Alternative Medicine Can and Does Work

Alternative therapy, used correctly, is extremely effective. While alternative therapy cannot and should not take the place of traditional medicine in all situations, it can enhance and improve the benefits of traditional treatment, used properly.

In one extreme case in my family, alternative therapy did what traditional medicine couldn't. A family member (L) with ongoing kidney disease that had left her with less than half a kidney and even less kidney function was under antibiotic treatment for several months for a kidney infection. The damage was increasing and L was about to be placed on a kidney transplant list. Family members were preparing for to be tested for suitability when L decided to attempt alternative treatments. She continued taking the antibiotics, but added cranberry extract and other herbal supplements to her regimen and began using biofeedback, meditation, and Reiki massage as well. Within three months the kidney infection was gone and within six months her kidney function improved to the point where she was declared out of danger.

Now I'll analyze and explaine some of the types of alternative therapy used by my family and friends at various times.

Chiropractic:

While Chiropractic treatments are no longer considered quite as "out there" they it used to be, many people still do not believe in the benefits of these treatments. I grew up receiving chiropractic treatments in conjunction with traditional medical care when I became ill. While it may not have actually cured the earaches and such, it taught me to relax and accept the possibilities.
The trick to using Chiropractic care to its greatest advantage is to know what you want, need, expect, and can get from the treatments and to know your chiropracter well. I interview a new chiropracter with very specific things in mind. Knowing that I have herniated discs in my lower back, any chiropracter who wants to start with a treatment prior to x-rays is immediately rejected. Once the x-rays are taken, I go over them with him and we outline what treatments will be used. Simple chiropractic adjustments, are the tip of the iceberg.
Chiropracters often use TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) unit treatments either prior to or after an adjustment to minimize the muscular impact of the adjustment. They may also use automated massage tables, heat therapy, cold therapy, and many other options to improve the results of their treatments.

Massage Therapy:

Anyone who has ever had a really good massage would say that, at very least, it helps relax and soothe muscles. My experience with massage therapy goes a bit beyond that. I am one of those people who becomes very ill every winter, no matter what I do. The best I can hope for is to have good enough medical care quickly enough to minimize the duration. One year recently I was in a habit of regularly (weekly)going for massages by students at a local massage therapy school. Oddly enough, that was the one winter that I did not get seriously ill. Some people would call this a coincidence, but I honestly believe that something about the routine helped, even if it was just the stress relief.

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) units:

A treatment with a TENS unit can be very beneficial for muscle strains and soft tissue injuries. The traditional medical community accept TENS unit treatments more widely than in the past. In fact, one family member has had to wear one through the day with a very light treatment to help with shoulder pain. My daughter suffers from extreme car sickness when traveling more than a few miles and has found that using a TENS unit "watch" keeps it under control. The "watch" straps to her wrist like a traditional watch and delivers extremely low-voltage pulses to her system, which control the motion sickness.

Herbal Medicine:

Herbal remedies were the precursor to modern medicine. In fact, many of the medications we use today are derivatives of herbal medicines. In fact digitalis, which is used to treat some cardiac a arrhythmias, comes directly from the common foxglove (aka Digitalis purpurea). Herbal medicines must always be used carefully, as they can interact with traditional medications as well as other herbal remedies. ALWAYS check with reliable sources prior to taking herbal medicines, either alone or with other medications. Obviously there are far too many herbal remedies to list here, so I have listed a few which with I have personal experience.

Cranberry Extract -- Cranberry extract pills can help deliver a major punch to a urinary tract infection. I, for one, cannot ever seem to drink enough cranberry juice to do much good but find that cranberry extract pills help knock out an infection quickly. The trick with cranberry extract pills is that you MUST drink a lot of water with them.

St. John's Wort - For many people, St. John's Wort works as well as or better than the antidepressants prescribed by most doctors. It also tends to have less side effects in some people. I, personally, use St. John's Wort to help with stress. An article from the Mayo Clinic's website (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/st-johns-wort/NS_patient-stjohnswort) states that, "Numerous studies report St. John's wort to be more effective than placebo and equally effective as tricyclic antidepressant drugs in the short-term treatment of mild-to-moderate major depression (1-3 months)."

Lobelia Extract - The lobelia is plant with a small, colorful flower and a lot of clout. According to an article by the University of Maryland Medical Center (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lobelia-000264.htm), "...a qualified health care provider may recommend this herb (usually in combination with other herbs) for the treatment of... respiratory problems (such as) Asthma, Bronchitis, Cough...." On a personal level, I develop laryngitis for a prolonged period of time on a regular basis, and have gone without a voice for weeks and months on end. While working in a call center, where it was vital to have my voice, I discovered that hot lemonade with a few drops of lobelia extract opened my throat up and helped me recover my voice more quickly.

Biofeedback:

Biofeedback allows a patient to control functions of his body that are normally involuntary. Again according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/biofeedback-000349.htm), "Various forms of biofeedback appear to be effective for a range of health problems." Some forms of biofeedback involve using monitors to help track the involuntary functions in order to allow the patient to determine what affects them.

Meditation:

According to Wikipedia, "Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the reflexive, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness." Basically, meditation is a way of controlling one's negative thoughts and channeling that energy into more positive areas. Meditation is often used in conjunction with and as part of Biofeedback.

Reiki:

By far the most controversial alternative treatment in this list. I have had one Reiki treatment and while I found it relaxing I wouldn't necessarily say that it had any more benefits than a simple massage. This said, I know a number of people, including aforementioned family member with the kidney disease, who swear by Reiki.

According to a FAQ on www.reiki.org, "The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually 'spiritually guided life force energy.'" Reiki is often combined with massage, although it can be practiced without actual touching. It is spiritual in nature but is not a religion. Practitioners claim to align energy and balance the Chakra.

In conclusion, alternative medicine, used wisely, can and does improve one's health and quality of life -- at least in my opinion.