What Alternative therapies have you tried?

[Orrex]

I mean you, personally. Not some friend, relative, or coworker, but a therapy that you have tried and from which you have, in your estimation, received a demonstrable benefit.

Additional comments are welcome.

[Skink]

1. I watch Oprah sometimes..

[philb]

52. Some herbal treatments for Lyme Disease are more effective than antibiotic

Antibiotics don't work very well because the Lyme spirochettes don't have completer self contained cell walls like bacteria but instead go into your cells like viruses and use things in your cells. So lots of them are not in the blood and not where
antibiotics can get to them. Most things are resistant to most antibiotics these days anyway.

I know several who have used Monastery of Herbs treatment for Lyme and it seems to have worked.
I know two from work who used antibiotics who never recovered and had to quit work.
I hear thats common. Antibiotics only seem to work if you catch it very early, and most don't.
Some say over 10% of U.S. population has Lyme Disease.
Lots of people who think they have other things really have Lyme Disease. Studies/tests have indicated
that about 20% of people diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease actually have Lyme Disease. I know one of
those, wife of military officer at Pensacola Air Base, who was diagnosed with ALS, but got better after
being treated for Lyme.

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. Other: Accupuncture

and retail therapy. That has side effects you need to watch out for though.

[philb]

50. Accupuncture is documented to work for pain relief

some use it instead of anethetics when they need dental work, or etc.

Its also documented to work for other things. Which is why its popular.
But I've never used it. I know a couple of accupuncturists pretty well and have used them for EDS testing-
which gives more info often on health issues than other tests for a lot less money

[Deep13]

3. Tried those zinc cough drops when they came out.

Supposed to cure a cold. Well, the cold went away, but it probably would have done that anyway. They are like sucking on a nickle.

Let's see, took vit. C a few times when I was sick. Also flushed sinuses with salt water for a head cold. That actually works, so I don't know that it counts as "alternative." (It acts as a decongestant.)

[Orrex]

6. Yikes!

Also flushed sinuses with salt water for a head cold. That actually works, so I don't know that it counts as "alternative."

I think it counts as "water-boarding." Were you at Abu Ghraib?

[trotsky]

9. It does work.

My wife was badly congested one time, and her doctor recommended she take warm water (didn't say anything about salting it, but I can see the logic in that too) and a turkey baster, and flush away. It definitely worked. Not the most glamorous or discreet way to unclog the mess, but probably one of the most effective.

[Deep13]

13. Gitmo. Room service left something to be desired.

Actually I used only an once or two of water. Works faster than steam, vap-o-rub or psuedoephedrine.

[Orrex]

14. Sounds like witchcraft, if you ask me.

Just thinking about it is making my nose run and my eyes water.

I think you're both :crazy:

Just kidding! :hi:

[HuckleB]

16. Yeah, flushing works wonders.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

4. None.

I like to stick with science and common sense, thanks.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. I have tried several

I have had chiropractic treatments, I regularly use herbs and vitamins and minerals as suggested by my physician, and I have used energy therapy.

All have proved helpful. I just had a chiropractic adjustment this week to alleviate a sore back and discovered I had a rib out of place. My DC gave me exercises to do to keep my back muscles toned so that it will be harder for me to get out of alignment.

I have a family history of glucose and heart problems. I take chrome to regulate my blood sugar and take fish oil and herbs for circulation/ heart health. I have also used homeopathic remedies, which have helped stop bladder infections (they were becoming chronic when I decided to ditch the antiboidics and try remedies-after using homeopathy I went from one infection every two or three months to NONE).

I fell and injured my knee-bad swelling, redness, and pain. I had Entertropic Therapy done and I wished I'd taken before and after photos. The swelling was gone, the redness was going, and the pain stopped.

I know that some think these forms of healing/health maintenance are quackery-that's fine, they don't have to use it. I'm not advocating this for everyone. I just know it has worked for me.

[Dora]

7. why do you want to know?

Looking for medical advice? Surely you know that's not allowed on these boards.

[Orrex]

8. LOL! I agree, of course!

Additionally, if I wanted medical advice, I surely wouldn't seek out an "alternative" practitioner to advise me.

I'm asking as a sort of counterpoint to the recent "where do you get your medical advice" poll, as well as to see what kind of comments and experiences people care to offer.

[Dora]

20. Your stance on alternative medicine was clear.

And that was why I asked -- cued by the non-poll poll that expresses an opinon by way of not expressing anything at all except derision within the possible responses.

I hadn't seen the other thread - I just caught yours as it was posted.

