Natural Disaster

This story gives a misrepresentation of the naturopathic medical profession. Compared to allopathic medicine, the number of iatrogenic (caused by a physician) deaths in the naturopathic field is astoundingly less. The fact that you listed less than 5 cases in this article highlights this. In the conventional medical system, correctly prescribed medication and surgery is the leading cause of death in the US (greater than 700,000 annual deaths). Given the fact that only a few deaths in Oregon have been caused by Naturopathic Physicians in the last 80 years seems remarkable in comparison with the allopathic field. Instead of sensationalizing a very rare and unfortunate incident you should provide fare representaion of this usually non-invasive and gentle medicine. Additionally, an article on the astoundingly high iatrogenic death rate of conventional medicine should be publicized for reference.

Its unfortunate that deaths occur from medical mistakes and according to the Nutrition Institute of America, 199,000 people die annually from outpatient adverse drug reactions the USA and an additional 98,000 from medical error. Many of these deaths are not as simple as stated in news articles and have followed standard of care. Naturopathic physicians only account for a couple of these deaths per year and do an incredible job at being outpatient doctors; considering their track record of only one Oregon death since 1927. Many of the non-invasive treatments stated in the article are administered by MD's and DO's and should be viewed as treatment options and not only “naturopathic treatments”. Many of these treatments have also helped thousands and unfortunately we only hear of the occasional adverse reaction. Patients are always given risks and alternatives to a procedure and have the right to choose treatment; decisions for treatment are discussed and made between patient and physician and agian, its unfortunate when adverse reactions occur.

Frankly, I am a little surprised that WW is displaying all the adverse press to this group of practitioners. It seems that WW is singling out a doctor when thousands die each year at the hands of medical care and naturopaths are among the few that generally help and not harm. This doctor has most likely helped many patients by prescribing medication and now one adverse reaction everyone wants to hang him out to dry; complications can happen with every treatment, even standard of care. If you talk to a person in chronic pain or who has a chronic problem you will hear what it is like to be passed around the insurance and medical system. Thank God for practitioners who are willing to treat the difficult and chronic problems. Condolences to the family, I have also lost loved ones to missed diagnosis, however, in my circumstance, it was an MD not an ND.

"Citing state confidentiality laws" are a very serious set of laws that should be done away with immediately. Let the sun shine in on these Killers and Quacks. Keeping the citizenry informed is not only the job of media but of elected officials. Maybe WWW should look at the amount of campaign money these interest parties give.

Although naturopaths (quackerpaths)kill less people, they also do not treat severe illnesses as REAL DOCTORS do. Also, the percentage of people (uninformed suckers)that seek out naturopaths is quite small. Many naturopaths dispense "remedies" that are harmlass and inert. Actually sugar pills with Latin names. They also frequently employ worthless diagnostic machines that are nothing but boxes with flashing lights. Chelation has always been a major quackery as has Candida diagnoses, and any of the heavy metal tests that quackerpaths perform. Shame on these crooks and shame on the gullable, stupid customers. Many customers are conspiracy-minded fools that do not truse REAL medicine. I always admired non-conformists, but the naturapathic industry is so huge and has such a massive lobby, that people that patronize this nonsense are actually part od an establishment that rivals the real thing.

I honestly and personally believe that "Naturopathic physicians" should NOT be able to do anything that a regular physician (allopathic) can do. They are not true physicians. They are trained in the "natural" way. I do not believe that they should be able to prescribe medications other than "natural" meds, and specifically NEVER opiates. And also they should be monitored way more closely, by not only the "naturopathic" board but since they think that they can do and they do what a normal physician does, also the medical licencing board.. as they think that they are "physicians" so there is the aspect of the medical part. And this doctor should have been fined way more than 8500 dollars.. more like 25000 dollars and be restricted from "IV chelation" for life, and accurately more put.. ALL medications other than the suppliments that are NOT dangerous.

CONFIDENTIALITY LAWS.. how bogus is this.. you can find out about REAL PHYSICIANS.. and if they have been sanctioned and what for.. and they can see what the board sanctioned them with.. either it be couseling, drug/alcohol treatment, psychiatric help, ect. This should happen ACROSS the board.. and not let QUACKS get away with it.. yes medications and errors can and do kill.. but with chilation therapy one MUST also suppliment CALCIUM in addition to the EDTA for the therapy. even simple minded people would know that if they knew what it did....... !!!!

