In 1990, the brochure included a photo of Minarik and Mario Cuomo, shoulder to shoulder in front of a gas station. The caption described Cuomo as looking “very contented after getting his ailing back cured with a foot reflexology treatment” from the “famed” foot reflexologist.

However, in August of that year, Governor Cuomo responded that he “in no way “endorsed “Mr.” Minarik’s work and that Minarik had never treated him. Brochures distributed between late 1993 and August 1995 do not mention or depict the former governor.

I first laid eyes on Minarik on July 29, 1995, when I chanced upon him in a steam room. This was in a large health spa in Woodside, New York, that had displayed his promotional materials for years. I recognized Minarik from a photo in a copy of a tabloid clipping I had recently seen at the club. The man sitting beside him asked about his cellular phone, perched just outside the window ahead of them. Minarik told the man he was expecting a call from a patient. Before I left the club, I obtained his brochure from a display case.

The cover of the brochure stated:

Foot Reflexology is a science which deals with the principle that there are reflexes in the feet relative to each and every organ and all parts of the body.

As a person gets older, inorganic calcium builds up on these nerve endings causing a shortage of nerve energy back to the corresponding parts of the body. By skillfully stimulating these reflexes, these inorganic calcium deposits can be gradually dissolved enabling renewed nerve energy and blood circulation to previously sluggish glands, organs or other parts of the body. Even after the first treatment, the patient experiences a profound sense of well-being and euphoria.

These assertions are scientifically footless.

The cover further states that foot reflexology has “successfully alleviated” anxiety, arthritis, back pain, bursitis, constipation, depression, fatigue, “female problems,” glandular disorders, headaches, intestinal ills, neck stiffness, sciatica, and more than a half-dozen other health problems.

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For the most part these kinds of therapies seemed to be the only ones doctors relied upon for symptom relief. This approach has proven beneficial for many thousands of people for decades, but there have been a number of people who, for one reason or another, cannot take medicine or utilize these other forms of therapy. This other sector of people with arthritis has looked beyond what we call conventional therapy and has explored the world of alternative therapies. In the last few years more and more attention is being focused on alternative therapies. Part of the reason for the increased interest is people who have arthritis are not realizing the results they want from the conventional forms of therapy. As patients assume more responsibility for their own healthcare, they are looking beyond conventional treatments and have a desire to incorporate all kinds of therapy into their treatment program. In this article I hope to help you understand some of these alternative treatments and how you can go about deciding whether they are something you want to add to your treatment program.

Alternative Medicine: Refers to medical practices or remedies used in place of mainstream Western medicine.

Complementary Medicine: These are therapies that are used along with or in support of mainstream Western medicine.

Western Medicine, Allopathic Medicine: Medical treatments and therapies — drugs or otherwise — accepted by U.S. mainstream medicine, taught in medical schools, prescribed by doctors and used in hospitals.

Holistic Medicine: Refers to a way of treating the patient, taking into consideration their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health when designing or planning a person’s healing process.

Integrative Medicine: This is an approach that integrates complimentary therapies into Western medical practice to individualize a person’s treatment plan.

Preventive Medicine: This medical practice focuses on educating and treating a patient to help prevent health problems from occurring, rather than treat the problem once it develops.

Unconventional Medicine: This form of therapy is described as being any treatment or therapy — drugs or otherwise — that does not fall within the conventional or Western medicine category.

One other topic, the dangers of using alternative therapy, is also important to know before we get into the specific alternative therapies. Some patients get irritated at their healthcare providers when they seem not to be at all interested in hearing about alternative therapies. As a patient, and one who likes to be the center of his/her own care, it is important that doctors keep an open mind and try to help that person understand why or why not to incorporate alternative therapies into their existing treatment plan. If a physician is not willing to do that, many times the patient will go out on their own and start using alternative therapies without disclosing that to his/her doctor. This can be a very dangerous approach to treatment, especially if the person is taking prescribed medication along with the alternative therapy. If you are one of those people who fall into this category then please read this next paragraph carefully.

There are many danger signals that all of us should be aware of when deciding whether a therapy, especially medical, is appropriate for us. Here are some claims we should question:

A salesman or practitioner who cannot disclose the secret way the treatment works. If it had a scientific base, then the information would be available to the scientific community for review and evaluation.

The claim of a cure or a miraculous breakthrough without scientific data to back it up is always something to be cautious about. Big discoveries are few in number. Most of the time when we do have one, a scientist is very cautious about claiming it as a cure.

If the only way you have heard about the treatment is on an infomercial, on the back page of magazine, over the phone or by direct mail, this should raise some question in your mind. Usually treatments that have been researched are identified in medical journals or other reputable publications.

When the only proof you have that a product works is from a number of other peoples’ statements or testimonials. A few of the people interviewed may have benefited from the product, but many may have been paid a sum of money for giving a positive testimonial. Often people giving a statement are identified only by their initials or first name, which should raise some suspicion.

If you are already taking a prescribed medication and a practitioner tells you to stop all your prescribed medication and start taking this alternative therapy, this should bring up a red flag in your mind. You should always discuss with your prescribing doctor your desire to stop or change your medication. Stopping some medications abruptly can be very dangerous to your health.

Another situation that should raise suspicion is if a practitioner tells you to severely restrict your diet. This is not merely lowering your caloric level, but eliminating whole food groups or fasting for long periods of time. If you believe that certain food groups are creating your problem the best person to contact is a registered dietitian. They can help with regulation of your dietary needs.

This one is commonly used in magazines. You need to send in your money and then they will send out the product. Many times it will be a situation where they will automatically keep sending it to you each month until you notify them to stop. You get started on this plan and they make it hard for you to cancel. Also, there is no way to monitor whether this product is helping you or what it is doing to or for you.

The provider of whatever substance you are trying should be able to provide you with some proof of why their product does what they say it does. If they cannot sight any scientific studies or other reputable means of proof that the product will do what they claim, then you should be suspicious.

The last one is not heard of too often, but it is when the prescribing practitioner tells the patient that there isn’t a need to tell the regular physician about this new treatment. Most reputable practitioners will welcome the opportunity to work right along side with a person’s regular physician.

… see Part 2