Not all information is equally useful and not all perspectives are equally valid. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but some opinions are worth more than others.

In a rational discussion, any claim about the effectiveness of a pain treatment should be backed up by evidence and the nature of the evidence be made transparent. This enables all parties to evaluate the claim.

While all evidence is to some degree suspect and open to manipulation, I see no other way to proceed in a debate that pits one perspective/theory of pain against another.

I can’t point to a distinction between “alternative” and “conventional” treatment with any great clarity. The difference between “drugs” and “herbs” also escapes me because they both refer to substances that interact on the molecular level with the body.

Before I put something in my body or on my skin, before I let someone crack my neck or give me an injection and before I pay for any of those things, I just want something more substantial than a claim from the doctor, chiropractor, acupuncturist, naturopath or whatever.

For an equal opportunity skeptic like me, reason and evidence are what I trust the most – and even those are subject to review.