[NT] NT's on Alternative Medicine

[Fluffywolf]

Impressive....

Hmm, people survived worse in the past. I wouldn't say it's impressive. It's more just chance.

Although I do think I have an above average immune system. Since I haven't been ill, other than headaches, since I was 16. And that was only because I got stung by a sea urchin thingy and got sick from the infection. Last time I had the flue I was 12 or so. And I'm also fairly stress proof. The busier I get, the better I feel.

Maybe getting that disease when I was young boosted my immune system quite rapidly.
(I don't know the english word for it, only the dutch. It's called Rode Hond ziekte which literally translates to Red Dog disease. Looked it up, it was german measles. Which usually isn't too bad, but due to being inocculated while having it I got it quite bad myself.)

 

[Salt n' pepper]

Maybe getting that disease when I was young boosted my immune system quite rapidly.
(I don't know the english word for it, only the dutch. It's called Rode Hond ziekte which literally translates to Red Dog disease.)

I know what that is. Sounds much worse than it is really. It's called Röda hund, in Swedish (or Rubella)

 

[tinkerbell]

Fluffy,

You may have an awesome immune system OR you are not catching bugs that will lower your immunity... either could be true. The infections can act as weight traning for the immune system... that said you may have a super immunity... You never can tell.

I have a bro that didn't seem to catch anything as a kid, but get got a fair few things as an adult - poor soul...

Still it's better to be drug free if you can - fair play to you

Rubella (proper name) = German Measles (vernacular)

Lis

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I'm really shocked by two faith healing votes... Wonder if the people had better experiences than I have seen.

I checked Herbal, Chiropractice, and Faith Healing.

Herbal - My understanding is that drugs are often made from similar herbs. This is just a lower potency.

Chiropractice - Never tried myself, but I don't understand why anyone is opposed. I think any bad rep it's gotten has been from mainstream doctors who don't want any competition. Also I think there is some use to massage therapy too. (Maybe I should have also checked other).

Faith Healing - Not done on me personally. My wife had arthritis in her hands, and the elders in our church prayed and laid hands on her. Her arthritis left immediately, and she's never had any problems with it since. (This was about 8 years ago before we were married.) Interestly she had another answer to prayer that same night about something unrelated, so to me the experience seemed to be wholistic in nature (i.e. not just about curing the body, but supplying every need).

On the other hand I tend to think there are a lot of charlatan faith healers out there especially in the Pentacostal faiths. I'm not trying to take a dig at Pentacostals, but since that is where a lot of the people looking for faith healing go, it would make sense that the charlatans would be attracted there too.

 

[Alwar]

I heard accupuncture has some legitimacy and some western hospitals are adopting (a form) of it. Homeopathy is the funniest one that doesn't work on the list.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Cannabis is the only herbal remedy that I use daily.

 

[Salt n' pepper]

Cannabis is the only herbal remedy that I use daily.

+1

 

[tinkerbell]

I heard accupuncture has some legitimacy and some western hospitals are adopting (a form) of it. Homeopathy is the funniest one that doesn't work on the list.

Accupuncture actuall performs well for certain things on blind scienific research. A fair few GP's surgries and hospitals have an accupuncturist attached in some way. In many places where western medicine fails - like women and hormones, accupuncture preformes really well.

I prevously put this to the test medically.. I go diagnosed with a hormone issue, one hormone was too high and one too low at a specific point in my cycle. I was put on a weighting list to see an endocrinologist (which was 6 months away)... So I went to see an accupuncturist, and had a good few treatments. Within 2 months my hormones were a lot better - the ratio had flipped back to normal proportions... I still have the condition and always will but I resolved some of the accute problems - and have the blood work which shows the levels... Thats enough evidence for me... but there is loads on the web... doesn't work for eveything, the whole Eastern medicine works totally differently from West... Both have value.

Homeopathy is different... the theory makes sense, not had enough experience to totally write it off.

 

[tinkerbell]

Faith Healing - Not done on me personally. My wife had arthritis in her hands, and the elders in our church prayed and laid hands on her. Her arthritis left immediately, and she's never had any problems with it since. (This was about 8 years ago before we were married.) Interestly she had another answer to prayer that same night about something unrelated, so to me the experience seemed to be wholistic in nature (i.e. not just about curing the body, but supplying every need).

On the other hand I tend to think there are a lot of charlatan faith healers out there especially in the Pentacostal faiths. I'm not trying to take a dig at Pentacostals, but since that is where a lot of the people looking for faith healing go, it would make sense that the charlatans would be attracted there too.

Gosh - I really do come from a different country..... It didn't occure to me that this would have religious connotations... but I gets a very small minorty do here. Most faith healers I've come across are pcycic based rather than religious based... I do know of a few religious ones, but it isn't an automatic thought... Very hippy/new age here rather than institutional... there are spiritualist churches, but I think our religions are more toned down unless people are very extreme...

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Gosh - I really do come from a different country..... It didn't occure to me that this would have religious connotations... but I gets a very small minorty do here. Most faith healers I've come across are pcycic based rather than religious based... I do know of a few religious ones, but it isn't an automatic thought... Very hippy/new age here rather than institutional... there are spiritualist churches, but I think our religions are more toned down unless people are very extreme...

Heh, that's pretty interesting. I never would have thought you were referring to something psychic/new age. In the US when you mention faith healing I'd think most people imagine pentacostals (although that wasn't much like my situation at all).

