Warning signs to look out for

Before using any complementary therapy or medicine, keep the following warning signs in mind.

• The treatment claims to cure cancer and other illnesses.
• The therapist says that the medicine has worked miraculously for other people.
• The therapist claims that a proposed treatment or therapy has no side effects and is “definitely safe” to use.
• All potential side effects have not been explained.
• The therapist is not qualified in the therapy they provide, or not registered with a governing body or professional association.
• The therapist says there are clinical studies showing the effectiveness of their remedy or therapy but does not show you articles from trustworthy journals reviewed by other scientists.
• The therapist attempts to “diagnose” your condition using only a survey or checklist without a proper consultation.
• The therapist runs an in-house “laboratory” that isn’t accredited by any recognised authority and may claim to diagnose “diseases” based on simple unvalidated tests (e.g. via a few drops of blood).
• The medicine is not listed with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
• The therapist tells you to stop using conventional cancer treatment or medicine, because it will interfere with their therapy or remedy.
• The therapist suggests changes to your conventional cancer treatment, asks you not to speak to your doctors about the treatment, or will not tell you what ingredients are in a herbal preparation they give you.
• The treatment costs a lot of money, or you are asked to pay in advance for several months’ supply.
• The therapist asks you to have very expensive tests not covered by Medicare for your condition.
• The service has no physical location and all interactions are conducted online.
• You need to travel overseas to have the treatment.

→ READ MORE: Safety of herbs

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