by Iaato » Wed 03 Oct 2007, 14:17:13
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('davep', 'D')ue to the cartesian reductionism inherent in scientific method, modern medicine is incapable of dealing with the complexity of most illnesses. It is useful for trauma and some other acute situations, but is hopeless at dealing with complex systems.
This isn't a problem in itself, so long as you are aware of it. The problem is that modern medicine has given itself the status of sole arbiter in the health arena, without delivering the goods.
I totally agree with you, DaveP that reductionism is at the root of the problem. As people age and get serious illnesses, our system of specialization in western medicine chops up the body and treats each part separately with complex, high-powered technologies. Pharmaceuticals are a big part of the problem because they are tested with biased, reductionist research methods and then are sold using serious lobbying and marketing. No research is done on the problem of polypharmacy, and I'm here to tell you that there is not a pharmacist in the US who can extract the interactions and chain reactions that occur when a patient is on 5 or 6 medications. The research on polypharmacy has not been done. I voted for number two in the poll, along with just about everyone else. There's a place for medication, but in a much more limited fashion. And I would suggest that as a general rule, one should not take new medications that are less than about 10 years old, unless one desires to become a guinea pig. The most thorough testing of new medications is done through the legal system 5-10 years after the introduction of new drugs.