Medical treatments from decades and even centuries ago are considered archaic. However, many patients do not realize that certain treatments they receive today date back to ancient times. Some of these procedures are controversial, and many modern medical practitioners disagree with their use. Others feel that they are time-tested and more successful than modern day treatments.
Craniectomy is a common procedure performed on patients who have excess swelling of the brain. It may save the patient’s life, but also has a high risk of disability when performed incorrectly. People treated with this procedure were less likely to die, but a high volume is also more likely to be in a vegetative state after the procedure is done.
Chiropractic care is not considered a medical treatment by medical physicians. Chiropractic care is not based on medical or scientific research. The therapeutic value of these treatments has long been disputed, and it has not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
This doesn’t mean that these treatments do not work; however, there is no evidence proving that they offer medical benefits, as some claim.
These seem like something out of a Hollywood movie, but they are still performed today in a variety of psychiatric clinics. Today, however, the therapy is not as violent and is much safer. Physicians can control the dose and location of the shocks, but the patient is given also anesthesia so that they do not feel the pain or remember what happened.
There are known risks with this treatment, including cardiac arrest and the loss of short-term memory.
The Dark Ages were where leech therapy was born, but it never fully went away. Leech therapy has been coming back and is used to treat everything from nervous system disorders to dental issues and infections.
Back in the day, surgeons on the battlefield noted that when a patient’s wound was touched by flies, and those flies laid eggs, the patient started to recover quicker. Studies later uncovered that the eggs (larvae) secrete a digestive enzyme that dissolves dead and infected tissue inside an open wound. This is a scientific process known as debridement.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of maggot therapy in 2004, but not all physicians use it.
Maggots have, however, been used for burn wards, severe and deep wounds, and wounds with infected tissue.
Controversial treatments may be legal, but that does not mean they are always done correctly. When a physician acts negligently while caring for a patient, they are legally responsible for the injuries and damages caused. Anyone who suffers injury from a medical treatment (controversial or not) should contact an attorney to explore his or her legal options.
Contact Berkowitz and Hanna LLC today to schedule a no-obligation case evaluation. Call 866-479-7909 or contact us online to get started.
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