Reimagining What Healthcare Might Look Like Without Big Pharma’s Grip

23 Evidence-Backed Alternative Therapies

Imagine a world where your day doesn’t come with a handful of pills but begins with a brisk walk in the early sun, barefoot on the grass, soaking in nature’s reset button.

Picture a healthcare system that doesn’t just treat disease but prioritizes keeping you well—where prevention isn’t an afterthought but the cornerstone.

Today, that’s not our reality.

The U.S. healthcare system, heavily influenced by pharmaceutical giants and profit-driven interests, spends billions on prescription drugs and treatments while often sidelining the kind of proactive, low-cost strategies that could keep us healthier longer.

What if we had taken a different path? What might our daily routines, our health, and our lives look like?

At the end of the article, you will find a short list of 23 Evidence-Backed Alternative Therapies that might work for some.

Read on for details.

The Current State: Pills Over Prevention

First, the background. In 2023, U.S. pharmaceutical expenditures hit $722.5 billion, a 13.6% jump from the year before, according to Stanford Medicine’s Department of Medicine News. Add in the $220 billion pharmaceutical companies spent on lobbying in 2018 alone, as reported by PMC, ensuring their influence shapes policy and priorities.

Today, the average American over 65 takes five or more medications daily—a phenomenon dubbed “polypharmacy.” Yet conditions like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and chronic fatigue continue to rise. A 2019 Lown Institute report estimated that medication overload will cause 150,000 premature deaths among older adults over the next decade, with 4.6 million hospitalizations tied to adverse drug events. Meanwhile, younger generations grapple with obesity, gut disorders, and drug abuse, often medicated rather than guided toward root-cause solutions.

We’re spending more—20% of our Gross Domestic Product—on health related pills, treatments, and services but not getting healthier.

Those are staggering figures, dwarfing what we invest in preventive care. Prevention? It’s barely a blip on the radar.

A New Routine: A Glimpse of What’s Possible

Now, let’s flip the script. Picture your week: no pill bottles cluttering the counter, just a schedule of sun, sweat, and science-backed care. We’d be healthier—fewer pills, more vitality—and the system might finally reflect its name: health care, not sick care. It’s a bold “what-if,” but one worth pondering as we fork over billions to a model that’s not quite delivering.

What if Big Pharma’s pill-centric model had not been able to dominate our medical establishment? What if we had leaned toward a system that integrates preventative therapies into our lifestyles? Instead of older adults popping eight pills daily only to face Alzheimer’s, or kids battling autism and obesity with little systemic support, we could embrace a rhythm of wellness.

Here’s what your routine might look like:

• Monday: You wake up, step outside for 10 minutes of early sun exposure and grounding—standing barefoot on the earth before work or other routines. Studies suggest this boosts vitamin D and reduces inflammation, key players in immune health. A quick yoga session in the morning or evening stretches your body and calms your mind, cutting stress that fuels chronic disease.

• Tuesday: Whether at school or on the job, a wealth of options are offered. On site fitness centers with a scheduled half hour at lunch time. Ten minute massage relief sessions for quick stress relief and energy boost. Sunny spots to enjoy a break and soak up a little Vitamin D.

• Wednesday: A short, brisk walk followed by a cold shower greets your day. In the evening, a 10-minute red light therapy session during meditation bathes your skin in low-level wavelengths, promoting cellular repair. Twice a week, this could help with fatigue and joint pain, no prescription required.

• Friday: You book a hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) session—once weekly—breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber to speed healing and fight inflammation. Follow with a sauna visit to detoxify and improve circulation, a habit linked to lower cardiovascular risk.

• Weekend: A hydration IV delivers fluids and nutrients directly to your bloodstream, bypassing gut issues that plague so many. Pair it with an acupuncture section to ease pain or meditation to bolster mental resilience—both low-cost, high-impact options.

From therapies to supplements, there are literally thousands of options that have some scientific support and have proven helpful to some people. This way of thinking isn’t a spa fantasy—it’s a practical shift. Without Big Pharma’s push for patented drugs, community centers and clinics could offer options affordably, covered by a system incentivized to keep us well, not just treat us when we’re sick.

The Payoff: A Healthier Society

What could we gain? Quite possibly a lot. Cancer rates and the extraordinary costs that come with them might drop with early intervention and stress reduction. Autism, tied to environmental and gut health factors, could see fewer cases if we prioritized prevention by identifying triggers and treated with probiotics and diet over symptom-masking meds. Obesity, chronic fatigue, and immune disorders? They’d take a hit too, as intermittent fasting and movement become norms, not exceptions.

Older adults might dodge Alzheimer’s more often, with studies hinting that sauna use and red light therapy support brain health. Drug abuse could wane as mental health tools like meditation replace reliance on opioids. We’d spend less time in hospitals—4.6 million fewer visits, per Lown—and more time living. The $60 billion in adverse drug event costs? Redirected to prevention, it could fund a nationwide network of wellness hubs.