I honestly think that the family should not have settled out of court, and went after this QUACK and his partners for everything that they were worth and never settled.. and then maybe, just maybe this QUACK would learn.. physicians have been sued for everything because of a mistake, pharmaceuticals have been sued for millions for their mistakes.. why not QUACKS..

A port

I find it interesting that there is an acute defensiveness in the responses to this article. I think the primary point the reporter is making is that there is little structure and oversight of naturopathic medicine, as there is in allopathic (malpractice insurance, etc.).

While I think this is an important story, the bigger story is completely ignored by WW. Doctor caused death runs rampant throughout the medical field. In naturopathy, it is an abberation. In conventional medicine, it is all too common! I think that there is so much more to this story than WW addressed, and find it a poor example of journalism in a nation starving for accurate reporting.

I agree with the comments of the MD. The fact that there are fewer natuopaths than MD's, and theoretically less potential danger from naturopaths in the aggregate, should not mean that in individual cases a negligent naturopath gets away with manslaughter for $8500. How much oversight is reflected in that fine and "no opiate scripts for a year"? It should be no opiate scripts for 10 years, and a fine ten times higher. The purpose of such punishments is to teach a lesson, both to the individual and to all practitioners of the naturopathic profession.

PS: I fail to understand how naturopathic patients can be so eager to take exotic and dubious treatments such as colchicine and chelators via IV. IV is a very direct route, people! I have been seeing allopaths for 54 years, and have not yet been offered an IV, other than for surgical purposes.

ONE DEATH IS TOO MANY, WHEN IT IS CAUSED BY THE HANDS OF ANOTHER. A CONVICTED FELON IS NEVER ALLOWED ACCESS TO WEAPONS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE. WHY SHOULD A SUPPOSED DOCTOR BE ALLOWED ACCESS TO PATIENTS. AS FAR AS THE REPORTER DOING A GOOD OR BAD JOB...LET'S FACE IT, THE REPORTER DID A SERVICE BY INFORMING US, WHAT WE DO WITH THE INFORMATION IS SOMETHING ELSE. SO TO THE REPORTER KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

Shame on some of you, seriously SHAME ON YOU. Have you ever really studied what a naturopathic doctor does, or been treated by one? To call someone a quack without knowing all the facts and educating yourself is simply ignorant and careless. Before you start pointing fingers maybe you should learn to spell!! I believe there is a place for all types of medicine, traditional and alternative. It is up to each individual person to make that decision on their own. Who are you to judge what happened after reading a simple small narrow minded article? I personally have seen amazing things from these doctors, people fully functioning after struggeling to get out of bed everyday. I feel very sorry for this family, as I do for anyone who has lost a loved one, but to publish such a one sided article is irresponsible of WW. I believe we should look at ourselves in the mirror and be accountable before we start pointing fingers outwardly!

The deaths in Texas and Pennsylvania were following IV chelation treatments by allopathic medical physicians, not naturopathic doctors (1). The patients who died after receiving incorrectly compounded colchicine were seen at a clinic run by an MD who may have actually administered the IVs himself (2, 3). Both oral and IV chelation have been used by the conventional medical world for decades (4). NDs are apparently not the only "quacks" out there. I do agree that NDs should be held to the same standards as MDs and the ND involved in this case should not be allowed to prescribe or perform IVs. Perhaps NDs should adopt morbidity and mortality conferences to review and evaluate complications in treatments. Oh, and if the naturapathic (sic) industry and lobby was so "huge", ND medicine would be licensed in all 50 states.

1) www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/m...

2) www.portlandtribune.com/news/story....

3) www.oregon.gov/OSP/NEWSRL/news/04_2...

4) www.hsph.harvard.edu/Organizations/...

