practice, I approached each visit as a non-medical person might. Prior to each experience, I read about the discipline on the practitioners website. I also read about each discipline in Alternative Medicine The Definitive Guide , which is written by alternative proponents and therefore presents each discipline from the perspective of a believer rather than a skeptic. I then spent the next month or so doing my best to follow the advice given, and I reported on whether the malady for which I sought care has gotten better. Throughout, I described my experiences and the results in real time. Basically, I performed a trial of one scientific method at its worst.

Only when I have completed the experience do I then subject the discipline to the scrutiny my evidence-based, Western training taught me. I ask if the purported basis for the discipline is plausible or if it is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo. I also research the basis and evidence supporting each discipline with the help of the published literature, which I then summarize at the end of each chapter. The last five years have been a lot of fun, at times painful, but always insightful. I look forward to having you join me on my exploration of alternative medicine.

Despite my use of Alternative Medicine The Definitive Guide as my guidebook, you should recognize that information obtained from this source is not gospel. It clearly trumpets the perceived benefits of alternative therapies rather than evaluating the pros and cons. Despite its drawbacks, it was the largest and most complete compendium on alternative medicine at our local bookstore, and it effectively served to provide background to the theories and proposed benefits of several alternative disciplines. If interested in the other side of the argument, I refer you to the following books: Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine by Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh; and Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine by R. Barker Bausell. For Internet sites that continually update current information about alternative medicine, I suggest Science-Based Medicine blog , The SkepDoc by Harriet Hall, MD; New Yorks Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centers herbal/botanical database; and The Cochrane Summaries , all of which can be found with a simple Google search.

Endnote

Introduction

My eyes track the chiropractor as he circles my prone body. I try to stay relaxed, much as an antelope relaxes while a lion lurks in the tall grass. Finally, he grasps my head between his brawny arms and gives my neck a high-intensity crack. I gasp. My next instinct is to wiggle my fingers and toes to make sure I have not become a quadriplegic. Relief ebbs through memy bodily functions are intact. How did I, a Western-trained doctor and self-proclaimed skeptic of all things alternative, end up in this position?

In July 2009, the Centers for Disease Control reported Americans spend over $34 billion annually on alternative medicines. The amount spent on visits to chiropractors, acupuncturists, homeopaths, and other alternative practitioners, and on the medicines they recommend, is beginning to rival the out-of-pocket costs spent on traditional Western (modern) medicine. Parents are opting not to have their children vaccinated against lethal childhood diseases due to concerns of mercury toxicity, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and autism. I even have an acquaintance diagnosed with HIV who considered taking herbal remedies instead of his doctor-prescribed anti-viral medications. As a long-time disciple of Western medicine, I am forced to ask myself... What is going on? Has everyone gone crazy?

I practiced as an internal medicine doctor in the small town of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, for several years. I had, and still have, several standard lines I say to my patients who inquire about the benefits of taking supplemental doses of various vitamins and herbal remedies. Included among these is: If it really works, it likely would be proven. I then recite that the National Institute of Health now has a National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which funds research on alternative therapy. Therefore, if a well-designed trial had been conducted proving a therapys benefits, we would know about it. It often appears the makers of these alternative or natural drugs have a vested interest in not doing these studies, which are likely to disprove the touted benefits of their remedies. If the patient is still listening to me, I usually go on to list examples such as vitamin E, which the medical establishment almost unanimously believed decreased the risk of heart attack and stroke. Almost all cardiologists recommended vitamin E to their patients 10-12 years ago, and to do otherwise bordered on malpractice. Subsequent studies found that vitamin E did not decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke and actually increased the risk of heart failure. Finally, I add, Unless there is a well-proven benefit, why spend your money on something that is as likely to harm you as help you?