The seeds are there. Patients already turning to new solutions to what they see as a health system that’s failed them and their families. A healthcare system unshackled from profit-driven motives could amplify these trends, making wellness routine, not reactive.

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23 Evidence-Backed Alternative Therapies

Here’s the updated list, now including 23 popular therapies and treatments with at least some scientific support. Each entry provides a definition, its intended benefit, and a study backing its use for some people.

• Early Sun Exposure: Standing in morning sunlight to boost vitamin D and regulate circadian rhythms. Study: A 2017 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found morning sunlight increased vitamin D levels and improved sleep quality in adults.

• Grounding: Contact with the earth’s surface to reduce inflammation via electron transfer. Study: A 2015 study in the Journal of Inflammation Research showed grounding reduced blood markers of inflammation in healthy adults.

• Red Light Therapy: Low-level red wavelengths to enhance cellular function and repair. Study: A 2014 study in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery found it improved skin healing and reduced pain in patients with chronic wounds.

• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): Breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber to promote healing. Study: A 2016 study in the Journal of Wound Care showed HBOT accelerated chronic wound healing in diabetic patients.

• Sauna Therapy: Heat exposure to induce sweating and improve circulation. Study: A 2015 JAMA Internal Medicine study linked regular sauna use to a 40% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.

• Hydration IVs: Intravenous fluids to restore hydration and deliver nutrients. Study: A 2011 study in the British Journal of Anaesthesia found IV hydration improved recovery time in dehydrated surgical patients.

• Yoga: Physical poses and breathing to enhance flexibility and reduce stress. Study: A 2018 study in the International Journal of Yoga showed it reduced cortisol levels and improved mood in adults with anxiety.

• Acupuncture: Needle insertion at specific points to relieve pain and stress. Study: A 2012 meta-analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine found acupuncture effective for chronic pain relief.

• Meditation: Mindfulness practice to improve mental health and focus. Study: A 2014 JAMA Internal Medicine study showed meditation reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults.

• Probiotics: Live bacteria to support gut health and immunity. Study: A 2017 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found probiotics reduced upper respiratory infections in children.

• Intermittent Fasting: Cycling between eating and fasting to improve metabolism. Study: A 2019 study in the New England Journal of Medicine linked intermittent fasting to improved insulin sensitivity and weight loss in obese adults.

• Cold Water Immersion: Brief exposure to cold water to reduce inflammation and boost mood. Study: A 2018 study in Medical Hypotheses suggested cold showers improved depressive symptoms in small trials.

• Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku): Spending time in nature to lower stress and enhance immunity. Study: A 2019 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found it increased NK cell activity, linked to immune health.

• Tai Chi: Slow, flowing movements to improve balance and reduce stress. Study: A 2015 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed Tai Chi reduced fall risk and improved quality of life in older adults.

• Massage Therapy: Manual manipulation of muscles to relieve tension and pain. Study: A 2016 study in Pain Medicine found massage reduced chronic lower back pain intensity in adults.

• Aromatherapy: Inhaling essential oils to promote relaxation or focus. Study: A 2014 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed lavender oil inhalation reduced anxiety in preoperative patients.

• Breathwork: Controlled breathing techniques to enhance oxygenation and calm the nervous system. Study: A 2020 study in Frontiers in Psychology found diaphragmatic breathing reduced stress markers in healthy adults.

• Chiropractic Care: Spinal adjustments to improve alignment and reduce pain. Study: A 2017 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed it alleviated acute low back pain more effectively than usual care.

• Herbal Teas: Plant-based infusions to support digestion, sleep, or immunity. Study: A 2013 study in Phytomedicine found chamomile tea improved sleep quality in elderly patients with insomnia.

• Sound Therapy: Using sound frequencies (e.g., singing bowls) to reduce stress and improve focus. Study: A 2017 study in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine showed sound meditation lowered tension and anxiety in participants.

• Dry Brushing: Brushing the skin with a dry brush to stimulate circulation and exfoliation. Study: A 2015 pilot study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology suggested it improved skin hydration and lymphatic flow in small cohorts.

• Floatation Therapy: Floating in a sensory-deprivation tank to reduce stress and pain. Study: A 2018 study in PLOS One found floatation reduced anxiety and muscle tension in patients with stress disorders.

• Adaptogen Supplements: Herbs like ashwagandha to help the body resist stress. Study: A 2012 study in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine showed ashwagandha reduced cortisol levels and stress in adults.

These therapies span physical, mental, and environmental approaches, offering a broad toolkit for a prevention-focused healthcare model. While not universally effective, their growing evidence base suggests they could play a role in keeping us healthier—without the side effects of a pill-heavy system.

Read Sharyl’s bestseller: “Follow the $cience: How Big Pharma Misleads, Obscures, and Prevails.”