This article makes me sad, both for the family who lost their mom and the naturopathic community whom I'm sure is grieving as well. The journalist wrote a story sensationalizing the tragedy and maligning naturopathic doctors or at least encouraging a negative view of their work. I seek medical help from both allopathic and naturopathic doctors. They both have their strengths and I wish they could work together for the benefit of all of us. I asked my naturopathic doctor about her education on my first visit and learned she had completed four years of undergraduate pre-med and four years of graduate school at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine where many of the classes she attended at OHSU were the same ones attended by the allopathic students. She writes prescriptions, orders lab work, bills my insurance and carries malpractice insurance. Uninformed prejudice is always disheartening and especially so from the person who calls themself "A MD PhD in Oregon". Perhaps the allopathic community should take note that as tragic as this death is, it is afterall, the FIRST death linked to a Naturopathic doctor since they were licensed in Oregon in 1927.

So the situation really boils down to a numbers game. The "naturopath" community claims to have all this knowledge of natural medicines handed down to them from ancient sources. Need I remind people that some of those ancient sources are the very basis of modern medicine today (Hippocrates et al.)

So how come the MD's don't use more of the Naturopath's procedures? Simple:

THERE'S NO SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR THE CLAIMS OF A NATUROPATH'S MEDICINES.

If there were legitimate scientific bases for the claims that "naturopathic" medicines have, doesnt it stand to reason that MD's, being scientists themselves at heart, would have introduced the treatment to the world?

Let's stop giving in to the delusions of people who would feel better after putting tinfoil in their hats.

Or maybe we should just send out some new "naturopathic" medicines. They're called PLACEY-BOES!

I think that finger-pointing between professions is not only unprofessional, but beside the point. MDs have their scope of practice, which is major intervention in trauma/emergency care or organ failure, and NDs have their scope of practice, which is more geared toward primary care and prevention. Both groups have their limitations and responsibilities and should be aware of both at all times. That being said, if the Willie Week ran a story about every patient whose death was caused by "properly prescribed" pharmaceuticals or any other type of medical mistake in the allopathic community, there would be no space for anything else in this paper. Maybe we should look at the power disparity between the organization that is behind the ND as contrasted with the AMA organization shielding MDs who make medical errors, and then ponder why this particular case gets the front page treatment. Do those victims and their families not matter as well? Being aware of the big picture, we can then see this one tragedy as an individual case. And most importantly, we can all learn from it.

IV Chelation is not a "controversial treatment." In fact, it is the gold standard treatment for a patient suffering from the effects of heavy metal toxicity. It is a specialized treatment done by M.D.s, D.O.s and N.D.s alike. It is a treatment that requires specialized training and certification. It is unfortunate when a doctor attempts to use a modality without the proper training. According to the Naturopathic Board, that is what happened in this particular case. It is important to review these facts before coming to a conclusion as to the efficacy of chelation or the virtue of Naturopathic Physicians. It is clear that this was an isolated instance of negligence and not cautionary tale of naturopathic medicine and Chelation therapy.

I would also like to point out that the mention of colchicine at the end of the article was essentially a red herring. Although those cases were associated with a naturopathic clinic, an M.D. was overseeing the treatment and the cause of the colchicine overdose was a batch of colchicine that a pharmacy supplied that had 10 times the stated dose per milliliter.

Placey-boes?! Have you noticed the naysayers all sound like crackpots? What about the MD PhD that can't spell or write a coherent sentence?

First and foremost I would like to say thank you for publishing an article that feeds directly into the hands of the pharmaceutical and "If in doubt cut it out" based medicines that have become the mainstay of our culture.  When you publish fear tactic articles such as the one on the cover of the last issue you are turning people directly into the hands of those (largely) profit minded drug pushers.  Mind you, I am in no way dismissing all "mainstream" medicine as irresponsible and profit based but there is a large contingent of folks out there that were really happy that you bagged on Naturopaths (which is actually the longest standing tradition of medicine in our culture).  

Oh, and it is interesting that you chose not to report that "mainstream" invasive medicine kills thousands of people a year.  One naturopath makes a mistake and the whole profession (which, again, predates all you MDs and PhDs out there who call us Quacks) is demonized.   Typical response in our short sighted society of instant gratification.

Secondly, as a student at the National College of NATURAL Medicine I wanted to point out that you incorrectly named our school.  We officially changed the name due to the fact that we house a phenomenal Chinese Medicine school as well.  Oh and thanks for mentioning our name, even if it was an offhanded smear, we need press.

