Complementary therapies

[Guest posiedon]

Mag

There is already a discussion thread specifically about homeopathy, in the Consumer Advise Form, 'Homeopathic NHS GP in Shetland.' Posidon, is that maybe the thread you want for a homeopathic-specific discussion rather than this one about alternative therapies?

Yes, thanks Mag, but MJ brought up homeopathy in the "dentist" thread.

MJ

Hey I even was lucky enough to find a homeopathic dentist totally by accident. Before anyone asks no they don't replace the anesthetic or conventional medicines, but they will give you advice and supply small amounts of homeopathic medicines to compliment your treatment.

I naturaly responded in the same thread, pooks then said.

Please remember this is a thread about dental treatment. There is already another thread discussing Homeopathy here.

That link brought me to this thread, sighs heavily I will now look out for anyone wanting a discussion on homeopathy on yet another thread.

[MJ]

To our defence I would also like to point out this post too.

Some would argue that there's no such thing as a real medical practitioner who would entertain the notion of homeopathic medicine. You could explain to the school that it is only a placebo and not real medicine; they should be fine with that.

 

Seriously though, if the substance is genuinely on proscription, who are the school to say whether they recognise the doctor or not?

 

This from the British Homeopathic Association

How do I find a good homeopath?

The British Homeopathic Association distributes a free list of medically qualified homeopaths, practising across the country. If you would like a copy, telephone us on 0870 444 3950 or email info@trusthomeopathy.org You can also use our search facility to look for a homeopathic doctor near you.

 

There is a more general thread on Complimentary Medicines into which this thread might eventually be merged.

 

but have moved to Consumer Advice and Resources : Homeopathic NHS GP where the above quote comes from.

Apologies for being pedantic.

[Ross]

Donkeys are sociable creatures and require the company and physical contact of other donkeys to be content. Zero Balancers believe that we all have "inner donkeys" that require the same physical contact to maintain health and happiness. (or something of that like anyway)

 

Thats brilliant!!!! I hope my ones like "Donkey" In Shrek.

[JAStewart]

Where is the "I wouldn't consider it" option?

[Frances144]

Donkeys are sociable creatures and require the company and physical contact of other donkeys to be content. Zero Balancers believe that we all have "inner donkeys" that require the same physical contact to maintain health and happiness. (or something of that like anyway)

 

Thats brilliant!!!! I hope my ones like "Donkey" In Shrek.

 

LOL!!! Me too!

 

Donkey: Are we there yet?

Shrek: Yes

Donkey: Really?

Shrek: No!

[breeksy]

Where is the "I wouldn't consider it" option? Wink

 

 

 

You don't have a box for people to tick if they wouldn't consider alternative therapies.

I'm not against alternative therapies but feel it would give a more balanced view of opinions if the box was included.

 

I actually thought I had added that box - I'm not sure if I can amend it now though

[Njugle]

I actually thought I had added that box - I'm not sure if I can amend it now though

Received, noted, actioned.

[lastpubrunner]

 

I know of people who despair about not being able to obtain preparations for the easing of Huntington's, only available from doctors in Switzerland (it contains animal parts) and only given in monthly supplies as it has to be used under medical supervision.

 

 

It is important to note that Huntington's Disease manfests itself in quite a variety of ways. Because of this, there is no single drug that will treat all forms of the condition. In turn, this makes it particularly difficult for Doctors to know which drugs to prescribe, especially as Huntington's is a rather rare condition.

 

Symptoms include mild tremor, clumsiness, lack of concentration, difficulty remembering things and mood changes (including depression). A particular problem which arises is that drugs which could be prescribed to help to control the tremors, will have an adverse affect on the patient's ability to swallow. In other words, drugs which treat one aspect of the condition, can have undesirable side affects, meaning that the drug is more 'negative' than 'positive'.

 

It should also be remembered that Huntington's is a progressive condition, meaning that most drugs are only suitable at a particular stage of the disease. The considerable number of variables makes it difficult for GPs to accurately prescribe the correct drugs and the correct dosage.

