Alternative medicine / approach doctors

[rgp]

Has anyone here tried a different approach ? Non traditional doctor ?

I have been seeing my GP for 3+ yrs now, and other than a slight drop in B/P recently, & the same for B/sugar [A1C] I do not feel like I have gained much. I still hurt everyday [arthritis] , my sinuses are still driving me crazy, my psoriasis has not cleared....and my energy is still slipping. {Now almost non existent} .

I have a heart doc..[attack] 17 yrs ago, but he only treats that..

Yes I could try another GP , and perhaps that is the way to go ? But I was just wondering about alternatives ??......or are they all / most all shaman ? In your collective opinions....

If I have asked this in the past ? Sorry for the repeat...........

 

[Keesha]

Might I suggest a qualified Naturopath ?
Many health insurance policies will cover them. These doctors treat the whole body not just your symptoms.

 

[rgp]

Might I suggest a qualified Naturopath ?
Many health insurance policies will cover them. These doctors treat the whole body not just your symptoms.

Been reading about them..there are many in my area.....Do you have any experience? Willing to share ?

 

[Keesha]

Been reading about them..there are many in my area.....Do you have any experience? Willing to share ?

Yes I can share. Before I became a holistic nutritionist I was having all kinds of digestive problems; bloating , gaining weight etc., and wasn’t getting any relief from GP’s so I went to see one. She was exceptionally thorough in her questioning. Turns out I’m Celiac ( wheat intolerant ) and can’t digest dairy too well. I also discovered that I was lacking probiotics which are very important for balancing out the body’s pH.

I took her advice which helped me so much that I decided to get a degree in biology and became a nutritionist and have never looked back.

It isn’t conventional medicine so it’s best to keep an open mind.

Good luck to you rgp. I think you are headed in the right direction.

 

[SeaBreeze]

I've never been to a natural doctor, pretty much just researched alternatives on my own and stuck with what I thought was beneficial. Rgp, did you ever have the stem cell treatment for your arthritis, I think you mentioned that late last year?

 

[rgp]

"Rgp, did you ever have the stem cell treatment for your arthritis, I think you mentioned that late last year?"

I did, just this past January . At now 3 full months I feel no change, but they say of course....be patient. So, it's done I have no choice but to be patient...

I certainly hope it does work. Like I told the doc that did it...if I could get just a 50% reduction in pain & a 50% increase in mobility I'd be happy....He of course said he thinks I'm a good candidate for at least that. Yes I know, that may have been his last-dash sales pitch ??

 

[SeaBreeze]

I didn't know you had to wait for the effects of the stem cell treatment to take effect for that long, did they say how long you would have to wait? Do you think it would be as long as a year? Anyway, if you could reduce your pain in half and increase your mobility at the same rate, it would be well worth the wait for sure! I think stem cell treatment is so new, that the doctors can't make hard core promises and say you're definitely a good candidate and you will see results. Stay positive, hope you find some relief soon.

 

[rgp]

I didn't know you had to wait for the effects of the stem cell treatment to take effect for that long, did they say how long you would have to wait? Do you think it would be as long as a year? Anyway, if you could reduce your pain in half and increase your mobility at the same rate, it would be well worth the wait for sure! I think stem cell treatment is so new, that the doctors can't make hard core promises and say you're definitely a good candidate and you will see results. Stay positive, hope you find some relief soon.

Actually you're exactly correct...it is in most cases dependent on,...age, severity, activity, and weight [in the lower extremities]. Given my 'stats' [they] are hoping for 9-12 months improvement....It's me that is being impatient...

And.......


"I think stem cell treatment is so new, that the doctors can't make hard core promises and say you're definitely a good candidate and you will see results."

Correct again...exactly what they said...

Thanks for the encouragement..

 

[rgp]

BTW when I said Thanks for the encouragement...I was responding to..

"Stay positive, hope you find some relief soon."

My reply sounded smart assed...Not my intent at all..........

 

[Lethe200]

We use both an acupressurist and an acupuncturist, and very occasionally a chiropractor who specializes in the Network method, which is much gentler than the traditional type. I also use a massage therapist once a month; she is a former acupuncturist but realized she preferred doing massage and switched her practice.

The acupressurist and acupuncturist are people we have gone to for decades; both are highly qualified and we see them on a standard recurring monthly basis. Our acupressurist uses the Jin Shin Jyutsu style.

Our acupuncturist is originally from Hong Kong and is the eighth generation of his family to be an acupuncturist; his son who is over 50 and works with him, is the ninth generation as well as a licensed American M.D.

I have to say that where I live it is easy to find alternative medical practitioners and thus it is easier to "weed out" those who aren't compatible with you. Everybody has a different style and sometimes you just don't click.

Acupuncture is THE most difficult to master. There are a lot of licensed acupuncturists in our area but I wouldn't go to most of them. Most are not very good at pulse diagnosis, which is the most important part of the system. Depending on the style of acupuncture/acupressure, a system may count from anywhere from 12 to 29 different types of pulses to diagnosis your condition.