 

[INA]

Yep. Some herbs have useful active ingredients in them. The trick is to buy good quality ones IMO.

Yup. I checked that and aromatherapy. Not sure what counts as alternative medicine. Does brewing and drinking lots of chamomile tea instead of taking Ambien/Tylenol PM count?

 

[Alwar]

Homeopathy is different... the theory makes sense, not had enough experience to totally write it off.

Here's a couple videos that explain why it doesn't work.

James Randi Explains Homeopathy I
James Randi Explains Homeopathy II

 

[Katsuni]

Most of these things rely on the pseudo effect; the stronger yeu believe in them, the greater the effect they have. Unfortunately, due to knowing this, they odn't work so well on me despite that I"d like them to >.<

I'm open to anything that has no risk of causing complications or injury (no I'm not going to stab myself with needles, I don't care how 'relaxing' this is), and assumming I can understand the rationale behind it. Things that have no basis in any sort of common sense or understanding of the mechanics of how it work (it's MAGIC!) I won't bother with.

As most people who sell these treatments and alternative choices have no clue themselves how they supposedly work, and often misquote or come up with totally bogus explainations, this means that I haven't tried hardly anything.

I don't even bother with organic food because I know too much about the subject and it's a waste of money >.<

Oh well... that being said, there is ONE major alternative 'cure' I use regularly, except it's actually been proven to be (partially) effective.

Do something scary when yeu're sick; ie watch a scarry movie, or play a video game that keeps yeu on the edge of yeur seat (doom 3 works good for this at the start), the low level of fear and stress temporarily increases the effectiveness of the immune system as a side effect related to the chemicals released. The effect is highly temporary, and only lasts a few minutes once the stress is removed, so yeu have to maintain a strong level of anxiety in whotever it is yeu're doing. If yeu maintain that though, it actually does help.

The other main alternative I use is hot pink lemonaide. It doesn't actually do anything, but it helps me relax so I can sleep, and sleeping is the single most effective cure to virtually anything the body can fight off on its' own.

 

[tinkerbell]

Here's a couple videos that explain why it doesn't work.

James Randi Explains Homeopathy I
James Randi Explains Homeopathy II

ah there is a lot of things that damn different approaches, will watch tomorrow, but I like to get a personal experience if possible and or read stuff that supports as well as slams

 

[tinkerbell]

Kat - you are just not into it...

Taking loads of high strength Vit c tablets when you are coming down with a cold can drastically shorten it. They must be pure Vit C without additional addatives or you may OD on the addatives... but your body can handle huge quantitites when poorly without trips to the loo.....

I manages to stop a really hideous cold in its tracks with vit c

Loved the bits about needle... I don't stick them in myself, and I've seen the lab work to know accupuncture actually works.... and is provable

 

[ajblaise]

I actually think there is a lot of potential in alternative medicine... but a whole industry of crap has been built around it and is ruining it, with asshole gurus like this guy:

 

[tinkerbell]

hes easy on the eye... I'm all better now mommy

 

[ajblaise]

hes easy on the eye... I'm all better now mommy

Don't fall for it!! You still have cancer!!

..ah dammit, lost another one.

 

[tinkerbell]

Here's a couple videos that explain why it doesn't work.

James Randi Explains Homeopathy I
James Randi Explains Homeopathy II

Hi

I listend to both vdeos... But I'm not convinced by anything the speaker says...

Yes homepoathy is significantly diluted - which seems to be his issue (he goes on about it long enough)... I'll come back to that.. The OD on the lable is clearly a legislative issue not to do with the homeopathis.

But looking at the impact of substanctes actively on well people then using that substance to treat people is strangely fairly normal western medicine development techneques...

Diluting a substant to treat people again standard medical practice - its how inocculations are made.. So again sounds funny and well articulated but... not really unusual in medicine devleopment per sey..

I'm not advocating homeopathy - I know a bit about it and have taken a remedy once, but not really tried it in practice.

The issue with homeopathy is the scale of the dilusion. That is it such micro levels of the substance... I do know that substances in the home can impact a person, even with tiny amounts of contact... it's not totally implausable to me that these teeny tiny levels don't have a bigger impact than a big does... why so? because the more support you give something the less likely the something will beave independantly... You can train your eyes not to be short sighted... but if you wear glasses or contacts you are providing external support making your eye muscles even weaker... if you follow me. Teeny tiny doeses of medicine are given the body may still react (it only takes one virus cell to multiply when the bodies imune system is down for your to catch and illness)

Hence I can't dispell homeopathy because I don't buy that science is all that good at measuring when it comes to medicine... Science is still relatively young therefore these remedies could be having an impact that science can't measure YET... its not sensitive enough

I'm not totally anti science, just understand that a neagative responce can be one of two problems - something doesn't work, or the measurment tool is faulty.. Scientists do like to over look the latter...

I work in market research - I live with the second issue most days.... not asked enough questions in an area that would be useful... not being able to research something because the research can't get there... that type of thing...

So thanks for the video link but they are just amsuing and you may be horrified if you knew how much was true of normal medicne you wouldn't think twice about taking.

 

[tinkerbell]

Don't fall for it!! You still have cancer!!

..ah dammit, lost another one.

I REALLY don't buy faith healers at all... so you don't need to convert me.