Sincerely,

Nicholas

Chinese Medicine Student at NCNaturalM

"The last thing people think is it's going to harm somebody," says Boylan family attorney Stephen Ensor. "It's a big surprise for everyone, including naturopaths, that they have the ability to harm someone in this nature."

This statement is both insulting and untrue. Nothing weighs more heavily on the mind of someone studying natural medicine, and hopefully anyone studying any kind of medicine, than the fact that we can hurt people. It is terrifying but also a motivating factor to get the best education possible at this stage.

We spend years learning not only botanical and homeopathic remedies, but also studying all the major pharmaceuticals prescribed by allopathic doctors, many of which we are not allowed to prescribe ourselves. We learn them so that we can supplement and treat safely, as patients are often taking one or more prescription drugs when they visit us. We are expected to know and be able to counsel patients on drug-herb interactions as well.

For the record, naturopathic students complete four years of graduate study and are required to pass two sets of board exams- a set of basic science exams after two years that includes Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry & Genetics, Microbiology & Immunology, and Pathology, and another set of clinical science exams after four years that includes Physical & Clinical Diagnosis, Laboratory Diagnosis & Diagnostic Imaging, Botanical Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Physical Medicine, Homeopathy, Psychology, Emergency Medicine & Medical Procedures, and Pharmacology.

We take our education and the health and safety of our patients very seriously. Please consider that the mistake of one physician is exactly that.

Many of the patients I see in my practice come to me after seeing MDs who have:

1) Surgically removed their gallbladders simply to reduce their abdominal pain (ie there was no blockage and the patient was in no imminent danger from a blocked duct) when they could have been easily treated with some simple, safe, herbal medicines, diet and lifestyle changes. Removal of a gallbladder leaves a patient less able to digest fats, possibly leaving them with other digestive symptoms, and less able to digest and absorb essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins.

2) Given them stomach acid blocking medication for life, to stop stomach pain that was actually caused by food allergies, which the MD never investigated, rendering them less able to perform a valuable, necessary part of the digestive process, that is crucial for the absorption of nutrients such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, protein and B vitamins, to name just a few. These nutrients are all essential to life and deficiencies in them can lead to numerous health problems, including osteoporosis and neurological disease. This stomach acid also helps the body defend itself from invading organisms like H. pylori, which causes ulcers and can contribute to heart disease. Again, all the patient had to do was avoid some food allergies and they had NO MORE PROBLEMS. Had they not come to see me, and continued to do what their brilliant MD had told them to do..."Ummmm, try some acid blockers..." They would have been at risk for all of those things.

This is just a SMALL sampling of the ridiculous, unjustifiable treatment plans I've seen patients put on time and again by MDs.

Now I ask you.....who's the QUACK here??

I am not in the medical profession. As a patient I seek out both naturopathic and allopathic care. The two are not mutually exclusive and both have great benefits. Why MD's and the AMA are so afraid of ND's is beyond me. My heart goes out to a family that is still hurting, and also to the doctor who must also have been devastated. Based on the one sidedness of this article I do wonder what facts the reporter might have decided not to mention in order to create a more sensationized story.

Once again a RealDoctor wannabe kills a patient and the apologists for quackery jimp all over this and feely try to obfuscate the issue by pointing out that RealDoctors also injure patients.

In those cases, those doctors are substantially disciplined. Kerry, the Pennsylvania doctor who killed a boy with chelation, is being investigated criminally. There is no question in my mind that he should be prosecuted.

The simple fact, andI keep it simple for the naturopathic simpletons, is that their quackery is not adequately regulated. The fact that this quack had not malpractice insurance, as RealDoctors are required to have, is outrageous. If they want to practice medicine, assume all of the RESPONSIBILITY!

My Father died at Age 59 of Cancer and did we sue the excellent Medical Doctor that gave my Father a Physical every year and missed this huge tumor? No, Life goes on and we do miss our Father. My Mom is 87 now and is doing well! Since around Age 32 I have always been treated by Naturopathic Medicine and had I been treated with one from Birth, Why maybe I would have been the Athlete my Brother was at Jesuit High School. It is only now after 60 years and given up by Medical Doctors at Age 19 before I went into the Military that I can finally bend over and touch my toes and can now make a fist and actually have an excellent hand shake that my Dad always complained I never had! Do I get to sue for Medical Malpractice, Do I want to sue for Medical Malpractice! No, Life goes on and whatever Medical or Naturopath treats you I would hope they are as excellent as mine!

