Snake Oil or the Real Deal?

Gardenlover

Gardenlover

The world needs more love
Step right up folks, come in close where everyone can see, don't be shy! I've got just the thing for what ails ya, but only a few bottles left.

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Seems like there is always some new potion on the market which will relieve us of one or more afflictions. The only true guarantree is that we'll be relieved of the coins in our pocket.

A good example of this is the latest CBD craze. Some people swear by it, while others just swear about it.
I've had mixed results, depending on the brand. RA+ Hemp Infused Body Butter works (for me and others in my circle of friends) to relieve neck and joint pain. (Pun intended)
Other brands of CBD cream not so much.

I thought it might be interesting to share what we've found to be snake oil and what we found to be the real deal.
 

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I'm 67 & don't have enough joint problems to try anything yet, but if & when I do, I'd probably try that electric device that chiropractor sells. I think his name is Dr. Ho.
 
Once upon a time, I used to like to watch the Dr. Oz show. Then, he just became another media wh0re. Every week, there's a FANTASTIC.NEW.DIET/PRODUCT/SUPPLEMENT!!! that's ever-so-much-better than last week's FANTASTIC.NEW...…….. Every week. Last week's product that you just spent $75 on is out, out, out.

My mother is a junkie for any new supplement that comes on the market. She gets all these "health newsletters" in the mail and just HAS to try out whatever they mention. I told her to note that when the newsletter pushes ooba-jooba oil, it's not just ANY ooba-jooba oil, it's ABC Supplement Company's ooba-jooba oil, which coincidentally has a huge ad in the newsletter. So, in other works: "Advertise in my newsletter and I'll discover what a wonderful product your ooba-jooba oil is and push it!"
 

Well since acquiring fairly severe OA, & Spinal Stenosis, without listing remedies I have tried, I'll just say I have tried just about all of them. Internal & topical , up to & including Prolo-Therapy & Stem Cell.

Nothing so far has worked/helped. "Pain" meds [NSAIDS] take the edge off...but that's about it.

Next on the list to try is Marijuana....Haven't tried it yet, when I do I'll post my results.

Almost forgot to mention....I am also going to do Acupuncture again. I did it once some time back, it seemed to help, but my provider relocated out of state, and i have not sought out another.
 
Many have recommended CBD oil to me and I've even tried it. Seemed to make me feel better but it cost too darn much for me to keep buying it. I never knew either just how much I needed.
 
Anything that smells terrible and stings when you put it on is supposed to work.

Same with Buckleys cough syrup.

It's the human myth. At one time people were even touting Wd-40 for stiff knees.

If you can get Horse Liniment it's even better.

Step right up is right.
win231 said:
I'm 67 & don't have enough joint problems to try anything yet, but if & when I do, I'd probably try that electric device that chiropractor sells. I think his name is Dr. Ho.
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Yes it's Dr. Ho.
And the device sends an electric current to a muscle and makes it twitch.
Whether it works or not I have no idea. A friend bought the device.
Like most of those devices it' sits in a closet gathering dust.
I do believe in applying heat to a sore spot in a muscle or joint.
I believe the heat stimulates the blood supply to the muscle or joint and that helps with healing and relief from soreness. Some people swear by cold.
I have a bag that is full or rice or something that goes into the microwave.
It's soothing on my feet and back.
 
Camper6 said:
Anything that smells terrible and stings when you put it on is supposed to work. ...
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My wife's grandmother was half american indian. I had a nagging back ache in the early years of our marriage, my wife's grandmother made up some tonic that burned like the dickens and smelled even worse. I couldn't stand it so I jumped in the shower to wash it off, to no avail. However, it did get rid of the back pain.

I love those heated rice bags. :love:
 
I was diagnosed with arthritis at 34 and it has gradually worsened with age. The best thing I did to improve it was to change my diet to low carb, low sugar, low alcohol. I have a dehumidifier on at all times to keep it under 50% humidity. Electric blankets year round and a variety of heating pads help. I take CBD oil daily, more when needed. I know it works because the pain comes back when I run out. CBD is not created equally between different makers. Some works well, some not at all. I'm having a walk in tub with jets installed in the coming months, which will help with joint pain.
 
There are all sorts of modern day "snake oils"....in the form of prescription drugs. NBC evening news did a piece on 3 of them this evening....Zegerid, Vimovo, and /Duexis....all of which cost pennies to make, yet are sold for dozens of dollars per pill. Insurance covers most of those costs, but it is things like these "scams" that are driving our health care costs through the roof.
 
Duster said:
I forgot about my inversion table. It's the best. I have it set so that it doesn't go upside down~only at an incline. It takes a minute or two to make back pain disappear. Works good on kinks in the neck, too.
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That is very interesting! I do believe that something like that would work, even better is hanging by your feet, because it works against gravity and relieves some of the pressure on your spine. BUT, what I fear is what happens when all that blood rushes to your brain for a prolonged period of time, even minutes. It can't be good. I read that humans started having back problems when they became bipedal. Well, there is no solution for THAT! I doubt I could walk on all fours even if I wanted to. Can you post a link/photo of your inversion table? And for how long do you use it? I have lower back pain.
 
