Savannah Kaplan

Professor Padget
ENGL 102
4 December 2016
The Value of Complementary ad Alternative Medicine:
A Solution to the U.S. Healthcare System
While healthcare has made significant strides in the last century, increasing the average
human life span by over 40 years, there have been much smaller strides made in the last couple
decades. Furthermore, there have been numerous recent reports about an increasing number of
very expensive medical approaches or medicines that are not only ineffective, but lower the
long-term health of the patient. This is of particular concern because the regulatory agency
responsible for protecting the American people from such abuses, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), has increased their surveillance and regulatory requirements for medical
approval. I would maybe take a look at this thesis and make your argument a bit more clear and
state your view more clearly
At the same time that medical gains are slowing down, the health care industry has
become aware of limitations of their approach to resolving certain health problems, such as those
associated with pain and psychiatric management. This awareness has resulted in the medical
industry looking at alternative approaches to address these recalcitrant problems. Subsequently,
some of the new healthcare advances were rediscovered in these existing alternative and
complementary medical approaches, such as acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, and herbal
supplements. It is important for patients to recognize and seek out such complementary and
alternative approaches to traditional medicine, many of which lead to cleaner, healthier lifestyles.
Im not sure if this was because something happened when downloading it to my computer, but

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this looks like it is part of the intro. If not I would maybe look into weaving it into the intro
somehow or somewhere instead of having this smaller paragraph
There is a growing concern among professionals in the medical field that as much as onethird of medical expenses are unnecessary: being spent on ineffective medicines, unnecessary
tests, and ineffective procedures. The root cause for this inefficiency can be attributed primarily
to corporate and individual greed; greed by large pharmaceutical companies to report profits,
clinical researchers to accept money to inaccurately report results, and by the prescribing
doctors, whom benefit financially by prescribing ineffective remedies. This greed has a number
of direct and indirect ramifications on ones health, ranging from health care costs to availability
of non-traditional alternative approaches to health care. Several of these alternative approaches
are highly effective for specific ailments; however, the alternatives lack the support of medical
and pharmaceutical companies because the companies cannot make a sufficient profit from these
alternatives. Without the industries support, research, and advertising funding, complementary
and alternative medicines are less likely to become mainstream treatment options.
Every day billions of people consume prescription medicines produced by
pharmaceutical companies. These companies are treated by society with great respect due to the
companies carefully crafted corporate image for creating jobs, helping citizens, and investing in
research dedicated to saving lives. When in reality, their incentives are likely much less
honorable:
The big pharmaceutical companies are, in fact, the most sophisticated marketing
machines in history, selling billions of dollars in products that often do not work to tens
of millions of people who do not need them, leading to millions of hospitalizations in

North America every year and is the fourth leading cause of death in North America.
(MP Challenges Corrupt)
People are not as much aware of the corruption and greed going on throughout the medical and
pharmaceutical industries. The astonishing growth of pharmaceutical advertising and its impact
on consumers is quickly becoming a serious consumer issue.
One of the industries main goals is to make as much profit as possible, which has lead to
various forms of corruption: Corruption in the pharmaceutical sector occurs throughout all
stages of medicines chain, from research and development to dispensing and promotion
(Medicines). Alternatively, these pharmaceutical companies should be spending their money
on more important areas such as testing the safety of their drugs or curing some of their side
effects.
Not only do pharmaceutical companies occasionally violate ethical research and
development of new medicines, but the dispensing and labeling of their product is also
frequently compromised. Warning labels, which are intended to be the most important method
of informing the consumer of whether the medicine is appropriate for them, are often
misrepresented by big pharmaceutical companies (MP Challenges Corrupt). The companies
create the prescriptions safety labels to do the exact opposite, making sure neither the doctors
nor patients have any idea whether the drugs are safe or not. Examples of the ways these
companies manipulate the safety labels are that most unwanted results are not published, the
companies will hire people to make their drug sounds favorable and they will morph negative
into positive results, such that the safety labels promote a greater acceptance of the product. I like
these last few sentences here. They make people open their eyes and think about things they are
taking

The FDA is constantly in court with pharmaceutical companies to ensure that they do not
use wrongful or over-inflated language to promote their drug. A good example of
pharmaceutical misrepresentation recently occurred when Allergan, released a prescription
eyelash thickening agent called Latisse. The FDA concluded that the pharmaceutical company
misrepresented their product to the public by claiming that it may only cause allergic reactions
like itching and redness, when in reality, the drug was causing cornea infraction, hair growth
outside of the treatment area, and permanent darkening of eye color (Miller). This is another
paragraph that is throwing me off, again, i think my computer is messed up but if not this
paragraph seems a bit short
Concerns have also been repeatedly expressed about the tendency of pharmaceutical
companies to meddle with the interpretation of the clinical trials; in particular, they want the
results to be presented in the best light, and the failures to be minimized or not exposed at all.
According to Dr. Golomb, an Associate Professor of Medicine, Big pharmaceutical companies
now spend $18.5 billion per year promoting their drugs (qtd. in Mercola). These companies will
spend billions of dollars on promotion, so long as profits are possible. If a study does not have
any findings that are favorable to its product, it is very unlikely the study will ever be published
since drug companies only publish the funded studies that promote their drug (Mercola).
The pharmaceutical companies not only deceive patients, but they manipulate doctors as
well: There are simply thousands of scientific studies out there that have never been seen by
you or your physician because they have been screened out by the editors and reviewers who are
being paid to uphold an industry agenda (Mercola). When scientific studies find results that
would cast doubt on the effectiveness of the drug, company officials often will convert these
negative findings into positive ones