 

Choking is a particular hazard, due to reduced ability to control the muscles of the tongue, neck and diaphragm. People often lose weight because they have difficulty eating and burn more calories due to the continuous movement. One of the main treatments for Huntington's is to ensure that the patients receive at least 6,000 calories a day.

 

I'd be very interested to know more regarding the "preparations for the easing of Huntington's, only available from doctors in Switzerland". My other half's job is as a Regional Care Advisor for the Huntington's Disease Association and a main part of her job is telling GPs which drugs are appropriate for each specific case of HD (Huntington's Disease) and in what quantities.

 

Neither she or any of her colleagues have any knowledge of suitable drugs which are only available from Switzerland. Which particular aspect of HD does it treat ? What is the name of the drug ?

 

If they haven't done so already, I suggest that the people that you know with HD, contact their Regional Care Advisor. However, if they are based in Shetland, it is possible that no-one covers that area.

 

HD is a dreadful thing to have and my sympathies go out to anyone with the condition. If anyone reading this thinks that they are having a tough time, read up on HD and realise how lucky you are not to have it.

 

Possibly the worst thing about HD, is that the children of sufferers have a 50% chance of inheriting it. They usually find out through a predictive test - which must be an extremely stressful process to undergo. A negative result would be better than winning the National Lottery.

[Malachy]

HD is a dreadful thing to have and my sympathies go out to anyone with the condition. If anyone reading this thinks that they are having a tough time, read up on HD and realise how lucky you are not to have it.

 

The biography of Woody Guthrie by Joe Klein is incredibly moving in its description of Guthrie's decline from Huntingdon's. Such an incredible waste. It passes mostly from father to daughter to son, I believe. Woody's mother died from it and one of his daughters too.

[lastpubrunner]

Placebos work best for me.

 

It may be intended as a light-hearted comment, but in my opinion there is considerable merit in the statement by Fjool.

 

During the WW2, it is known that in battle situations, Medics operated on soldiers and whilst doing so, 'pretended' to inject them with morphine, but used a saline solution instead. It was found that not only did they experience greatly reduced pain, they didn't suffer from the cardiovascular shock that is expected during operations or amputations without a painkiller.

 

Regarding Acupuncture, I went to a Chinese doctor recently for Plantar Fasciitis - a foot injury that I'd picked up from doing too many miles in training (running). On arrival, the Doctor asked me to 'stick out my tongue' - he was standing over 6ft away at the time so I'm not sure of the point of that. He then took my pulse (without using a watch) from my left wrist. He then repeated the process for my right wrist. He told me that I needed 15 more sessions (at £40 a time !) because I had "bad chi in my pulse". Since I've been running for over 25 years, I have a resting pulse of between 40 to 45. Ironically, I had been to see my GP just 2 weeks prior to this to have a 'well man' checkup. My blood pressure was excellent - the test for diabetes and a 100 other ailments were all negative; my weight is fine and I feel great. Yet the Chinese doctor told me that I had 'bad chi' and needed another £600 worth of treatment.

 

The funny thing was, at this stage, he still hadn't even looked at my foot injury. I underwent the acupuncture which did not improve the injury either immediately or in the long term. At the end of the treatment, he told me that he had some herbs to give me. He had a considerable number of tall glass jars containing various bits of what looked like dried mushrooms, hay, dried cabbage and the sort of things that you might rake up in your garden. There was nothing scientific in his method; it was a handful of this and a handful of that. I was told to boil it for an hour; allow to cool and then immerse my foot in the solution for half an hour. I dropped the bag in a bin a hundred yards down the road outside the local branch of Woolworth's. (Fortunately, I managed to find an excellent Physio who fixed my injury with laser treatment and ultrasound at £25 a treatment - cheaper and effective!).

 

I'm very sceptical about Chinese medicine; they extract bile from living bears and grind up tiger penises because they supposedly have medicinal qualities.

 

The Western defender of alternative medicine is guilty of a profoundly patronising view of the East, if he/she clings gullibly to such notions of wise cultures steeped in the arcane medicine of their ancestors.

 

The fact that a medicine was around hundreds of years ago, is no evidence of its efficacy. Indeed many of the very old treatments were not just ineffective, but highly dangerous. Those who doubt this might like to try leeches or ask their barber to bleed them next time they feel unwell.