MDs are not afraid of NDs as competitors. Some of us in health care ARE concerned about the rise of unscientific pseudomedicine, pretend or delusional medicine. Some of what NDs do falls in these categories. I have been watching with dismay as naturopaths get licensed in several states to be primary care "physicians." They say that they know when to refer to medical doctors, but they very often delude themselves about this. The biggest danger of NDs is that they do not know what they do not know, and they do not know THAT they do not know.

Diagnosis and treatment have to be plausible in medicine, based on the knowledge of the physical world. (Such knowledge is the great legacy of humanity.) Yet naturopaths are trained to be experts in such things as applied kinesiology, qi/chi, homeopathy. Each of these can take years of complex study, but none of them has been scientifically demonstrated, nor are they plausible.

Homeopathy, with its serial dilutions and succussions guaranteeing that almost all the "remedies" have none of the original substance in the diluent AT ALL, simply makes no sense. For it to have any activity in the body, we would have to assume the suspension of the unchangeable workings of nature. Physics and chemistry - not the bodies of knowledge, but the actual processes themselves - preclude homeopathy's principles. No appeal to "science used to think the earth was flat" or "Einstein made Newton obsolete" will support the delusions of homeopathy. The earth was never flat, hydrogen will never change its atomic weight, and Newton is not obsolete, just incomplete for describing the very small or the very fast.

For many centuries, bleeding and purging were used as therapy. They were based on principles of the four humours, and the need to balance them. A huge, complex body of diagnosis and treatment based on this humoral notion was developed. When medicine grew up and became increasingly scientific, bleeding to balance humours became obsolete.

Medical care should be based on the real world, and treatments should be chosen on safety and efficacy. Sometimes medical treatment is noxious. Surgery hurts, some (by no means all) cancer chemotherapy sickens and damages. We continue to add to human knowledge and improve medical care.

Many of the comments here have mentioned iatrogenic deaths, but only as an odd pseudomath equation. The deficits of medicine are treated as a quantity that somehow bolsters the validity of naturopathy. The fallacy is obvious.

Much of medical education is clinical. Before one has an MD degree they have done extensive and complex clinical work. And that is just the beginning. Medicine is grounded in science, therefore continuously changing. MDs are constantly learning and quite dependent on one another and the rest of the professionals in health care.

If NDs want to become part of modern health care, they must earn the legitimacy. They must increase their focus on scientific, evidence based diagnosis and care, promote scientific research (not bias-driven outcome studies like the Bristol, UK, survey of customer satisfaction among repeat users of homeopathy), and discard those "modalities" that are plain nonsense. How does one reconcile modern pharmacology with homeopathy with traditional Chinese medicine anyway? They cannot all be correct, they contradict one another, and the last two contradict, in many particulars, nature.

If you are intent on selling snake oil [and there's always a sucker ready to suck], at least regulate the doses and inform the tribe from which snake you extracted the magic, and most of all BE ACCOUNTABLE!

If NDs are so up at arms about the MDs prescribing drugs that can kill people, then tell me WHY IN TEH WORLD they are fighting in every state to get prescription privileges for the SAME DRUGS????

The NDs are all hypocrites. They blast real doctors for supposedly killing thousands of people with drugs, then they go behind your back and lobby the state legislatures to get prescription privileges for those SAME DRUGS THEY ARE BLASTING THE MDS ABOUT!

Its clear that the NDs are playing a shell game. They want the prestige of being a REAL doctor so thats why they use the nomenclature ND and try to call themselves "physician" and also why they are trying to get hospital privileges. They cant stand the fact that they couldnt get accepted to a real medical school so they want a shortcut. All this criticism of medical errors committed by MDs is just a smokescreen; they obviously want a piece of the action or you wouldnt see them lobbying for breaking in on MDs turf.

