Are alternative health care practioners quacks?
In some cases, yes, alternative health care practitioners are quacks .... however, I find that it is less likely to be a malicious, deliberate deception than if the source of the information is there strictly to see product. In some cases, a person may believe something will work and help you, which may not ultimately be the truth. Those may be called quacks because they believe in and promote something later found to be harmful or ineffective for it's intended purpose.
To me, quackery lends itself to the image of a callous person who doesn't really care if they cause harm, as long as the money is good. In my experience, I've met very few in the alternative health care field who were making enough money to be in it strictly for the money. A person who is drawn to a vocation as an holistic wellbeing practitioner did not ever used to be in it for the money because there wasn't a lot of money to be had and there was a lot of criticism to be endured.
Big Business Draws Big Quackery!
Today, though, holistic health is big business so it will draw people who just want to sell you something and never mind if it works or not. Those are crooks, in my opinion.
What draws a person to work in the field of wholistic wellbeing, whether as a wellness counselor or healing facilitator, is not always the money. Certainly, not every doctor is in it strictly for the money either. There are some wonderful, progressive, well-trained and accurate doctors who dedicate their lives to helping people, and who function with high integrity and care. There are also some medical doctors who are what would be called quacks. You occasionally hear about them on the news but the medical profession does not corner the market on quackery. Just as there are most assuredly incompetent doctors who practice bad allopathic medicine, there are alternative medicine practitioners who practice bad natural healing.
One difference between the two types of quakery is how much harm can happen in each. The the level of risk with prescription drugs completely eclipses the level of danger with truly natural remedies. I think even a scientist or doctor must acknowledge that the chances of death resulting from someone accidentally taking the wrong natural remedy is tremendously lower than your chances of dying if prescribed the wrong prescription drug.
Health Disclaimer: Whether you see a medical doctor, alternative health care practitioner or some combination of both to address your health issues, awareness and active participation in your own health care is vital. Be educated and ask questions about the drugs you choose to take, as well as the natural supplements your naturopath might suggest. It's your health so take charge of it.
