How do you feel about using alternative therapies?

<<< Aromatherapist.

I think that the efficacy of some “alternative” medicine is being given more credence than at one time. I see that some cancer treatment centers now include some alternative medicine in their treatment regimen.
I believe that we have not fully comprehended the possibilities of sound therapy but as we get closer to understanding super string and all that that implies we will be better able to harness and utilize vibration more and more effectively.
I also believe that aromas can have various effects on the mind and body.
I’m sure that if I were to say that Jesus was a descended master who understood and was able to manipulate the vibrations of various objects at the molecular level I’d get a lot of flack.
Meh…what do I know? It’s just an idea that I had.

Sure, when you are down call a friend. Beats the heck out of drugs.

My (unpopular) opinion is that if it works for you, then do it. There is much to be said about the placebo effect. However, I think that people who are manufacturing snake oil are not the most honest people and don’t deserve our money. The same as those preachers on tv who sell the holy water that’s supposed to heal you or give you riches, etc. But hey, if you were blind and now you see, then who am I to tell you it’s fake?

While I was waiting to see if I had MS or not,I started taking mega doses of supplements because I had trouble walking.Within 3 days of doing this I was back to walking a few miles a day with minimal trouble.I am all for alternative methods of dealing with things.Yoga helps alot too along with daily weightlifting and any form of aerobic exercise:)

I should also mention that regarding some fields of alternative healing, the effects are completely legitimate. My trade is massage therapy, for example. There is actual tangible evidence of its worth, as in @Zen_Again‘s field. Things like what @lucillelucillelucille has told us about, like supplements and exercise, are essential for all the other medicines, alternative or modern western, to do their work.

I was trained in Reiki as a lark back in the 80’s. It had helped me, and I don’t care why. We paid (not much) for the training itself, but we were told that we were never to accept money for treatments.
How times have changed.
I think this was an excellent policy. Lay on them hands, and when you take them off again, don’t be holding them out, palm up. Faith healing should inspire faith. Taking money for it – I don’t think so.

This youtube video will sum up how I feel about it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB_htqDCP-s

I have a deep distrust of alternative therapies. If science based modern medicine failed, I would potentially turn to alternatives as a last resort, but I would always see a medical professional first. If there is no scientific research behind the therapy, and no causal link suggesting that it may work, then I would not touch it except as a last resort. While there are no doubt some honest, good people working in alternative therapies, the nature of the field leaves it wide open to dishonesty.

@FireMadeFlesh There is no “ONE therapy”.

It sounds as if you’re linking all alternative therapies together…then, claiming there is no research to back healing claims. One has to dig a little…read a lot…and, have an open mind willing to explore the possibilities.

@MissA I have neither the time nor the motivation to examine each one case by case. I define an alternative therapy in my own mind as one with little or no scientific basis, since any reasonable main-stream clinician would readily accept an ‘alternative’ therapy with support from a peer-reviewed journal or book. For example, I no longer consider acupuncture as alternative, since many GPs now provide it within their practices.

My daughter has used alternative therapies for her eczema, with great success.
If it works then it has to be useful.

Some are good, others are fraud.

I am paraphrasing this from someone but I don’t remember who: “There’s a word for alternative medicine that works: medicine.”

Alternative medicines should be thoroughly explored and scientifically validated. If empirical research shows that they have no effect, I don’t see any reason to continue using them.

@nikipedia See the youtube video by Tim Minchin that I posted above. It came from there.

@Rarebear: Ah. Sorry about that. I generally stay off the youtube at work.