Complementary vs Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture as Complementary Therapy (a reaction to Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar)

I have just watched the Netflix show, Apple Cider Vinegar - and woah! There are so many topics that I want to dive into. It serves as an incredibly well-timed springboard into a lot of issues that I have been pondering regarding the 'wellness industry' - a term that makes me shudder while I acknowledge that I am part of it.

In case you haven't watched it yet (very mild spoilers ahead), Apple Cider Vinegar is a six-part Netflix miniseries that dramatizes the true story of Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who falsely claimed to have cured her terminal brain cancer through natural remedies and healthy eating. The series explores Gibson's rise to fame, the development of her successful app and cookbook, and the eventual exposure of her deceit, highlighting the dangers of health misinformation and the impact of social media on public perception. 

The first and most important message that I have, in reaction to this show is this:

Acupuncture should be used as a complementary medicine NOT an alternative medicine. It is NOT a replacement for any essential western medicines your doctor has prescribed for you. If your acupuncturist suggests lowering your medicine dose, or coming off of it GET ANOTHER ACUPUNCTURIST! We are not qualified in western medicine and we cannot advise you on your medications or other procedures.

If your acupuncture treatment and lifestyle changes are making a significant improvement in your symptoms (for example in conditions such as anxiety or high blood pressure) and you would like to consider lowering your dose or discontinuing it all together, talk to your doctor. You acupuncturist will likely be happy to write to your doctor to support you in the changes you wish to make, but following the advice of your doctor is paramount.

Coming back to cancer, the disease foremost in Apple Cider Vinegar's narrative, acupuncture actually has an amazing role to play in the experience of cancer patients but this is in mitigating some of the effects of conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Many cancer patients find that acupuncture relieves chemo-induced pain and nausea and there are incredible clinics out there devoted entirely to their well-being. Close to home this includes The Community Based Acupuncture Service (CBAS) which is funded by the Sussex Cancer Fund. It offers free acupuncture therapy alongside conventional cancer treatments and you can read more about it here: https://sussexcancerfund.co.uk/patient-care/acupuncture/