Massage, Spa and other Alternative Practices Threatened!!

[edlarkcmt]

Hi Folks,

This is a serious matter that needs attention and comment from all people. I encourage you to read the guidance proposal from the link below.

If the FDA has their way (and I cant believe that it will go through) this guidance could have an huge negative impact on the massage and alternative health industries.

An example of the absurdity of this guidance;
Massage therapy by itself is not regulated under this guidance. However, if I were to use an oil, lotion or a device while working on my clients then I would be practicing "medicine" and therefore working out of scope of practice.

I ask once again to please take the time to read the guidance and forward it to all you know who are associated with these industries.
There is also a link so you can leave a comment to the FDA.

The following is the Info I received from my Professional Association.

Thank You,

Ed Lark
Professional Therapeutic Bodywork

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking comments on a draft guidance entitled “Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration.”

The FDA states clearly that they neither can nor should regulate massage therapy. In the draft guidance, however, they do state that oils, lotions, creams, and other products and massage devices that we use in our practice may be subject to FDA regulation.

On behalf of anyone who uses alternative practices in their life, I want to encourage to use this excellent opportunity to comment to the FDA on this issue.

Please note that Professional organizations have asked FDA for an extension to their deadline, but as of now the comment period will end April 30, 2007. So, there’s only a short time to express your views.

You can read the Federal Register notification about the call for comment here: https://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/E7-3259.htm
You can read the draft guidance here:
https://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/06d-0480-gld0001.pdf
To comment on the draft guidance directly to FDA click here (Be sure to reference docket number 2006D-0480):
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/oc/dockets/comments/COMMENTSMain.CFM?EC_DOCUMENT_ID=1451&
Please take some time to voice your professional opinion about the FDA draft guidance.

[Si'paz]

its true folks this isnt the only crazy law that is threateneing us, you can also help fight this one as well as the codex alimentarius, an insane law that is pushed by evil corporations that will destroy natural foods supplements and organics at www.healthfreedomusa.org

[Tars]

The FDA states clearly that they neither can nor should regulate massage therapy. In the draft guidance, however, they do state that oils, lotions, creams, and other products and massage devices that we use in our practice may be subject to FDA regulation.

I realize that I will probably be considered a Nazi-dupe of the evil FDA when I say this here, but I support greater regulation of supplement manufacturers.

Our society tries to prevent manufacturers of prescription medicines to make unjustified claims about the healing effects of those medicines. Before they are released for general consumption they have to be tested in an attempt to ascertain whether or not they are harmful in some way.

I'm glad this process happens. But the supplement manufacturers are given the same rein that was abused by snake oil salesmen. They can make any kind of health claim they want about their products, with no legal consequence. This may lead to some more gullible people being harmed by relying on them to address their health problems.

Homeopathy should be held to the same standards as mainstream medicine.

It is totally reasonable for supplement manufacturers to have the same requirements that all other drug manufacturers have. They're welcomed to make any claims they want about their potions & preparations, as long as they can scientifically prove them.

If you don't believe this, please contact me about the amazing health benefits of using my

Tars' organic horse manure capsules.
(Also available as a rub-on solution, for two easy payments of $49.95)

[west side posse]

Yo Tars,

I enjoyed the humor. Great discussion. The claims that often originate from "health food" or "natural health" marketing can be ridiculous. However, prescription pharmaceuticals are manufactured with the intent to cure, treat, or prevent illness and disease--supplements are not!

We already have srtict laws in our society that regulate and prevent manufacturers from making medical claims about a product. Just pick up any supplement bottle and you will find the ubiquitous statement: "This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness."

It's one thing to sell "Tars's organic horse shit capsules" over the internet and make an unrealistic or misleading health claim about it, but it is totally different to claim that "Tars's capsules" will cure your lung cancer.

Furthermore, the entire marketing industry thrives on unfounded and ridiculous claims not just supplement producers.

For example, I recently bought an expensive pair of binoculars to go on a birding expedition. The advertisment said that I would be able to see objects 1000' yards away with "crystal clarity." HA! What a crock of shit that was. Of course i returned them immediately.

[edlarkcmt]

Nice job with the humor but this is still far greater a problem than just the supplement matter.

The text of the guidance is clear enough and I suggest you read it.

Thanks,

-Ed

[Tars]

The text of the guidance is clear enough and I suggest you read it.

OK, took your suggestion. Didn't scrutinize it word-for-word, since I'm not an alternative health practitioner, or whatever they're called. No doubt it has much more interest in the minute details to someone who actually applies medications & preparations to other people for money.

But I browsed it, and speaking as an occasional massagee instead of a massager, I don't have a problem with there being some required testing and regulation of substances being applied onto my skin. The language didn't look like a power grab by the money-grubbing pharmaceutical makers. Seemed rather reasonable to me. Someone who examines it closely, please do share the specific passage(s) that are unreasonable.

I don't see requiring testing of "alternative" products as being any more restrictive than having the ingredients labels that are currently required by law on all other products for human consumption.

The massage practitioners I use all appear to be of high moral character. They are obviously caring humanistic individuals. No doubt the huge majority of homeopathic remedies are basically harmless. But there's that saying, something like

99% of the laws exist to protect society from 1% of the people.

I do want to go in and get my periodic massage. It seems reasonably prudent for our society to minimize the potential health problems caused by some hazardous lotion, spritz, spray, or anything else that will be used on humans. Maybe it sounds benign - Brother Lucius' Aura Cleansing Lotion. But without some sort of regulation, who's to know that "Brother Lucius" isn't really some deranged wacko with business acumen in L.A. who's convinced that strychnine cleanses the aura? Or, is it impossible that all massage lotions do not contain anything to which some people don't have severe allergies?

That's most likely unlikely. But that 1% of "alternative", "holistic", "natural", "spiritual", etc., product manufacturers, who in reality are just scam artists or are dangerously incompetent for whatever reason, make life harder for the 99% of people who are sane and honest.

It's a reasonable expectation that homeopathic lotions, sprays, or anything applied onto humans, should be demonstrated to be either non-affecting, or that they actually do whatever it is they claim to do.

[Vet-To-Pet]

I agree with Tars--if there's nothing to hide, then there shouldn't be a problem (altho I must admit I haven't read every single word of the recent postings or the proposal promoting that facts about ingredients be listed for consumers to have informed consent to have someone use them on their body). Think of all the things that were considered harmless or relatively safe (cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, sun-bathing, etc; think of the thalydamide babies born to women who unknowingly took "safe" medication during their pregnancies) until the last few decades---what will be discovered 20 years from now about some of the oils or lotions or "other" being rubbed into our skin. And just consider the latest horror stories about pets having been fed tainted food, sold by reputable companies, but which cost many of those pets their lives from kidney failure. I don't think "looking a bit more closely" & being informed consumers is out of line or asking too much. If a legitimate masseur/masseuse objects to having their 'tools of the trade" scrutinized, then maybe they aren't as informed about the products they use as they should be....?
Vet-To-Pet

OK, took your suggestion. Didn't scrutinize it word-for-word, ...
But I browsed it, and speaking as an occasional massagee...

[Tars]

I could see where closer FDA scrutiny of alternative healthcare substances might be used as a positive marketing point for massage practitioners. they could advertise that they use only lotions that have been proven in double-blind studies, to contain only ingredients that nourish the skin, and provide healthful benefit.