Image Credit: undiagnosed
I’ve been curious about the reasons why women choose alternative medicine. Is it just personal liking, or is it sometimes because they were unhappy with what traditional medicine had to offer them?
I'm asking this because a family member of mine has been diagnosed with cancer after being delayed with diagnosis before that. We are still awaiting pathology results in order to figure out what type of cancer she is suffering from and how far.
After coming across stories from female patients who had similar health issues and say their cancer was cured, we wandered into the realm of alternative medicine as well. I understand that testimonials cannot be used for asserting the effect of some treatment, but when a person dear to you is sick and you are in search of an adequate treatment, it is easy to try to find hope in other places.
As I looked into this more, I found studies showing that many cancer patients use complementary or alternative medicine. According to a study published in 2023, it was found that 46.5 per cent of women suffering from breast or gynaecological cancer use complementary or alternative medicine. The 2019 systematic review by Keene and co-workers looked into how many cancer patients use alternative options and analysed different groups of people who are likely to use such approaches.
Meanwhile, the study "Believing women" carried out by Brown and colleagues in 2024 examined the experience of women with bladder pain syndrome in terms of their pain being dismissed by the healthcare providers.
These studies do not prove that being dismissed leads women to use alternative treatments, but they do make me wonder: when women feel ignored or scared or simply disappointed in the healthcare system, do they go somewhere else for help?
Have you ever considered alternative treatments after feeling dismissed or let down by a doctor?
I would be glad to hear your stories and what do you feel missing from your health care provider?
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