More and more people with health issues are now choosing alternative medicines and therapies over conventional treatment recommended by their practitioners. I believe this is a negative development because many alternatives are not held to the same standards as mainstream treatments and are often less useful in emergencies.
Many alternatives are not strictly regulated. In most countries, alternative medicines are not classified as drugs and are, therefore, not subject to the same regulations in terms of efficacy and safety, or in the way that they are marketed. This can be seen in herbal remedies which falsely claim to have special ingredients that affect effectiveness, when there is no evidence of this. The same can be said for alternative therapies. Many of these therapies are not conducted by registered practitioners who are permitted to work by a regulatory board. As a result, there is nothing to stop unethical or, even, unsafe practice from taking place.
In addition, non-conventional medical treatments would not be as useful in emergency situations. They take time to work, whereas conventional treatments are developed to take effect fast. If people with conditions or symptoms that need to be relieved right away opt for alternative therapies, they might miss the window of opportunity to cure their diseases. Consider patients who require tumor removal as soon as possible. If they delay surgery in the hopes that a non-mainstream treatment would work, the tumor might grow and spread to other parts of their bodies.
In conclusion, the increased use of alternative medicines and therapies should be viewed as a negative development due to a lack of regulation and their ineffectiveness in emergency situations.