Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine. However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be dangerous. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

It is accepted that it pre-dates conventional

medicine

and it is still used by many people all over the world. I am unconvinced that it is dangerous, and feel that both

alternative

and conventional

medicine

can be useful. There are several reasons why the conventional medical community is often dismissive of alternatives.

Firstly

, there has been little scientific research into

such

remedies, so there is a scarcity of evidence to support the claims of their supporters.

Furthermore

, people often try

such

treatment because of recommendations from friends, and

therefore

come to the therapist with a very positive attitude, which may be part of the reason for the cure.

Moreover

, these therapies are usually only useful for long-term, chronic conditions. Acute medical problems,

such

as accidental injury, often require more conventional methods.

On the other hand

, there remain strong arguments for the use of alternatives. Despite the lack of scientific proof, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that these therapies work.

In addition

, far from being dangerous, they often have few or no side effects, so the worst outcome would be no change. One of the strongest arguments for the effectiveness of

alternative

therapies in the West is that, whilst conventional

medicine

is available without charge, many people are prepared to pay considerable sums for alternatives. If they were totally unhelpful, it would be surprising if

this

continued. I strongly believe that conventional

medicine

and

alternative

therapies can and should coexist. They have different strengths, and can both be used effectively to target particular medical problems. The best situation would be for

alternative

therapies to be used to support and complement conventional

medicine

.