To assign a single motive behind all these various forms of dishonesty, it would have to
be to increase a companys profits. The pharmaceutical industries want to market blockbuster
drugs, sell billions of dollars in products, and gain enormous profits. Based on their track record,
it appears that many of these companies will do almost anything to achieve this goal, even if it is
putting peoples health in danger. The bottom line is the drug companies arent going to protect
you (Mercola). Unfortunately, until the testing, permitting, advertising and motivation for high
profit margins is corrected in the pharmaceutical industries, it is important that one questions
reported results in medical journals and on safety labels before assuming any drug is safe.
Companies will purposely avoid revealing alternative options to staying healthy if the
options do not result in profit for them. In fact, the problem has become so widespread that the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nations medical research agency, has announced a
whole new field of medicine called Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): CAM is
formally defined as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products
that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine (Barnes). Complementary
medicine is used together with conventional medicine; for example, of the use of aroma therapy
to reduce discomfort after surgery. Alternative medicine is used instead of conventional
medicine; examples include the use of special diets to treat diabetes, or acupuncture to treat
migraines. One very important task that the NIH is attempting to do in establishing this new
field of medicine by formalizing and carefully defining the terms and the different types of
treatment included in CAM.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has
organized CAM into five major categories. One such category is the Alternative Medical
Systems: Approaches to medicine built upon complete systems of theory and practice (Get

the Facts). Some alternative medicines include homeopathic medicine, aromatherapy, and
traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is an example of a traditional Chinese technique, and
is an extraordinarily effective alternative where trained practitioners use small, thin needles to
manipulate the bodys natural energy flow (Turner). By inserting these needles into a subset of
hundreds of specific points on the body, the acupuncturist can redirect energy and blood flow to
cure or prevent certain medical conditions. Many people are becoming more aware of the
positive affects acupuncture has to offer: Today, more than 3 million people in the U.S. use
acupuncture which treats more than 28 medical conditions, including pain, respiratory and
digestive disorders (Turner). Acupuncture is one of the many, very successful treatments
included as an alternative medical system.
The second category of CAM is Mind-Body Interventions. This form of CAM uses
vastly different techniques to enhance the minds capacity to affect bodily functions and
symptoms (Get the Facts). The central principle to this system is that the body and mind
are connected and can lead to faster healing if the two are working together for the patient.
Underlying this approach to treatment are such ideas as the power of positive thinking and
mind over matter. Other less-common techniques used in this category of CAM are
meditation, prayer, and mental healing.
The third CAM category is referred to as Biologically Based Therapies which use
substances found in nature such as herbs, foods, and vitamins (Get the Facts). For example,
because many vitamins become deficient under certain conditions they are needed at elevated
concentrations when the body is stressed. There is a great deal of scientific evidence
documenting the essential health roles of Vitamin D, showing that ill health corresponds to low
levels of Vitamin D: Medical scientists and researchers have found that serum Vitamin D levels

are low in 90% of people with degenerative disease such as heart disease, cancer and
autoimmune disease (Healthy Living). Vitamin D is very inexpensive, if not free, and
promotes maximal health in biologically based therapies. However, it is important to note that
there are many Biological Based Therapies, especially dietary supplements that can provide little
scientific support for their beneficial claims, and may in fact be ineffective. For instance, the use
of shark cartilage to treat cancer is not well supported by research (Get the Facts). A reason
for this is that there is little potential profit for the large pharmaceuticals to pay researchers to
test these easily available or inexpensive substances.I like how you relate two sources to the
same general topic
The last two categories in CAM are Manipulative Body-Based methods and Energy
Therapies. As the name implies in the Body-Based Methods, this form of therapy is based on
manipulating or moving parts of the body. Some examples include massage and chiropractic
manipulations. Energy Therapies involve the manipulation of energy fields. These energy
therapies involve biofield therapies, which affect energy fields surrounding and penetrating the
human body, and bioelectormagnetic-based therapies, which use electromagnetic fields, such as
pulsed or magnetic fields (Get the Facts). The Manipulative Body-Based Methods and the
Energy Therapies are the least common alternatives used, but still can be very effective and
beneficial toward ones health.
There have been road blocks in the development of CAM. The key road blocks all stem
from the desire for pharmaceutical and medical industries to maximize their profits and limit
options that may come in the way of maximizing profits. One of the greatest health concerns in
the U.S. is cancer, and one of the most effective over-the counter preventative supplements to
reduce the chance of cancer is vitamin D. Adams, a health editor for Natural News illustrates

