Is there anecdotal evidence that unconventional therapies sometimes yield positive outcomes?
Yes. There’s also anecdotal evidence that athletes who refuse to shave during winning streaks sometimes bring home championships. It was George D. Lundberg, a former editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, who said: “There’s no alternative medicine. There is only scientifically proven, evidence-based medicine supported by solid data.” We’d do well to keep that in mind as we plot the future of American health care. It’s not like we’ve got billions to waste. Mr. Salerno is the author of “SHAM: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless.” He blogs at www.shamblog.com.
