Edzard Ernst and complementary medicine

Professor Edzard Ernst's¹ frequent articles on complementary medicine are becoming rather monotonous because they are too one-sided. He often points out the dangers of complementary medicines and deplores doctors who use them. He rarely mentions that the establishment has probably failed the patients, making them turn elsewhere. Often, all patients get from the establishment are short-term analgesics or symptom relievers and some of these can have dangerous side effects too.

Patients do get results from complementary medicine given by doctors (many well qualified, FRCP, MD etc) who are well aware they must be careful not to miss hidden pathology. We should aim for toleration in all things.