Have a little balance. If alternative medicine which has been around for sucha long time were so wonderful, modern medicine would not have developed as it has.
“If alternative medicine which has been around for sucha long time were so wonderful, modern medicine would not have developed as it has.”
Alternative medicine has been around for 5000 years. Modern medicine gets some of its methods and treatments from alternative medicine.
Modern medicine is better at surgery and covering up the symptoms. Its not so good at preventing or curing diseases.
I worked with Quackwatch back about 13 years ago or so.
Dr. Barrett’s daughter, Deborah, has Fibromyalgia. Her treatment program boils down to aerobic exercise, massage therapy, pain relief and stress management.
http://www.quackwatch.com/03HealthPromotion/fibromyalgia/index.html
As massage therapists, we see clients with Fibro and a related syndrome called Polymyalgia Rheumatica, for which there is a blood test.
The massage portion consists of finding the originating muscle spasms. They can be the result of a virus, an injury, overuse or prolonged stress and often, a combination of all of the above. A certified Neuromuscular Massage Therapist can, over a few weeks or months, relieve the spasms in various muscle groups until they reach the core trigger points. This modality is based on Western musculo-skeletal anatomy and can be reproduced. It has been studied down to the cellular level by David C. Simons, M.D.
Our protocol is to start with one hour sessions a few days apart and work to 30-minute sessions a week apart and then lengthen the time between the 30-minute sessions as long as possible. Often, clients notice they have a certain periodic flare-up of symptoms over a given time period and will make their appointments to coincide with that.
The aerobic portion can be a simple treadmill. The theory is that, while there is a specific muscular cause and a specific region that was initially affected, the resultant disability causes the client to avoid exercise, with a resultant lack of oxygen to the tissues. The walking can alleviate that. Swimming in a warm therapy pool can also help a lot. The body is off gravity, the exercise is aerobic and the water passing along the muscles is soothing. Hot tubs are also helpful. Many hospitals have these available on doctor prescription, sometimes combined with a PT or exercise session. Becoming aware of the ergonomics involved in the client’s work or daily life can also be beneficial, especially if there is an overuse component to the symptoms.
There are attention-getters with every sort of dysfunction imaginable. Because there is no hard and fast test or one shot cure for Fibro, the people who have it get labeled and then they get defensive, which is understandable. That is a self-perpetuating cycle.
Modern scientific medicine is a marvel for many conditions. Some forms of *alternative* (alternative to what?) treatment also work sometimes for some people with some conditions. It is also called *complementary* treatment and is often found in Wellness programs and will be under the oversight of an MD. I know that when we consult with our referring physicians, they will tell us to just keep on doing what we are doing, since they are seeing positive results in their patients. When the complementary work is overseen by a physician and takes place in a clinical setting, many insurance policies will allow some payment or reimbursement.
As we all know, many forms of scientific treatment do not always work for everyone, either. I have seen Fibro clients improve and be able to manage their symptoms over time to the point where they no longer feel they have the syndrome.