A colleague sent me a link to this article and the comments are either well thought out or total vomitus regurgitant of the conventional status quo; which, by the way, is only in its current hegemony because of the way the world runs. For those naiive enough to believe standard conventional medicine would not advocate natural therapies, I suggest you consider looking beyond your little world and take a real look at the forces behind economics in this nation. It is no mistake that the US by far outspends any other country in the world on health care (hmmm, where does that money go?), but at the same time trails behind a couple dozen other countries in quality of care. It is way beyond this forum to cover this subject, but for those who wish to know more...stop reading a newspaper and watching tv news and read a book on the subject. You will be much better educated and make much more sense the next time you attempt to post on forums such as these.

There are so many thoughts circling in my mind regarding this sorrowful and tragic accident, and the negativity that has ensued from both sides (MD vs. ND). I hope I can address both sides from a perspective of humility, humanity, and awareness.

First, I wish to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Sandy Boylan. No words can truly express sympathy for those who have lost a loved one, especially in a manner such as this.

Second, I will remind everyone that this was an ACCIDENT, and can NOT be compared with a criminal act done with intention. All medically related deaths, even those attributed to negligence, are UNINTENDED. Doctors, no matter WHERE they went to medical school, or how many hours or years they spent in clinical rotations or a residency, are not perfect or above the laws of nature. Not one single system of MEDICINE is perfect. That is why it is called "Practice." You practice something to become better, and you can always do better because...

LIFE IS NOT PERFECT (re-read this line 3 times)

Mistakes and accidents are a part of life and they happen not TO, but FOR, all of us - to teach us and educate us. We, as human beings, would NEVER evolve without them.

I ask, where is ANY compassion for Dr. McBride?? You who are against him, and call him names, READY TO HANG HIM... Have you given ANY consideration or thought about the GRIEF he has now and will endure for the REST OF HIS LIFE for trying to HELP a fellow human?? It could have happened to ANY doctor practicing chelation - MD,ND,DO.

IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. An unfortunate, tragic accident that hopefully will never happen again in the future.

MY PERSPECTIVE and OPINION about us all, as human beings, is that we are still CHILDREN, with respect to our egos. No matter how educated we are, or how old we are, or whether we have an MD,PhD,ND,DO,DC, etc., etc. after our names... it's all B.S. Everyone has their own egotistical opinion and perspective on how THEY THINK LIFE SHOULD BE LIVED, or what constitutes a REAL DOCTOR, and unfortunately this way of thinking is the problem of our WORLD.

All of us, myself included, FAIL to see other people as THEY are, because we only see them as WE are. This creates judgement. Judgement creates bias. Bias creates attachment. Attachment creates fear. Fear creates hatred. We hate what we fear, and ultimately, we fear not the unknown, but rather, LOSS OF THE KNOWN- of what is familiar to us, of what we understand from what we have been told by someone else - ultimately, what has been PROGRAMMED in our brains.

We are children on the playground of life, accusing others of not "playing by the rules," and bullying those who look different, act different, dress different, talk different, eat different, and come from different backgrounds as us.

Is this madness ever going to stop???

This childish, immature, insecure hatred of others who don't THINK and ACT the SAME WAY WE DO!

WAKE UP EVERYONE!!

WAKE UP!!

Humble yourself to accept that what YOU THINK the "PROPER" way to live is YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE. Perspectives are neither right nor wrong - they are merely the LENSES through which we see the world, and they have the ability to be CHANGED based on how open-minded we are to LEARNING something NEW or DIFFERENT.

The problem here is NOT a "Naturopathic" problem. It's bigger than that, and you all know it. It's a power struggle. It's a battle of egos, and of "turf."

For anyone truly interested in the FACTS, just LOOK THEM UP - Naturopathic Physicians are just as REAL as Allopathic Doctors. Look up their education. They must ALL have an undergraduate pre-medical degree, and they must all attend a 4 year accredited Medical School whose curriculum is nearly IDENTICAL to that of any allopathic medical school in the US.

They learn and use the SAME diagnostic standards to evaluate and diagnose a patient - Histology, pathology, hematology, urology, radiology, Physical Exams, etc. The textbooks, coursework, and exams are all similar, including the national licensing board exams - portions of which are modeled after the USMLE. They begin clinical rotations in their 3rd year, just like MD students, and they learn Pharmacology, JUST LIKE MD's. So, where does the argument come from that Naturopathic Medicine is not based in science?

