Who "Sits On"Solutions to ProblemsThat Can't Be Patented?

Ever wonder how simple things that can make life better but can't be patented, trademarked, copyrighted, boxed up and sold just seem to fade away?

I have. And, I have come to believe that it is NOT actually a conspiracy by the drug companies, food conglomerates, and the oil companies. It might as well be, but it isn't really.

For example, while poking around in the stacks at the University of Washington Medical School Library a few years ago I came across a process for lessening or even eliminating migraine headaches that not only used no drugs, but had a success rate that equalled that of more complicated behavioral programs like biofeedback or the drugs that were available at the time.

I had never heard of it, and I was certified in biofeedback at the time and thought I was using the best technique available.

Was it a fluke? Apparently not. I found another paper that sought to duplicate the previously reported results and it did! Now this was significant on two counts. First, it isn't that common that an unheralded finding is subjected to another study to see if it really got it right. And, second, it supported the previous findings and was generally ignored too!

Migraines are a terrible thing to live with. Biofeedback is expensive and time consuming. The drugs are expensive and tricky to use right.

So, what's the deal? I don't know, but if I were subject to migraine headaches I would want to be able to give this simple procedure a try (if I could ever find the articles again, but that's another story.)