 

As for the appeal of foreign cultures,this is sadly no less sentimental than it has ever been, since charlatans with an eye for the exotic first told tales of faraway lands. A look at the underdeveloped parts of the world where these medicines come from, shows cultures screaming out for effective Western medicine. A Ugandan dying of AIDS-related tubercolosis doesn't want to be treated with the natural remedies of his forefathers; he wants a syringe full of antibiotics and then he wants to join the 15 pill-a-day program which, in the West, would stand a chance of putting his Aids on hold.

 

Homeopathy is a very popular alternative remedy which also fails the test. Such remedies are created by taking dilutions of substances which if taken in much larger doses would cause the very ailment the patient is suffering from. The internal logic of homeopathy is the weaker the dose, the more effective it is. Because of this, the remedies are typically diluted to a point where no trace of the important substance in question can be found.If none of the vital substance is there, how can it have any effect ? It should also be realised that there are more stray molecules than the desired homeopathic dose knocking around in water of the highest attainable purity.

 

It must be mentioned, however, that the placebo effect and the misunderstanding of variability (the ups and downs of illnesses) can make it appear very effective some of the time to some people.

[lastpubrunner]

Have you ever tried Tai chi chuan poseidon?

 

I used to think it was all mystical and qi related. Then i tried it with our local instructor who pointed out at the first meeting that it was a form of gentle exercise and nothing more.

 

Tai Chi is a form of exercise and like many (most) forms of exercise, it stimulates the production of endorphins by the body - in turn producing a 'feel good' factor. I get this feeling when I go cycling or running. (and other things).

[lastpubrunner]

The biography of Woody Guthrie by Joe Klein is incredibly moving in its description of Guthrie's decline from Huntingdon's. Such an incredible waste. It passes mostly from father to daughter to son, I believe. Woody's mother died from it and one of his daughters too.

 

A person who has one parent with Huntington's disease has a 50% chance of inheriting the faulty gene. This risk is 50% for each child and is not altered by gender or whether brothers and sisters are affected. Only people who have the faulty gene are capable of passing it on to their own children.

 

Thank's for mentioning that biography; I've always liked the music of Woody Guthrie, so it would be a very interesting read.

[Dr. Nancy Malik]

I would class massage as complementary though - as it is certainly complementary to "allopathic" medicine for problems such as stress, muscular pain, circulatory problems etc.

 

I was careful not to use the term alternative, as I feel that most therapies are additional to, rather than a replacement for, medical care.

 

Conventional, alternative or complementary is as per see.

 

A person who prefers, let's say homeopathy, as a first line of treatment, conventional med is an alternative/comlimentary medicine for him.

 

Likewise a person who took ConMed as first line of treatment, other forms of treatment are comlementary/alternative.

[Dr. Nancy Malik]

Placebos work best for me.

 

Homeopathy is a very popular alternative remedy which also fails the test. Such remedies are created by taking dilutions of substances which if taken in much larger doses would cause the very ailment the patient is suffering from. The internal logic of homeopathy is the weaker the dose, the more effective it is. Because of this, the remedies are typically diluted to a point where no trace of the important substance in question can be found.If none of the vital substance is there, how can it have any effect ? It should also be realised that there are more stray molecules than the desired homeopathic dose knocking around in water of the highest attainable purity.

 

It must be mentioned, however, that the placebo effect and the misunderstanding of variability (the ups and downs of illnesses) can make it appear very effective some of the time to some people.

 

Homeopathic medicines below 12C have the ingredients of the salt. They are known as material doses. Whereas medicines above 12C potency do not have the ingredient in question. They are the energy doses.

[Dr. Nancy Malik]

Alternative Medicne

 

http://www.burtongoldberg.com/health-articles/alternative-medicine.htm

_

Suppression of aternative medicine

 

http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lpioneers.htm //supressing alternative medicine

 

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/display.var.2420193.0.nhs_rules_out_the_alternative.php //suppressing alternative medicine by NHS

 

http://altered-states.net/barry/rife/suppression.htm