This shows how to you use it and shows about as low as I go. You need to have enough arm strength to pull yourself back up. The foot thing clamps onto your legs tightly, so that you don't risk falling out of it. The adjustments are for your height and the amount of incline you want to go down to. It pivots just like a teeter totter. I use mine almost daily.
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Wow, it has great reviews at Amazon, 82% in 5 stars. This is what one of the reviews said =

"This depends on your tolerance for the inversion. I have been told by a Dr that the most effective may to stretch the discs in your back is to invert to less than 180 degrees. 180 degrees leaves you hanging upside down. Blood pressure is a consideration and gradually inverting and returning to the up-right position slowly are also recommended. I've heard 5 min daily is good to 1/2 hour daily. My neck and mid back responded very well the first time i tried it. I have sciatica and when i use it, it helps the sciatica for a while depending on what I'm doing. 3 min upside down will relieve my sciatica for a few hours unless I'm cutting the grass or something else strenuous. Hope this helps. I feel each person will respond differently and urge taking things slowly at first to see what works best for you "

https://www.amazon.com/IRONMAN-Grav...version/dp/B000VSKAI8?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1&th=1
 
I have the Teeter inversion table, I used it for about 10-15 minutes @ each session, 3 days p/week @ about a 60 degree inversion. It started hurting my left knee & hip, got worse over time, so I haven't used it for some time. I do think it helps the back/neck though. Perhaps I'll try to ease back into it ?
 
rgp said:
I have the Teeter inversion table, I used it for about 10-15 minutes @ each session, 3 days p/week @ about a 60 degree inversion. It started hurting my left knee & hip, got worse over time, so I haven't used it for some time. I do think it helps the back/neck though. Perhaps I'll try to ease back into it ?
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If you read the reviews, over 3400 people have bought it and loved it. Perhaps there was a reason for your problem, ask your doctor or even the manufacturer. Perhaps you can make some changes to the incline, using pillow under your hip/knee, some other trick? Sounds like it's worth researching.
 
Catlady said:
If you read the reviews, over 3400 people have bought it and loved it. Perhaps there was a reason for your problem, ask your doctor or even the manufacturer. Perhaps you can make some changes to the incline, using pillow under your hip/knee, some other trick? Sounds like it's worth researching.
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Well, perhaps....As is said, I might try easing back into it.
 
rgp said:
Well, perhaps....As is said, I might try easing back into it.
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Hope it works for you. Good luck! Can you update us how it went?

I thought of getting one, but I always buy and then stop using and waste money, this one is $175. Consistency is NOT one of my virtues. I'm thinking of getting on the floor on all fours and stay like that for some minutes, like 5-15. Or slanting my body down from the couch with my head down on the floor (hip on couch and feet on top of sofa back). I'll see if it helps my lower back pain.
 
Catlady said:
@Duster - Thanks! How long do you stay on it? What about the blood flow to the head, that's my fear, although I believe it would help.
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I only stay on it a few minutes. If I feel like the blood is rushing to my head, I'll go up until it feels better. Don't want to black out. You can set the incline on just a small incline at first and work you way to a steeper incline or find what does you the most good. It isn't necessary to go real low to reap the benefits of an incline table.
I've been amazed at how fast it makes me feel better.
 
Catlady said:
Hope it works for you. Good luck! Can you update us how it went?

I thought of getting one, but I always buy and then stop using and waste money, this one is $175. Consistency is NOT one of my virtues. I'm thinking of getting on the floor on all fours and stay like that for some minutes, like 5-15. Or slanting my body down from the couch with my head down on the floor (hip on couch and feet on top of sofa back). I'll see if it helps my lower back pain.
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If you can safely do all of the above and GET UP by yourself, by all means try the simplest approach first. It may do the same thing for you without any equipment. My problem is that I have problems getting up from the floor. I no longer have the strength to jump right up from the floor.
On the negative side, the incline table requires space to keep it and space around it to use it. You want it available to use when you need it.
Not everyone has that extra space available in their homes. I have a large storage room off my garage to keep it in.
I've had the incline table for 5+ years and still use it almost every day.
If you know someone with one, maybe you could try theirs' out to get a feel for it.
 
Duster said:
If you can safely do all of the above and GET UP by yourself, by all means try the simplest approach first. It may do the same thing for you without any equipment. My problem is that I have problems getting up from the floor. I no longer have the strength to jump right up from the floor.
On the negative side, the incline table requires space to keep it and space around it to use it. You want it available to use when you need it.
Not everyone has that extra space available in their homes. I have a large storage room off my garage to keep it in.
I've had the incline table for 5+ years and still use it almost every day.
If you know someone with one, maybe you could try theirs' out to get a feel for it.
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I have no doubts the incliner would work, based on your opinion and that 82% 5 stars at Amazon. But, I don't trust myself to spend the money and use it faithfully. I already have a $200 Maxi Climber in my living room that I've only used twice. At least I own up to my faults, eh? I tried the ''doggy posture'' this morning and it's doable on my knees and hands, we'll see if it works, if I don't keep it up at least I didn't waste $175. Thanks!
 
And then there is the placebo effect which screws up all of it. The brain is a powerful instrument. It can make you believe things that you know for a fact are not true;
 
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