I'm not saying, "Don't do it." But I am saying it's hard for the layman to judge the true competence of ANY medical person, Western or Asian. Both can be more harmful than helpful if they're not as good as they should be.

Also, one issue with alternative medicine is that by its very nature it is "gentler" than Western medicine, which is a "treat the symptoms" viewpoint. Asian systems view symptoms as an indication of what might be wrong with the flow of energy, or qi, as it circulates through your body and organs.

The result is that most people only try alternative medicine as a last resort, when their body is thoroughly 'out of balance' and critical. So 'rebalancing' the energy takes time = multiple sessions. It is not as simple as the Western "take this pill, and if your symptoms go away, you're cured."

Western medicine is very good for acute illnesses: heart attacks, cancer, appendicitis, infections, broken bones, etc. Asian medicine works well for energy issues and imbalances: the aftereffects of chemotherapy, gout, low energy due to influenza, et. al.

HTH, and hope you feel better soon!

 

[WhatInThe]

There are numerous ways to treat conditions and strive for ideal health & fitness. But basics count and that it is anything that can boost the immune system and/or help the body function normally could do as much a specific tact for a disease, condition etc.

Also have to keep in mind how something works normally or should work anyway. In theory the joints should have enough lubrication and/or cartilage to aid proper and fluid movement-literally. They say fish oils/fatty acids have been found to help people with arthritis as much cholesterol. Rather look for 'a' cure time might be better spent researching and enhancing proper function. And when figuring out how it works take note of what affects function as mentioned like age, usage or lack there of etc. I don't think there's one way but several ways that might help and there are reasons for that.

 

[SifuPhil]

We use both an acupressurist and an acupuncturist, and very occasionally a chiropractor who specializes in the Network method, which is much gentler than the traditional type. I also use a massage therapist once a month; she is a former acupuncturist but realized she preferred doing massage and switched her practice.

The acupressurist and acupuncturist are people we have gone to for decades; both are highly qualified and we see them on a standard recurring monthly basis. Our acupressurist uses the Jin Shin Jyutsu style.

Our acupuncturist is originally from Hong Kong and is the eighth generation of his family to be an acupuncturist; his son who is over 50 and works with him, is the ninth generation as well as a licensed American M.D.

I have to say that where I live it is easy to find alternative medical practitioners and thus it is easier to "weed out" those who aren't compatible with you. Everybody has a different style and sometimes you just don't click.

Acupuncture is THE most difficult to master. There are a lot of licensed acupuncturists in our area but I wouldn't go to most of them. Most are not very good at pulse diagnosis, which is the most important part of the system. Depending on the style of acupuncture/acupressure, a system may count from anywhere from 12 to 29 different types of pulses to diagnosis your condition.

I'm not saying, "Don't do it." But I am saying it's hard for the layman to judge the true competence of ANY medical person, Western or Asian. Both can be more harmful than helpful if they're not as good as they should be.

Also, one issue with alternative medicine is that by its very nature it is "gentler" than Western medicine, which is a "treat the symptoms" viewpoint. Asian systems view symptoms as an indication of what might be wrong with the flow of energy, or qi, as it circulates through your body and organs.

The result is that most people only try alternative medicine as a last resort, when their body is thoroughly 'out of balance' and critical. So 'rebalancing' the energy takes time = multiple sessions. It is not as simple as the Western "take this pill, and if your symptoms go away, you're cured."

Western medicine is very good for acute illnesses: heart attacks, cancer, appendicitis, infections, broken bones, etc. Asian medicine works well for energy issues and imbalances: the aftereffects of chemotherapy, gout, low energy due to influenza, et. al.

HTH, and hope you feel better soon!

Excellent post.

As a former OMD I could hardly improve upon your description of qi healing. Especially concerning the difficulty of diagnosis - in addition to the pulses, there are other tools such as color and odor reading that takes years to become proficient in. Many MDs jumped on the acupuncture bandwagon back in the '70's and '80's, but the problem there is that they were only required to take 200 hours of instruction, as opposed to the many years required for acupuncturists. Only 3 states require MDs to receive that same training.

 

[SeaBreeze]

BTW when I said Thanks for the encouragement...I was responding to..

"Stay positive, hope you find some relief soon."

My reply sounded smart assed...Not my intent at all..........

I didn't sound smart assed at all Rgp, I'd be impatient too waiting for relief, but thinking positive is always beneficial regardless of the end results....which I really hope give you some relief. It would provide hope for others who suffer from pain.

 

[SeaBreeze]

I did, just this past January . At now 3 full months I feel no change, but they say of course....be patient. So, it's done I have no choice but to be patient...

I certainly hope it does work. Like I told the doc that did it...if I could get just a 50% reduction in pain & a 50% increase in mobility I'd be happy....He of course said he thinks I'm a good candidate for at least that. Yes I know, that may have been his last-dash sales pitch ?? [/COLOR]

I thought about you today when I heard a little snippet of this about stem cell fraud on the radio today, the article is here.

