Safety IS a valid concern, considering the fact that we're all, in a sense, "living on the edge". You've heard of that vital gaseous element so necessary for life that constitutes approximatelly 21% of the earth's atmosphere - oxygen? Well, it turns out (according to Material Safety Data Sheets that accompany Medical and industrial compressed or liquid Oxygen cylinders) that prolonged exposure to levels higher than 75% can cause central nervous system depression including headache, dizziness, drowsiness, poor coordination, slowed reaction time, slurred speech, giddiness and even UNCONSCIOUSNESS. And breathing greater than 40% concentration for 1 - 2 days by newborn, and especially premature, infants has been reported to cause blindness. (Journal, Indian Academy of Clinical Medicine Vol. 4, No. 3 July-September 2003 p.235; Kelly F.J. Free radical disorders of preterm infants. British Medical Bulletin 1993;49 (3):481-93.) That doesn't exactly sound "safe", does it? (Of course, prolonged oxygen deprivation can be even MORE dangerous!)

But, if even something so "safe" and necessary can be dangerous when out of it's natural state and handled unwisely, surely everything else MUST carry SOME degree of risk, mustn't it? --- EVEN MEDICAL TREATMENT ??? --- Or is that not supposed to be brought up in "polite society"? If not, the facts are apparantly rather "impolite".

An exceptionally comprehensive and candid "study of studies" was reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 279 No. 15, April 15, 1998 (JAMA.1998;279:1200-1205). In their article "Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalized Patients --- A Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies", Jason Lazarou, MSc; Bruce H. Pomeranz, MD, PhD; and Paul N. Corey, PhD analyzed over 30 years of data from U.S. hospitals (which use only FDA approved prescription drugs with "professional" supervision) to obtain the overall incidence of SERIOUS ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS ---defined as those that required hospitalization, were permanently disabling, or resulted in death.

Based on the resulting percentages (of which they report VERY SMALL variation throughout the entire period) and a recent year's total hospital admissions, they estimated that approximately TWO MILLION hospital patients ANNUALLY have SERIOUS adverse drug reactions with approximately 100,000 FATALITIES (calling it the 4th LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH in the U.S.! --- ahead of pulmonary disease, diabetes, AIDS, pneumonia, accidents, and automobile deaths).

Incidently, FDA's (U S Government Food and Drug Administration -- www.fda.gov) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research was still quoting those statistics in their 2002 "Adverse Drug Reaction learning module" and even in their Feb 22, 2006 Budget Formulation and Presentation for 2007. (They're not very "polite" either, are they?)

So, by comparison, what's the "danger" of non-medical health care? Good nutrition? Surely not! Proper posture and physical alignment? Not likely! -----Oh!----- "It doesn't actually CURE anything." --- Well, let's get one thing straight here and now. Drugs and surgery don't actually "cure" anything, either. Primarily they alleviate symptoms ---SOMETIMES life-threatening ones ---so they CAN be quite valuable to some folks at times. But drugs mostly mask, hide, or cover up the symptom/pain/discomfort, etc. so it doesn't bother us. Thus, even for SERIOUS ILLNESS, we often get the same thing many non-prescription medications promise: "Prompt, TEMPORARY Relief". Naturally, we're all attracted to the "Prompt" part. When we're sick the last thing we are is patient. (The doctor who first started calling sick people "patients" was surely indulging in wishful thinking.) But we're inclined to overlook that "temporary" part.

Most non-medical therapies, on the other hand, concentrate on the CAUSE of the ailment. Not the absolute ROOT cause, mind you. No field of human knowledge understands that completely. But, addressing the chief CONTRIBUTING causes (rather than just the pain or other symptoms not of ease but of DIS-ease) often brings more lasting relief by means of the body's own built-in healing abilities. That's the only TRUE healing there ever is --- with OR without medicine. (Not to say there are NO risks. See Part 8 --- "Is It For You" --- or keep reading; you'll get there.)

But, to those who have never personally seen or experienced anything except the "Prompt, Temporary Relief" scenario, this aspect of natural healing may sometimes be a bit "ALARMING"; and they may assume nothing is being done, someone is being terribly neglected, or "the patient's gonna die!" Granted, there's no therapy that ALWAYS works. REMEMBER THE 3rd LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH REPORTED ABOVE! If that's the risk you prefer to take, that's your choice and YOUR BUSINESS. But some of us, for decades, have seen and experienced reasons to feel MUCH SAFER taking these other "risks" instead.
(See: "Growing Up REALLY Drug Free --- A True Story" for an example. Or keep reading --- you'll get there.)

If WE promise NOT to get all excited and upset over the risks we perceive YOU'RE taking and try to tell YOU what to do --- promise you won't get all excited, upset and worried about OUR health care choices? !?!?!

"Ah! yes. But personal experience can be deceptive!" you're saying. "Is there any SCIENTIFIC evidence these natural therapies really work?"