An article appeared in the Wall Street Journal called “The Touch that Doesn’t Heal,” by Steve Salerno, claims that “Americans pay billions for alternative medicine -- with nothing to show for it.” The article inaccurately states that the entire practice of integrative medicine bypasses “the customary peer review, controlled studies and other hallmarks of sound medicine.”
Salerno rails about vested interests in complementary and alternative medicine pushing their agendas and making money off of it, while failing to mention the profound negative influence of the vested interests in contemporary medicine -- pharmaceutical drug makers and medical device manufacturers who control the agendas of medical school education, research, medical journal publication, and clinical practice standards.
A substantial percentage of Americans pay out of their own pockets to use complementary and alternative therapies, because the current medical system often fails them when they face chronic disease. The current system pushes pills and procedures while ignoring time-tested methods such as acupuncture, herbs and other therapies.