This past summer, the Federal Drug Administration said that it was ramping up enforcement around regenerative medicine and working to crack down on these so-called “bad actors” making false claims and sometimes operating outside of the law. The agency busted clinics in Florida and California that were providing experimental procedures that put their patients at risk, the agency said.“The FDA will not allow deceitful actors to take advantage of vulnerable patients by purporting to have treatments or cures for serious diseases without any proof that they actually work,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.


In addition, the state of North Dakota recently settled with a clinic headquartered in Denver that was at the center of an investigation due to consumer complaints about alleged stem cell injections. That clinic, West 2 Medical Solutions, will have to repay nearly $20,000 to patients and will discontinue the injections in North Dakota.


A study published in 2016 identified 570 clinics across the country peddling “stem cell” treatments that are largely unproven and unregulated by the FDA. Though the study didn’t name any particular clinics or companies, Denver was identified as one of several cities with a relatively high concentration of such clinics scattered across the metro area.


Gottlieb wrote in August that these clinics and others like them cast a shadow on a promising field of medicine by not following established guidelines and regulations.
“These dishonest actors exploit the sincere reports of the significant clinical potential of properly developed products as a way of deceiving patients and preying on the optimism of patients facing bad illnesses,” Gottlieb said. “This puts the entire field at risk.”


The presence of such “dishonest actors” also has created tension and conflict among physicians and others who work in the field of regenerative medicine.


Christopher Centeno, M.D., is a physician based in Broomfield, Colorado and is the founder of Regenexx, a nationwide network of doctors who offer stem cell treatments for orthopedic injuries. Centeno and several other doctors have joined together to raise similar concerns to those expressed by the FDA.


Centeno’s Orthobiologic Ethics Consortium claims that independent testing has shown some supposed “stem cell” treatments – many of them advertised as “amniotic” or “placental” stem cells -- don’t contain any live stem cells at all. And even if they did, they would most likely be considered drugs that would require FDA review before being used.


“Vulnerable elderly patients are being targeted through local seminars and are charged thousands of dollars for these injections delivered by non-physicians to treat knee, hip, shoulder, and low back arthritis,” the group warned.


“What we’re seeing is…elderly people being charged $5,000 a pop” for treatments that don’t really do anything, Centeno said. “Mostly just money down the drain.”

 

[Falcon]

If I needed medical attention, I would FIRST go to an M.D., a graduate of an accredited medical school and have him/her

advise me what to do. Definitely NOT an O.D.. Doctors of Osteopathy, who IMHO couldn't make it through Medical School.

 

[Keesha]

We use both an acupressurist and an acupuncturist, and very occasionally a chiropractor who specializes in the Network method, which is much gentler than the traditional type. I also use a massage therapist once a month; she is a former acupuncturist but realized she preferred doing massage and switched her practice.

The acupressurist and acupuncturist are people we have gone to for decades; both are highly qualified and we see them on a standard recurring monthly basis. Our acupressurist uses the Jin Shin Jyutsu style.

Our acupuncturist is originally from Hong Kong and is the eighth generation of his family to be an acupuncturist; his son who is over 50 and works with him, is the ninth generation as well as a licensed American M.D.

I have to say that where I live it is easy to find alternative medical practitioners and thus it is easier to "weed out" those who aren't compatible with you. Everybody has a different style and sometimes you just don't click.

Acupuncture is THE most difficult to master. There are a lot of licensed acupuncturists in our area but I wouldn't go to most of them. Most are not very good at pulse diagnosis, which is the most important part of the system. Depending on the style of acupuncture/acupressure, a system may count from anywhere from 12 to 29 different types of pulses to diagnosis your condition.

I'm not saying, "Don't do it." But I am saying it's hard for the layman to judge the true competence of ANY medical person, Western or Asian. Both can be more harmful than helpful if they're not as good as they should be.

Also, one issue with alternative medicine is that by its very nature it is "gentler" than Western medicine, which is a "treat the symptoms" viewpoint. Asian systems view symptoms as an indication of what might be wrong with the flow of energy, or qi, as it circulates through your body and organs.

The result is that most people only try alternative medicine as a last resort, when their body is thoroughly 'out of balance' and critical. So 'rebalancing' the energy takes time = multiple sessions. It is not as simple as the Western "take this pill, and if your symptoms go away, you're cured."

Western medicine is very good for acute illnesses: heart attacks, cancer, appendicitis, infections, broken bones, etc. Asian medicine works well for energy issues and imbalances: the aftereffects of chemotherapy, gout, low energy due to influenza, et. al.

HTH, and hope you feel better soon!

Excellent post about alternative healthcare options from other qualified, educated practitioners

 

[jaminhealth]

I probably saw my first Integrative MD about 20 yrs ago. He took blood tests an allopathic would not do. Truly. EBV and DHEA are two that come to mind. I could never go back to allopathic MD's as they only know drugs. I have been doing my own work on healing for over 25 yrs.