The Whole Story ― Alternative Medicine on Trial?

Alternative medicine is a fifty billion dollar per year industry, yet it continues to generate strong opposition by the orthodox medical establishment. The Whole Story rounds up the latest evidence on the placebo effect, the randomized control trial, personalized genetic medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy and more. It reaches a provocative conclusion: alternative therapies' whole-body approach might be just what medicine really needs right now to help crack the tough, chronic conditions seemingly untouched by the revolutions of surgery, antiseptics, antibiotics, vaccines and molecular biology.

Toby Murcott is a leading science writer, journalist and broadcaster. He was a science correspondent and producer for BBC World Service Radio for many years before becoming Editorial Director of Einstein TV, a digital science channel. He writes a column about alternative medicine research in The Times newspaper. Toby did his PhD and postdoctoral research in biochemistry at Bristol University in the UK.