and explains this problem: New research published that vitamin D supplementation produces an
astonished 77 percent reduction in all cancers in women, making it the single most effective
medicine for preventing cancer discovered by modern medical science (Adams). If this is true,
then why is vitamin D not used more often? As usual, it has nothing to do with the science, but
everything to do with the politics and profits. If vitamin D were a cancer drug made by Pfizer,
the American Cancer Society would likely be pushing it as the next miracle drug and calling
for everyone to be put on the drug (Adams). If there was ever a cancer prevention strategy to
get behind, vitamin D is it.
One common roadblock to the widespread use of vitamin D, or for that matter, any of the
other effective dietary supplements, is that these substances cannot be patented. Large
pharmaceutical companies are not interested in testing these products used by biologically based
therapies because no patent is needed and there is little profit to be made. Once a dietary
supplement is found to be effective, any company could sell it without paying the company that
funded the original research since all these alternatives are simple and easy to perform for very
little cost. Furthermore, the process of getting a medicine approved by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) commonly costs millions of dollars, money the pharmaceutical company
will not be able to completely recover. To date, vitamin D is not FDA approved for cancer
treatment primarily because no company or government agency has funded the multiple million
dollar approval process.
The discussion on the patenting dietary supplements highlights two important problems
with present day medicine: only those treatments that will yield a profit for the
medical/pharmaceutical industry will be tested in sufficient detail to pass the rigorous FDA
approval process, and there is little motivation to develop potentially highly effective medicines

and treatments that cannot be patented and may compete with a profitable, albeit less effective,
patented medicine. It is surprisingly common for large medical-based companies to limit health
options if it is not in their financial interest. These medical and pharmaceutical companies are
simply profit-based companies that are not looking for the cheapest, most efficient ways to help
an individual, but the way that maximizes the profits for their companies.
Traditional medicines do not always work, and it is not uncommon for people to develop
worse health after receiving treatment than before treatment; this is exemplified in cancer
patients. Alternative methods may not be as well-supported by clinical trials and research, but it
is not because these alternatives are any less beneficial. Instead, there may be no pharmaceutical
or medical companies willing to promote these medicines. People need to become more aware of
complementary and alternative medicine to insure that they receive maximal healthcare.
Modern medicine does not have all the answers yet; indeed, scientists have been working
on some of the side effect troubles for half a century. Most alternative health care options have
had more success, at less cost, and less side effects. People should consider alternative health
care options because the medical industry, like any other free-market industry in the U.S., is
primarily motivated by profits when these industries main priority should be improving health.
By considering complementary or alternative health care, it is possible to obtain effective and
inexpensive care that the health care industry has chosen not to support. I would maybe look
towards adding more sources and quotes into these last couple of paragraphs, you did a great job
using them before but the last couple of paragraphs don't really use that many(Just a thought)
Americas present healthcare is unsustainable in its present form because of increasing
costs, over-prescription of medicines, over-use of medical exams, negative side effects of drugs,
and greater incentive for industries to make profits than improving health care. The next

generation is already overweight, and being raised on junk foods, high doses of different
medications and vaccine injections, which will only lead to an even worsening in health. With
the newfound research on complementary and alternative drugs, Americans have the potential to
have improved health. Good health does not have to be complicated; it just takes the informed
realization that the patients have choices and they are not limited to traditional medical
approaches. Overall i thought your paper was great and their weren't negative things to really
say about it. I think you are full of really good points and ideas. I would try to maybe make the
paragraphs combined in some sort of way. There seemed to be a bunch of short paragraphs but
thats just a recommendation(I don't know much about that though)

Works Cited
Adams, Mike. "Canadian Cancer Society Announces National Program to Prevent Cancer Using
Vitamin D." NaturalNews. Truth Publishing International, LTD., 11 June 2007. Web. 10
Sept. 2013.
Barnes, Patricia M., Barbra Bloom, Division of Health Interview Statistics, National Center for
Health Statistics, Richard L. Nahin, National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine, and National Institutes of Health. "National Center for Health Statistics."
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults and Children:United State
43.12 (2008): n. pag. DHHS, 10 Dec. 2008. Web. 5 Feb. 2016.
Get the Facts National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: What Is
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?" ucdavis.edu. National Institutes of
Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
Healthy Living - Integris Products and Online Health Forum Where Lives Are Changed
Powerfully for the Better." Healthy Living - Integris Products and Online Health Forum
Where Lives Are Changed Powerfully for the Better. Healthy-Living.org, n.d. Web. 13
Nov. 2013.
Medicines: Corruption and Pharmaceuticals." WHO.com. WHO 2013, Dec. 2009. Web. 10
Sept. 2013.
Mercola, Joseph. How Corrupted Drug Companies Deceive and Manipulate Your Doctor."
mercola.com. Copyright 1997-2013 Dr. Joseph Mercola, 18 May 2010. Web. 10 Sept.
2013.

Miller, Jo. "Latisse Potentially Unsafe." Suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
MP Challenges Corrupt Practices of Pharmaceutical Companies. fairwhistleblower.ca. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
O'Connell, D. J. "Prescription Drugs." Ed. Paul Bernabeo. Drugs and Society. Vol. 3. N.p.:
Marshell Cavendish Corp., 2006. 702-06. Print.
Turner, Bambi. "DISCOVERY TRENDS