Regrettably it is extremely difficult to "prove" the value of any treatment. "Anecdotal" is a dirty word, but the experiences of just a few patients is just that. Look how long it took to prove that smoking was "hazardous to your health". Not untl many thousands of people had died of heart disease and lung cancer did even doctors stop smoking. Only with carefully designed studies with large numbers of patients and the expenditure of a lot of money can the value of a medication be determined.
The placebo effect which ought to be simple, is still baffling investigators.
Alternative medicine simply means acceptance of treatment not properly validated.