There are hundreds of SCIENTIFIC (randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind) studies that have been done on natural medicine (Vitamins, minerals, herbs, hormones, supplements). More and more are done each year as the supply and demand grows for SAFER, more EFFECTIVE medicine, with little to no side effects.

Anyone who would argue this needs only to go online and look up studies, or go the library at OHSU or NCNM and look up peer-reviewed journals of alternative medicine.

Why do you think more and more Family Practice and Primary Care MD's are doing CE's in nutrition and natural therapies??

The open-minded ones want the TRUTH, wherever it comes from. You Allopaths OR Naturopaths, who hold on to such a tight firm grip that YOUR way is the best way will never grow as a doctor - which in latin means literally, to teach. How can you teach a patient to be healthy if you aren't willing to learn new things to help someone live a better life?

There are ways that both sides can share knowledge and wisdom for the benefit of HUMANITY, and that is where we need to focus. Let go of the ego. Remember we are alive here on this planet for a brief period of time, to learn how to LOVE, not hate. Love evolves us. Hate destroys us.

and a reminder to the SKEPTIC from vermont:

Every single person alive does not know what they do not know. But that is where humility and awareness are so important to remind us of how much we don't know that we don't know.

Finally, for EVERYONE reading this:

Naturopathic Medicine is NOT Homeopathic Medicine. Homeopathy is ONE of many treatment modalities learned in Naturopathic Medical School, and it was founded by an MD - Samual Hahnemann - who was paid by other MD's to DISPROVE its claims. Yet, from his research and studies (and because he had an open mind to the truth), he became not just a believer, but the foremost proponent of its effectiveness and validity, only to be named the Father of Homeopathy. (His book is called the ORGANON of the Medical Art)

Blessings to all of you.

Yes, chelation is used to treat some metal poisoning, but physicians use legitimate means to diagnose these conditions. Naturopaths, on the other hand, use totally discredited diagnostic tests, such as "hair analysis." They also assume, without any evidence, that conditions such as autism, coronary artery disease, and weakness are curable with chelation.

Physicians administer chelation under hospital conditions to manage the risks. Naturopaths, despite their claims that they receive an education equivalent to physicians, do not use best practice standards in any of their practices. And their hubris means that more and more desperate people looking for relief will die needlessly as long as the public allows Naturopaths to play doctor.

Naturopathy is nothing more than an undefined collection of 19th century, pre-science practices. Many of their current practices have already been demonstrated worthless or to be patently absurd. But Naturopaths are good salesmen. They have gained state licensure in a dozen or so states purely by political means, rather than by bothering to show that their nostrums have any value through research. These are the type of people who would rather use their patients -- including children -- as guinea pigs. Yes, Naturopaths are, by any definition, quacks.

I guarantee that every person on this list does some sort of "naturopathic" medicine. One cannot separate types of medicine so if you have: done any dietary modification, any preventative screening (labs), take any naturally derived pharmaceuticals (over 1/3 of all pharmacy), iced any injury, and … (the list goes on) you qualify. Any real health practitioner (not just pretending to be one for credibility on this list) that is seeing patients knows this. All it takes is a little bit of thinking and a realization about how systems work. Oh, for those who don’t know, homeopathy is an MD degree (I guess this will deflate some opinions). Some ND’s and MD’s may use the therapy, and it has been double blind-placebo controlled and animal tested (not many studies though) and oddly works sometimes, even though not thoroughly explained. This is not surprising because if you look at many pharmaceuticals, the mechanism of action is unknown too (be careful those who think all allopathic medicine is explained). Well, I think that is enough for everyone to think about for now.

It looks like the realist is an idiot without a sense of reality, the MD, PhD has no degree, Jblair should be educated on governing boards and malpractice, Julie should pull her head out and realize the treatments she mentions are conventional treatments, Just a thinking man is not thinking (wake up), The Probe needs to pull their head out too, learn about malpractice and licensing idiot, Skeptyk should realize homeopaths are MDs and should read about the history of medicine before being allowed to post another comment, brett brady needs to write more about the snake oil of the pharmaceutical companies, jason... take a lesson in western medicine, Linda Rosa also needs to do some reading on the history of medicine and should consider retiring if still practicing. Just observing on the idocracy of humans. One day we will become as smart as we think we are; reading these comments just tells me we are not there yet.