Thank you for this discussion. I have sought ‘alternative’ treatment for many years because my mother instilled a distrust of traditional medicine and, for many years, I bought the snake oil, hook, line and sinker. I then became a massage therapist, a field filled with those who rely on empirical evidence and pseudoscience when there is, in fact, real research demonstrating the efficacy of MT for certain conditions. There is enough evidence to return us to the realm of traditional medicine if some have their way. However, even after 21 years in this work and a much longer lifetime as a woman, I had not considered the feminist issues of this dichotomy. It explains much of my experience and will likely inform how I approach my work in the future.
I have, however, long been dismayed by the social justice issue of the affordability of my work. Some try to donate time or create programs to offer services such as massage or yoga classes to those that can’t afford it but it also becomes a cultural commodity, something just for “rich white people” (really just RW women), a luxury…
On a more personal note, seventeen years ago, because of my years of avoiding traditional medicine, I was diagnosed with a baseball sized, fluid filled cyst (could rupture and kill me or at the least make me very ill). I, of course, opted for the recommend surgery but continued to get alternative treatments to support me while preparing for the surgery. I decided to quit my Accupuncturist, who also sold me expensive herbal tinctures, when he said it was too bad I didn’t just decide to treat it with fasting and more of the expensive herbal tinctures. I also thought I would scream if one more colleague/acquaintance asked if I had tried eliminating dairy or gluten! At the time I was eating an almost vegan diet and had even quit my beloved caffeine. Fortunately I also had a large circle of truly supportive friends and had a good experience with lots of support through the surgery, but my perception of the world of alternative therapies was forever colored by distrust and feeling a bit betrayed…