I'll refrain from responding to the poll.

[Orrex]

21. Whew! I was afraid that I was being too subtle!

I've expressed my derision, backed by logic and reason, in other threads. "Alternative" "medicine" should be derided when there is no evidence that it is anything other than outright fraud and quackery. If a given treatment is supported by evidence (and heartfelt testimony does not count), then by all means let us review the evidence and add this new treatment to the body of actual (rather than "alternative") medicine.

And feel free to refrain from responding to the poll, of course!

[Dora]

22. We've met before.

Subtlety is not what I recall.

[Orrex]

23. Aw, shucks!

I'm flattered to have made an impression.

If I can offend someone into keeping her hard-earned dollars from some huckster's grubby mitts, then I'll continue to endeavor to be as offensive as possible.

But if people still want to shell out actual money for non-actual treatments, that's ultimately up to them.

[Dora]

24. You'll have to try harder.

Because it's not working. I'm still wasting my money and feeling gooooood.

[onehandle]

10. I eat small healthy meals and exercise regularly.

In the United States, that is an alternative therapy.

[Ciggies and coffee]

37. You sound like a couple of my friends

One a guy, another a gal. They dont smoke except for, well

The lady and I run into each other every so often while we are bike riding. (I ride my bike a half hour, twice a day, to the factory and back, most of the3 time)

The guy works out and also goes to the bar (on non workout days)

Oddly enough, they both enjoy a good cigarette once in a blue moon, maybe two cigs a month, and they say it is a treat. Me, I smoke about
a half pack a day right now, and, having more tolerance, do not feel the buzz they get. I am trying to gradually reduce, so that each cig is a little more special since they are less numerous.

Maybe if we focus less on the quitting of smoking, and instead on reducing, and saying a cig is alright once a day or so, would be a more comfortable situation. All that zero tolerance/absoultism I am describing.

Do you drink by the way? If you read my posts before you probably know I saviour good whiskey, most of the time. I am curious about others favorite drinks.

[Ciggies and coffee]

38. another idea

Rolling your own for tobacco the same way we do for pot so that you smoke less tobacco, and make each cig a little more special, since there is more effort involved.

I am going to give this idea a try, edit the above, you can buy prerolled filtered ciggie tubes for scratch and save the rolling paper for the green.

[ret5hd]

11. Other...i'm really into the whole...

alcohol, tobacco, food preservatives method of attacking those weak cells before they become cancerous.

It's worked really great so far.

[Ciggies and coffee]

35. What cigs and booze are your favourites? n/t

[On the Road]

12. Acupuncture -- Love It

Feel completely reborn after a session.

[seemunkee]

15. Currently doing ART(Active Release Technique)

for chronic tendinitis. Probably take another week to know if I get some relief from it. I've tried DMSO in the past and felt no benefit from it.
Not sure if you would count it but Glucosamine/Chondritin also for joint pain, that seems to have sped up the healing process for some past injuries.

[HuckleB]

17. Is acupuncture a part of the AMA/Big Pharma conspiracy?

Seems odd that it wasn't on your list.

[Orrex]

19. I needed to make room for "Intensive Enema Therapy"

But you're right--that's a glaring omission!

[Kali]

18. tried homeopathic stuff a couple times just because it was offered and

figured no way could it hurt. Once was when traveling with a group in Mexico and a bout of flu was getting passed around - seemed to cut my symptoms off completely...probably a coincidence because I simply don't buy the premiss....

tried it when my firstborn was colicky as well (one will try just about anything in that circumstance) and results were inconclusive...again I don't believe diluting something beyond detectable presence is real ... on the other hand I don't think it should be outlawed either. Placebo effect is as good if not SAFER than a lot of conventional meds....

I do think more emphasis on prevention and health in general is better than a lot of conventional bandaid, though science based, treatments - and that is certainly unconventional!

[RazzleDazzle]

25. What a screwed up list

Too bad you weren't being serious -- could've been quite interesting.

[RedOnce]

26. This is fun! Mostly herbs.

My wife had blood drawn on both statins and on Policosanol plus red rice yeast. The cholesterol results were very close. I use Policosanol plus plant sterols with good results.

A relative is bipolar type II. She could not be mood stabilized on Lithium Carbonate due to edema at 900 mg/day, but she is very stable using 480 mg of over-the-counter Lithium Orotate...I know orotate is medical heresy! Don't tell the FDA that it works.

My brother has Hepatitis C genotype 1 from a blood transfusion. 48 months of Peg Interferon plus Ribavirin did nothing for him, but Milk Thistle and glyconutrients (no I don't sell them) gave him a new life.

