Crackpot Charlie's Homo Therapy

[Tealeaf]

HRH the POW is off to yodelling country today to give a speech extolling the virtues of complimentary medicine, such as homoeopathy, herbalism, magnet therapy, voodoo, etc; meanwhile, back in blighty, our leading medical experts have said that not only is it a load of mumbo-jumbo, but the taxpayer should cease forking out for it through the NHS.

Has anyone here ever tried any of this nonsense? Did it work for you? Would you recomend it? Or is it just quack medicine, the sooner outlawed the better?

[garinda]

In my last year at college I went to my GP and ended up having three operations on my back because it was diagnosed as sinus pilatus.

What started off as a bit of a niggle ended up after three operations that resulted in infection with me walking with a stick and a wound as big as a fist at the base of my spine.

I ended up going to Martin Dixon on Avenue Parade and after treatment of a month it healed after conventional surgery failed.

All I can say is that it worked for me, as acupuncture has for Parkinson's in relieving the muscular pain.

I'm in two minds if it should be available on the NHS, but with the cost of drugs being so expensive it may be a cheaper alternative to more convential medecine for some illnesses.

[jambutty]

There is no doubt that the claims made for complimentary medicines are often beyond belief and science tends to ridicule homeopathy. But science doesn’t know EVERYTHING and many of the pills and potions produced by science do not suit everyone.

Science has ridiculed the reasoning behind imbibing a greatly diluted substance that is causing the illness. But doesn’t something similar happen with vaccinations? Inject a disabled virus to create immunity to that virus.

Indeed ancient man would chew on willow bark to help alleviate aches and pains. Today science has discovered that the working ingredient of Aspirin is found in willow bark. Bread poultices were used to help heal infected wounds. A hint of penicillin perhaps? Honey was used to the same effect and today some hospitals are using maggots to battle MRSA and other infections of open wounds.

South American natives would use curare to tip their arrows and darts to bring down game. Today a derivative of curare is used to keep a patient immobile whilst surgery takes place.

Get stung with nettles and rub the affected area with dock leaves to alleviate the pain of the sting.

Get bitten by a poisonous snake or spider and the antidote is derived from that very same poison.

Many of today’s medicines come from plants until science can synthesize the drug.

As I stated earlier science doesn’t know everything but the medical profession cannot stand the thought that some amateur can effect a cure when they cannot.

[Shady McGough]

I'm of the opinion that if it works for you, then use it. I have friends who have been known to smoke cannabis to help with MS and I'm sure most people have some "old wives tale" so if homeopathy, aromatherapy, remedy, herbalism, voodoo or cow pats on a boil works for you then I say use it.

[pendy]

I do know people who have been helped by acupuncture, one of whom suffered disablingly from migraine, which has now largely disappeared. I agree with Jambutty that folk medicines work (foxglove tea for heart disease - contains digitalis, which is still used). However, that is a rather different matter than ingesting minuscule amounts of God knows what. I had a GP once (now struck off for using homeopathy when conventional medicine was the only possible treatment) who gave me arsenic for asthma! Never tried voodoo mind you.

[lettie]

Although complimentary therapies can be helpful for some people just like conventional medicine it's not for everyone. I think it should be available if wanted, but should incur a subsidised cost.

[katex]

Originally Posted by Shady McGough

I'm of the opinion that if it works for you, then use it. I have friends who have been known to smoke cannabis to help with MS and I'm sure most people have some "old wives tale" so if homeopathy, aromatherapy, remedy, herbalism, voodoo or cow pats on a boil works for you then I say use it.

What a direct, straightforward opinion Shady .. well said.

Heard a little of a discussion on the Radio at lunch and saying all in the mind, OK suppose if you believe in it enough, then it works; the mind works in mysterious ways.

A lady of 93 was being interviewed and pointed out that when used on animals it worked and they do not understand placebos/alternative medicines, however, her adversary argued that the information was not fully researched on this point.

I do not believe that it should be offered on the NHS, however, maybe they could perhaps suggest that these alternative treatments are out there and could work for them, if conventional medicine is having no results.

[Gayle]

Most medicines work only if you believe in them and a lot of medicines don't work if you don't believe in them. I, for instance, mostly refuse over the counter medicines because I used to work for a pharmaceutical company, so I have very little confidence in them. Some people swear by paracetamol but I think it's the most over rated drug in existence.

[SPUGGIE J]

I am not a fan of taking drugs unless absoutely essential so if an alternative was made available I for one give it a go.

[grego]

I haven't used it for myself but did turn to it for my horse when everything else failed, thought might as well, within a few weeks of treatment, which cost a lot less than the vets, he was fit as a fiddle.
I think there is a place for complimentary medicine but I dont think its first line treatment.

[Gayle]

Plus, what are we to call it crackpot.

The firm I used to work for was about 100years old. When the company was formed it was because the founder had created a cough medicine that tasted foul but seemed to work. Now, people actually say things like 'if it tastes good it can't be working'.

[cashman]

having had raging tinnitus for years 24/7 without a break i was prepared to try owt, so i tried aquapuncture on the nhs i didnt,believe,have faith,or owt i was depressed and bloody desparate, i have been on it monthly for a while now after just 1 session within a couple of days i was getting 6-8 hour breaks with beautiful silence,believe me i have tried many pills from the doc-nothing,zilch, it hasnt cured it but i now know i am going to get relief at some point and that makes a huge differance to my day. so yes some of these wierd and wonderful things work to a degree, and to anyone who says differant - KNICKERS you dont know what your talking about.

[Shady McGough]

Cashman - fan bloody tastic. Highlights exactly what I was saying.

[lazeeboy]

Many people wrongly talk about Alternative therapies, please understand that sensible therapists, will not ask you to stop taking prescribed medicines. There are many differing types of treatment or therapies, Aromatherapy, Reiki, Crytsal therapy, Reflexology, Indain Head Massage, Sports Injury Massage, all of which have differing benefits.
Firstly with all of these therapies the first treatments have a consultation during which time the Therapist will listen to you. The treatments themselves will last approximately 1 hour during which time the client will have time to relax, He/She will know that they are getting 1 to 1 treatment also that someone is caring for them.
The treatment prescribed will be beneficial, but the therapist should have asked what the client expected from that treatment. If in the case of say sports injury massage if three treatmernts have shown no significant improvement the Therapist should have gained enough knowledge from the treatments to recommend what further treatment is need. On 1 occasion a client came to see me with s "sore foot" I almost immediately suspected a "stress fracture" these don't "show up" on Xrays immediately, he went back to his doctor who sai this was quite true and Treated him for this condition.
Many people do not agree with Therapies and say such things arer rubbish: I never try to change their opinion.
People who know the benefits of these treratments know the truth.
Not Alternative COMPLIMENTARY.

[pendy]

If Charlie-boy ever does become King, and thereby Head of the Church of England, will he do away with Evensong and substitute aromatherapy sessions?