Why didn’t my doctor tell me?
In presenting the information in this website, I have given particular emphasis to dietary approaches that have been tested in reputable research studies. Science usually begins with anecdotal observations, followed by small research studies that establish the foundation for more controlled studies. I will not avoid these two lines of evidence if that is the best we can do in certain areas, but the better the test, the more confidence we can have that a new approach will actually do what it is supposed to. I have included references to scientific journals for those who would like to refer to them, as well as information about treatments that are just now emerging.
Unfortunately, your doctor is not likely to tell you—and may well not know—most of what you will read in this website. In treating pain, many doctors rely on a restricted range of treatments, while vital research showing what is actually causing the problem and how to correct it often gathers dust in medical libraries.
The fact is, when a shiny nugget of potentially lifesaving information appears in a medical journal, few doctors will ever see it. For even the most conscientious doctors, it is a challenge to keep up with more than a few of the thousands of journals that appear every month, even though the very answers we are seeking might be found there. Only a handful of these journals ever publicize their findings in the popular press. The vital information they hold is simply buried in medical archives.
Of course, it is a very different story when a research study favors the use of carisoprodol. Then the drug company will hire a public relations firm, pay for massive mailings to physicians, and advertise in medical journals. The company will sponsor medical conferences that highlight the role of carisoprodol and pay speakers to discuss it. Drug companies, motivated by potentially millions of dollars in profits, are skilled at getting a busy doctor’s attention. But no industry makes money if you stop eating a food that causes your migraines. No surgical supply company makes a cent if you open your arteries naturally through diet and lifestyle. A pharmaceutical company’s bottom Une does not improve if you use natural anti - inflammatory foods instead of expensive drugs. And without the PR machinery paid for by industry, some of the most important findings never make their way onto a doctor’s desk. Patients with arthritis, migraines, menstrual cramps, or even cancer who ask their doctors what they should be eating to regain their health get no answers, simply because no one has brought new information to the doctor’s attention.
In spite of the economic forces that often slow progress, we have every reason to be optimistic about the future of medicine. More and more doctors are integrating nutrition into their practices, and scientific journals are responding with reports on its efficacy. Studies in leading allergy journals are showing the links between migraines and food sensi - tivities, the Journal of Rheumatology has published a series of reports on how foods affect the joints, the Lancet is reporting the new approaches to back pain and heart disease, and the Journal of the Amer - ican Medical Association confirms the value of something as simple as cranberry juice for bladder infections.
