Why can't orthodox medicine intigrate with complemetary medicine?

Richard Dawkins programme "Enemies of Reason" showed how scientists cannot get their heads round the fact that you can't apply scientific principles of testing to an area of medicine that deals with the whole body and is ,basically, energy medicine. By attacking homoeopathy, Dawkins shows that he has little understanding of a therapy that works on a different principal to the drug regime. The basic principle of all medicine is for the patient to get better, and "do no harm". If complementary medicine (CAM) does this, what is the problem??? Acupuncture has been around for over 5000 years, with benefits for millions of people. Why does this have to be proved scientifically? Just accept the fact that it works and intigrate it into mainstream medicine.
However, the bottom line is, that it does not make millions of pounds profit and CAM is a perceived threat to the pharma companies. What do you think?

The truth? Western medicine is much more lucrative. Just take a very basic example: you have sore muscles in your back. Try an approach like massage, acupuncture, etc. Now go to the clinic with the same problem. Here's where your money goes: (1)visit to the doctor; (2)possible x-rays; (3)blood work, perhaps - you know, "just to make sure" (??); (4)prescription costs - usually a pain medication, an anti-inflammatory, a muscle relaxant. I may be cynical, but I've been in the health care profession for waaaay too long.

Your absolutely right. I'm a ENORMOUS fan of alternative medicine. However, the AMA and the pharmeucutical companies (not sure if I spelled that right) ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY will not allow it into their drug regime. Why? 1) because It can't be patented. 2) because people would actually get healthy. (Holy crap, People getting healthy, thats a new idea.) and 3) because scientists always have to have "proof" However, half the time they have this so called "proof" its false, and hundreds to millions of lives are affected because of their so called "proof" that something is safe and effective.

There is little point as the vast majority of complementary therapies have no more than a placebo effect.

It can, and it is done in Taiwan and other eastern countries.

You do need to remember, though, that herbal remedies you might want to take on your own can and often do interfere with prescription medications. You want to make sure that your physician is aware of the complete materia medica and can gauge what you can and should not take with your prescriptions, unless you want to devote yourself entirely to one camp or the other.

The practises come from different viewpoints. Conventional medicine thinks it can cure by physical means, and alternative medicine tries to attack it from a different angle, often spiritual or healing the mind to cure the symptoms.

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Right, No cynicism, no bias. Western medicine is based on evidence based practice. If it can be proven to work under very strict clinical conditions then it is Ok as long as it is safe.
if we understand to a large extent how a treatment works then we are Ok with it.
The human body is understood as a physiologigal machine which follows certain ,clearly understood scientific principles. these can be demostrated to work according to our understanding right down to an atomic level. For instance we know that nerves work by system of electronic impulses generated by an interaction between Sodium, Calcium and Potassium.
the brain is a collection of nerves and it is impulses between these nerves that makes us tick. We know how the impulses are transmitted and prevented from being tranmsitted etc.
Alternative medicine cannot be proven to follow these clearly understood principles so we don`t use it.
A homeopathic dose, for instance cannot be detected in the water that is carrying it. All tests will demonstrate that it is pure water. Yet it works for some. No-one can demonstrate the pathways described in reflexology. Yet it works for some.
I`m afraid that in this litigation conscious age we have to be ultra carefull and untill we know more we have to stick with what we`ve got
That is not to say that it don`t work

that is absolutey true, & not only in this case but also in the treatement of cancer..there has been people who have been able to claim to cure cancer, wether it was through spiritual healing or others & they have been seriously threatened & even arrested..
also, in the case of depression, there was a product called melatonin I think, which was banned becos it was so succesul in treating depression..it is very sad, & even sick(sorry for my language) for people to sacrifice the well-being of individuals for the sake of money..I can't even understand the depth of their greed, it is a reflection of the society we live in...

Dr Frank gave the pat AMA answer to your question
fact is..pharmaceutical companies own healthcare (traditional) in the US..between the AMA and the PMA over $10million daily spent on "public relations". Watch the newspapers, TV news casts..always a "new medical cure on the way". I by no means am trying to suggest that critical care, crisis care, or life saving medicines should be ignored.
85% of visits to GP's could be eliminated with proper diet, exercise, common sense and natural remedies. Natrual cures, as one poster already pointed out, cannot be patented , therefore established medicine/pharmaceutical companies will continue to attack them as no good

I totally agree. We are a monopolistic society. Everyone is out for the money. No matter whether it is the cure for cancer or not. Also, Dr.s do not want to be told that they spent all that money on an education only to be outdone by homoeopaths and acupuncturists! Greed!

It is more money into treating a symptom than to treat the whole body, some illnesses can be cured but there is more money to be made by selling you a medication to treat it not get rid of it.

Hello Enoch..I've just found your question and agree wholeheartedly with you. I have RA and my doctor suggested about 10 yrs ago that i try Homoeopathy..i did have some doubt, but 3 yrs ago i started the treatment and can testify to inner healing and physical healing in this short time with Homoeopathic medicine..I've had RA for around 37yrs, have tried all sorts of drug treatments, some of which have slowed down the disease and I'm very grateful for this..so mainstream and alternative have worked together for me. Homoeopathy has also made a huge difference to menopause problems which I've had for 9yrs and since taking Homoeopathic medicine for 3yrs have reduced greatly...after yrs of mood swings, hot flushes, night and day sweats, depression, many sleepless nights and chronic tiredness, i now feel normal again all thanks to my doctor persuading me to try Homoeopathic medicine. I say each to their own opinion but if you've never been ill and never tried alternative med, how can you say with honesty it doesn't work..only ppl who have been ill surely they alone are qualified to comment with any certainty...I'm just very grateful to have a caring doctor who wants to see me well and happy. Alternative med is now available on the NHS, and more ppl are seeing the benefits, doctors and patients I'm glad to say.
I agree with those who say it's about money and greed mostly...also for some doctors, fear of loosing their position..
We must use e/thing available to us to heal ppl...