The Prisoners of Health Freedom

[Guest guest]

Here's a little Xmas gift from Dr. Baratz. Enjoy!

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The Prisoners of Health Freedom

One of the recurrent themes that I have seen on several " alternative " health

lists and sites has been " Health Freedom " . Rhetoric asking for " Health Freedom

Fighters to Unite " and resist the forces of " conventional medicine " have been

regularly seen. Some of the individuals who post these notices appear to

believe that they are in a battle with conventional medicine over their

" freedom " to promote and practice quackery. Several posters on these sites and

lists have proposed the following: (I'm paraphrasing here)......

1. The AMA (American Medical Association) (or the American Dental Association,

or other professional associations) and its members (implying all physicians who

belong to the AMA agree with Association policy), or implying that anyone who is

a member is automatically against any form of " alternative " medicine [see below]

or similar, are actively trying to eradicate so-called " alternative medicine " .

2. Somehow " conventional " physicians are trying to stifle any kind of

" alternative " therapy, practitioner, or method. Usually there is an implication

that the reasons for this behavior are: financial, " toting the party line " ,

part of some conspiracy with large drug companies to " keep " things from the

public, or for the purposes of continuing to make " large profits " and stop any

therapy that could be as easy as some " dietary supplements " or a simple

electronic device you could build yourself or buy from an " alternative " store

from being widely adopted.

3. Somehow " conventional " physicians are " afraid " of " pioneers " who are

developing " new therapies " , some of which transcend " established beliefs " .

These pioneers must somehow work either in secret, in foreign countries, or

under similar circumstances since the " authorities " or " powers that be " will

somehow try to crush them for either economic reasons or to " stay in power " .

4. State licensing boards are part of this conspiracy to keep the " alternative

health providers " from practicing. These Boards will prosecute and persecute

the " alternative practitioners " to " keep them from getting the truth to the

public " .

5. The posters are " Health Freedom Fighters " and trying to get health freedom

for anyone who is being stifled by the large pharmaceutical companies, the

conventional practitioners, their agents and lackeys. They further imply that

anyone who differs with them, resists them in any way, or seeks to show how they

are wrong is part of the giant conspiracy to stifle their " freedom " to have

whatever health care they want, and to stop their promoting their ideas and

methods to others.

6. Anyone who supports them and their ideas is a " friend " and anyone who does

not is an " enemy " .

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Well, lets pick this apart

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First some basic precepts.

While we have a " free " country here in the USA, and freedom of expression, we

hold these freedoms at a price. We have free speech, but cannot say untruths

that are harmful to others. We cannot yell " Fire " in a crowded theatre (when no

fire exists), and we cannot libel, slander or otherwise malign others. Free

speech comes with a responsibility for the content of the speaking.

Health Care providers hold a special status in our society. Because they carry

the responsibility for the health of others, hold sensitive, and confidential

information, and dispense of substances and therapies which can do harm if

misused, they are licensed and regulated. Licensure and regulation are by

licensing boards (the government), not by the professionals themselves, and not

by their professional associations and societies. As a result of their special

status health care practitioners must answer for their activities to licensing

boards, and are required to hold confidential information as confidential.

Failure to act responsibly and follow regulations can result in sanctions such

as fines, imprisonment, and license suspension or revocation. Professionals can

also self-regulate in terms of granting privileges at a hospital--admission of

patients, the ability to perform surgery, or similar. Licensing boards have

enormous power. They can literally stop a practitioner from practicing.

Without a license that practitioner cannot earn a living (caring for patients)

at his/her profession.

The American Medical Association and American Dental Association (and similar

organizations) are professional societies, the purposes of which are to advance

the interests of their professions, advocate for their members, promote health

and health practices, promote science and scientific (evidence-based) medicine,

promote ethical behavior, promote public health, and advance their respective

professions by helping to develop better methods, treatments and procedures for

the delivery of effective health care.

Pharmaceutical companies are in the business of developing effective drug

products that they can sell for a profit. Not every thing they do is

profitable, but as a companies they have a responsibility to their shareholders

to make a profit, or at least a return on invested capital. They are regulated

by the FDA (in the USA) and a host of other agencies in other countries. They

are also regulated by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Before they can

market a product they must show with considerable data and clinical experimental

results, to a number of independent review panels, that the product is safe and

effective. Thereafter, and only thereafter, are they given a license to produce

and sell this " drug " . The drug may be sold " over the counter " or " by

prescription only " or by " specific license only " --meaning that not every

practitioner can prescribe it, but only those with special training.

