No: 24 in a series of articles - Dr. James Balch M.D. ...
There is a large book on my shelf that gets frequent attention – Prescription for Natural Cures by James F. Balch, M.D and co-authored by Mark Stengler, N.D. The 700+ pages are “a self-help guide for treating health problems with natural remedies”. Dr. Balch became an instant controversial character from the book he wrote about prostate disorders back in 1994 suggesting that prostate diseases could be cured naturally, or without drugs or surgery.
As radical a book as it was, for many of its critics for its time, it did not appear as such to Dr. Balch who, during the course of a 30-year as a urologist trained in orthodox Western medicine, realized a dramatic shift in his philosophy and practice of medicine. Such shifts are becoming more commonplace today as doctors question the need for pharmaceuticals and surgery that are proving more and more damaging or addictive for the patient.
In researching Dr. Balch prior to me interviewing him for my documentary on Alternative Treatments for Prostate Cancer I discovered that he is easy to find on the Quackwatch website, which, as I dig deeper into this whole prostate cancer business, I deem almost as a badge of honor. Well trained doctors can and do differ greatly on their recommended treatments but some are more outspoken than others and often the establishment axe is wielded with frequency and voracity against those that choose not to tow the party line.
Dr. Balch’s book Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A-Z guide to Supplements sold over 3.5 million copies and preceded his book “The Super Anti-Oxidants, why they will change the face of healthcare in the 21st century. The latter is an extensive work explaining the whys and wherefores of this seemingly new category of medical healthcare and treatment. This book condenses an amazing amount of information, whether one is a healthcare provider or a layperson and is a well-informed adjunct to ones personal health or get well program.
Back on the urology and prostate cancer front, in my interview with Dr. Balch, he was quite candid in his presentation regarding the frequent “bull at a gate” approach that still exists in urology today particularly when prostate cancer is diagnosed. His belief, mine too after four years of studying this subject, is that men generally are intimidated using fear as a tactic to ensure that they only undergo conventional treatment with little to no acknowledgement for less invasive procedures for which evidence of their success is growing exponentially.
Today Dr. Balch is mostly retired but still imparts a good quotient of his wisdom through writing articles and books, his latest being 10 Natural Remedies that can Save Your Life. However, his impact on urology continues to be felt by way of encouraging prostate disease sufferers to explore non-invasive natural treatments before succumbing to treatments from which, once administered, there is no undoing.