My son had problems following back disk surgery. When Neurontin plus Ibuprofen failed to provide relief, with the doc's approval, we added a cocktail of anti-inflammation herbs with success. Whenever the problem re-occurs he is able to control it with herbs alone.

Our neighbor, while driving was "T boned" by an 18 wheel gravel truck. One died, she was broken into many pieces. The trauma docs and orthopods put her back together. They did a great job given what they had to work with. She had brain trauma and was suffering from recall problems, so she tried Lithium Orotate for with success. She has nerve pain 10+ on a 1-10 scale. DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA) an amino acid taken profilactically helps take the edge off this pain an a way that even narcotics could not. She lives alone, this allows her to physically get to her pain meds when an attack starts, take them and meditate instead of collapsing in pain on the floor.

There is more...

Sorry, no studies, n=1 here! You just have to believe me, I guess. Hard for some, I know.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

27. Large doses of Stolichnaya

It's the only thing that helps me get through Bush constipation.

[davidinalameda]

31. life's too short to drink crapp vodka

go for the good stuff, or at least Absolut

[OffWithTheirHeads]

32. I dare you to test them all without lables

Then tell me you can taste the difference. Aside from that, what difference does it make to you, what gets ME through the Bush years?

[Ciggies and coffee]

34. Vodka seems the same for me

I drink mostly whiskey now and I have to tell you that theior is a difference in the

The really cheap stuff has various oils in it and other unknown compounds,
if you look real close (hold the bottle up to the sun) you can see it sometimes.

Jack and Southern Comfort (Southern Comfort is sweet like candy), I drink on ice and they seem to give cleaner euphoria without a bad hangover that I received courtesy of the five dollar/liter stuff.

Has anyone ever noticed a different flavor of euphoria when drinking booze mixed with aspartame sweetened beverages versus the corn syrup versions? I have and I thought it was due to the phenylalanine.

On another note, aspartame is poisonous due to its methanol component.
Has anyone ever done any studies (I googled and found squat) on whether drinking alcohohol alongside with aspartame canceled out this toxicicity? (Ethanol is used for Methanol poisoning)

[OffWithTheirHeads]

39. Well, I asume you are a kid

Of course the high end Vodka has less crap in it, just like the high end Scotch. In the world of alcohol, just like the world of drugs, the high end stuff has less payback. Cheap vodka will give you a worse hangover than expensive vodka cause it is made out of shitty stuff. Speed, from Smith Klein and French, will get you higher, with less side affect than the crap you get from Earls trailor park. What more can I say? Thats why you try to make money! So you can enjoy the good stuff and not have to settle for bathtub gin.

[RedOnce]

43. Are you confusing...

phenylalanine with phenyl-al-anon?

[trotsky]

42. Hehe, yeah

Didn't they do a taste test not that long ago with vodka experts, and even they couldn't tell a difference?

Pick your brand for whatever reason, and stick with it. I'm a big fan of this stuff, mainly because it's made locally:
http://www.shakersvodka.com

[Ciggies and coffee]

36. Have you ever tried Everclear?

I heard its pretty pure. 95 percent,
190 proof.

I prefer it to vodka since it is a more compact product (less water),
when I am drinking something other than whiskey or coffee or water.

(Dont drink it stright, by the way, even a half a shot, since the undiluted alcohol may be harsh)

[davidinalameda]

40. I did when I was in college

never again

[OffWithTheirHeads]

41. I was offered "ever clear" in North Carolina

It was not my intention to "check out".
However, I can understand that if you lived in the south, you may want to. I preferred to leave.

[Celebration]

28. Not too subtle

So it is derisive. Who cares, I'll join in. I had to put other because I have tried so much stuff. Let's see--chiropractor before he moved, the next one I tried didn't help as much, acupuncture, acupuncture and MORE acupuncture, massage therapy, NAET (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique--one of the weirder things, my favorite and extremely effective, also one published study on something similar--homeopathy, though I got no results on that one I did like the MD, EFT (emotional freedom technique), muscle response testing, Touch for Health (kinesiology), effective vitamins have been NADH, Coenzyme Q10, Benfotiamine, alpha lipoic acid, natto, AOX/PLX, red yeast rice, bilberry, orthosilicic acid is GREAT FOR FINGERNAILS and when I was taking that I scored in upper 5% of bone density for 25 year old when I was 45, plus lots of blueberries, yoga, reiki. Add me to the list of washing out sinuses, though I don't really like it, it helps. I am sure I am leaving out a lot. :o) Oh sure I go to the doctor from time to time too. The dermatologist took some precancer thing off my face. If some of the above sounds like a lot, it is because I can do some of it myself now. If I think of anything signficant to add, I will.