Medical devices are regulated similarly.

Each of the agents involved in healthcare--practitioners, professional

societies, licensing boards, regulatory agencies, etc. can and do interact with

each other on a regular and continuing basis. There are checks and balances in

the system of healthcare to ensure that each of these parties operates

appropriately. The fact that they interact does not at all mean or imply that

they are acting together. Each has different roles, responsibilities, mandates,

regulations, rules, procedures, and interests.

Where they act together it is to promote public health; ensure safety of

patients from drugs and devices that are unsafe, unproven or untested; enforce

laws; promote evidence-based scientific medicine; and advance medical science.

As I have written before on multiple occasions, in my view, so-called

" alternative medicine " (or dentistry) is nothing more than non-evidence based

medicine. It is an alternative to scientific based practice. In my definition

of alternative medicine I am not including: providing a sympathetic ear for

patients, spending time listening, giving patients hope or encouragement, or

other forms of caring. But I am referring to untested and unproven treatments,

drugs, techniques, and therapies that are not part of a controlled clinical

trial.

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Medicine cannot be a field where " anything goes " . It cannot be a discipline

where patients become experimental guinea pigs for the untested hypotheses of

anyone, even if the hypotheses (treatments, agents, or methods) are not readily

or apparently harmful. It is not health freedom to have a free-for-all in

health care.

Patients, whether they have real or imagined diseases, are not doctors or

scientists. They are usually not in a position to know the consequences of a

remedy, treatment or method. That is indeed why we have professionals and their

licensing boards--to protect the public. Although we have an active democracy

(in the USA) the public cannot be expert in everything, nor can its members be

expected to be expert in health care methods and practices. It takes years of

study to understand normal biology, physiology and behavior. Similarly it takes

years to understand abnormal biology, physiology and behavior. To correctly

diagnose pathology is not easy. Nor is it easy to elicit an effective

treatment. Humans are not automatons and have multiple interacting variables

which complicate one's ability to diagnose, treat and monitor the success of a

treatment of even an apparently simple human ailment, let alone a complex

disease or group of diseases in the same individual.

Most of those who advocate " health freedom " fail to recognize the complexity of

human biology, disease or medicine. They often reduce extremely difficult

clinical problems--e.g. metastatic cancer--to a simple problem with a simple

solution, be it a zapper, purge or dietary supplement. (A zapper is an

unapproved medical electronic device which has been claimed to kill alleged

parasites which purportedly infest our bodies and cause " all diseases " ). The

freedom to advocate for something also carries with it a responsibility for

honesty, truth, and the like. Those who make these kinds of advocacy have

regularly demonstrated they won't take responsibility for their own advice.

Those who claim to be strong advocates for " health freedom " regularly stifle

dissent, bully those who try to logically argue with them, refuse to answer

simple questions, and try to keep those who listen to them as their prisoners.

They regularly and predictably attack anyone who differs with them. They won't

listen to or answer dissent, won't present data, won't show studies to support

their point of view and regularly strike out against others with libel,

stalking, tirades, knowingly false charges, threats, and other tactics designed

to intimidate and injure others. They seem not to be concerned with freedom at

all, but are a bunch of gutless hypocrites who hide behind mail drops, false

addresses, and nonsense. What is worse, is, that they know this. They don't

really believe in what they supposedly are promoting, but are merely

capitalizing on other peoples' ignorance or desperation to make money at the

expense of others and their health. They have no responsibility, and through

their deeds, speech and actions prove it on virtually a daily basis.

There is no conspiracy against " health freedom. " And calling it " health

freedom " doesn't make it so. Besides taking others prisoner into their false

beliefs, these so-called " freedom fighters " are prisoners of their own

ignorance.

Those who advocate for evidence-based scientific medicine don't do this for a

profit, to keep others from doing something, to stifle others, or to shirk our

responsibilities. On the contrary. We do it because we are responsible for

what we say, do and practice.

If I'm wrong, those who promote zappers, purges, supplements, and all the rest

of that nonsense only need prove me wrong with some studies, data, and perhaps a

little common sense and basic honesty.

S. Baratz, MD, PhD, DDS

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Lee, PT

The Quack-Files - http://www.geocities.com/healthbase

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" Mankind's capacity for deception and self-deception knows no limits. " -- PL

" If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. " -- Reebok ad.

" Manipulation isn't all it's cracked up to be! "

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