The only requirements for guild membership are an interest in exploring financial accessibility, and helping to pay the costs of printing and postage. The guild is a support and information network for healing arts professionals and does not at this time offer referrals. If you thought modern medicine would never veer from its near total reliance on drugs, surgery, and high-tech therapies, reconsider. With some prodding from Congress, the NIH has created the Office of Alternative Medicine and is gearing up to begin research into alternative therapies. The NIH Office of Alternative Medicine is drafting a report describing the evidence for and against the effectiveness of these therapies and recommending further research directions.
Major hurdles await the new office.
Advocates of alternative therapies should hold on to their hats. Some will be shown to be worthless or actually harmful. But others will almost certainly be validated as effective, safe, and relatively inexpensive. Please send comments to webmaster Last Updated 29 June 2000 .