[Celebration]

29. I almost forgot the best!!

Low level laser therapy. Oh, it is GREAT!! Weirdly I had a failed root canal right before a vacation and the dentist had no time to see me. In desperation I went to the kinesiologist, and she whipped out an LLLT device and an energetic vial. She lasered the heck out of the tooth root with the energetic vial in front of it. It was so effective it changed my life. I still think one of these devices should be in every doctor's office. Sometimes I use a laser pointer from Radio Shack to help heal things. I do know dosages though.

[Warpy]

30. Other

Acupuncture by a Chinese head of a department of rheumatology at one of their major hospitals. The guy actually cured one of my more annoying symptoms, haven't had it in over 10 years. The treatments were better for acute pain than chronic pain, though.

Chiropractic for an acute back injury. This has been proven in study after study to lessen the period of disability after injury.

Chinese and western herbal medicine for conditions that are annoying, not life threatening. Some work, some don't. Calcium/magnesium/Vitamin D combination tablets, demonstrated by several studies to work nearly as well as prescription anti osteoporosis drugs. I'm old and haven't lost any height, so something's working.

And yes, I'm an RN, for all on this board who think mainstream medical practitioners are automatically hostile to complementary therapies.

[Ciggies and coffee]

33. What a ya drinkin fool?

[catmother]

44. i was only allowed one vote. i've had chelation therapy,

intraveneous vitamins and minerals, intravenous hydrogen peroxide, coffee enemas (self administered), colonics done by a professional, castor oil packs over the abdomen, chiropractic, rolfing, reiki, hypnosis, homeopathy, cranial sacral manipulation. i take vitamins and herbs on a daily basis. my primary care doctor also offers alternative therapies, so i have both regular medicine and alternative therapies available through him.

oh yes, i've flushed my sinuses with salt water. i actually had an attachment for my water pic that was used for this purpose.

probably more that i can't think of right now.

[Celebration]

45. That reminds me

I've gone through the Rolf series too!! Loved that--called structural integration now generally.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sgent]

47. My mother (an allopathic physician) used

Accupuncture on occassion in patients with chronic pain. She never completely decided in her mind whether it was placebo or real, but found it especially useful in aching joint pain, headaches, back pain, and also with vertigo. In a few cases there were some amazing benefits for people.

She also had her nurse perform it on her and found it useful for joint pain (she has severe arthritis).

[philb]

48. I was totally disabled but recovered after amalgam replacement & chelation

I had peripheral neuropathy, paresthesis(numbness in extremeties), muscle weakness, balance problems, chronic fatigue,
mental confusion, dizzyness, Fuch's Disease(two opthamologists told me I was going blind), etc.
After tests my doctor diagnosed me with mercury toxicity, I had my amalgams replaced and am fully recovered.
I can play sports again, which I couldn't do before- and healhier than most my age. And after wearing glasses all
my life, I no longer wear glasses except to drive at night.

But my case isn't unusual. DAMS has coordinators in all states working with similar mercury toxic people and have documented over
60,000 cases of recovery from over 40 chronic conditions that mercury has been documented to cause. All of our DAMS coordinators have recovered from a chronic mercury toxicity condition, which is why they now volunteer.
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/hgremove.html
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/hgrecovp.html


chelation is documented in the medical literature to be effective at reducing toxic metal levels, and its also documented that millions are affected by toxic metals like mercury. The top 3 toxics affecting the most people according to the U.S. Dept. of Health Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR) are mercury, lead, and arsenic; and other toxic metals are also in the top 10. More chronic conditions are caused by toxic metals than anything else, including smoking.
http://www.flcv.com/tmlbn.html

[RedOnce]

51. Thank you for posting your history...

it helps me better understand your focus on mercury toxicity. I am happy to know that you have recovered.

[philb]

49. I've used Hulda Clark's parasite cleanse and it works

I was diagnosed with Hominims Blastidiosis(or some such)- causes chronic diareah. Had it for a considerable time.
I took something (Flagyl?) that doctor prescribed but it didn't work.

Hulda's parasite cleanse worked.

I've also used a Zapper and know several people who have them. They work also. Its easy to document that they work
by getting a sample of a bacteria or virus or etc. and zapping them. They die.

But the zapper also has been documented in medical studies by University researchers to work for cancer cells and AIDS.