Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with alternativemedicine

Looking for a good women's doctor in Detroit (east side)

lolo341 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:45:17 -0800

I'm new to Detroit - can anyone recommend some good internists or ob/gyns on the east side or maybe ferndale/royal oak areas? Indian village, eastpointe, grosse pointe, st. clair shores, roseville would be most ideal. I have a HAP HMO, not that I expect you to know what your doctor accepts, but just in case anyone answering happens to have it. Also, my idea of a "good" doctor is someone who actually listens and partners with you by presenting options rather than ordering tests without discussion. I'm looking for someone who is open to or practices integrative or alternative medicine; a focus on women's health would be great too. For the record, I don't get sick often, and other than uterine fibroids, I don't have any major health issues. Since I am new, the HMO assigned me someone whom I never want to see again. I need a doctor in whom I can have faith that s/he is looking out for my best interests, and someone who is not threatened by patients who are proactive about their own health. I should add that while I prefer a woman, I'm not opposed to having a male doctor if he fits the aforementioned criteria.

TMJ alternative treatment and practitioner recommendations for New York City

Salamandrous — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:38:14 -0800

Please share advice for non-dental treatments for TMJ. I've been dealing with this for about a decade, and had a custom made night guard, that I wore religiously, for all this time. Maybe it's slowing down the rate at at which the TMJ is getting worse, but it's still getting worse and I hate it. Osteopathy? Acupuncture? I've heard of both as possible alternative treatments - and my insurance would help pay for them. Has anyone had positive experiences with them? Or can recommend a practitioner (who takes health insurance) in Manhattan or Brooklyn? Or has other suggestions for treatment to explore?

Thank you!

La, la, la, la, la, la, Smurf the whole day long

arcticwoman — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:14:18 -0800

Please help me convince my in-laws not to take colloidal silver (silver water). My brother-in-law (not a medical practitioner in any way) has been hawking colloidal silver to his mom and his other sister's boyfriend for treatment of their (respective) pre-cancerous uterine cells and colitis. He claims it's a wonder cure, his mom is really gullible about "alternative medicine" and wonder cures and his brother-in-law (who, at thirty is likely to need a colostomy bag in the near future, effectively ruining his career as a marine biologist) is desperate. My partner and I are concerned about the health and well-being of our family, and know that colloidal silver, which, although it has been used in the past as an expensive disinfectant, has never proved its numerous claims to treat 650 different illnesses. What it has been shown to do, however, is turn you blue/grey, among who knows what other consequences from silver toxicity. Also, colloidal silver water has been demanded to be removed from shelves in Canada, where I am (although is still widely available).

As you can see, I've done a bit of research. What I need, though, is a way to make this accessible to my family. How do I convince a scared woman with a propensity to believe in what Greta Christina calls "woo" and a man who is desperate he is going to lose his livelihood, that there is no way colloidal silver is going to help. Neither of them have good livers, so liver damage from silver toxicity is a real threat, not to manage pocketbook damage. I don't want to totally antagonize my family over this, but as a loving and caring relative I feel I need to tell them how I feel and why I feel this way.

So: can you recommend specific articles (medical are fine, as long as they are clear enough that an MA student could read and summarize them) discussing the danger of colloidal silver? Clear arguments/articles on the uselessness of anecdotal data would also be welcome. On the other hand, if I am wrong and colloidal silver can cure cancer and colitis, please point me to some articles which show that.

Quack quack quack.

JonnyRotten — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:58:47 -0800

Have any of you had any experience with biorhythm readings, or any other such quackery where you were hooked up to a "computer" and completely diagnosed? My wife's family is big into alternative medicine. About two years ago they jumped onto the Nikken bandwagon, and now someone in the family has obtained a "biorhythm computer" (thats supposedly illegal in the US) that can tell you everything about yourself, from depression, "allergic to dairy", stress, and cancer. Being a man of science, this bothers me, because every argument I put to it, my wife waves off as "So if you don't believe in it, it can't possible work", or "So if it doesn't come from a Dr. in a office, it can't possibly work".
I will admit, some of the stuff that they have told her, or her family is kind of weird. She knew that my wife had a iron deficiency, but they also told her alot of generic stuff like she has a "stress problem" and hasn't been sleeping properly. Shes a stay at home mom, of course she has stress. They also told her that she could not get cancer, because cancer is a acid and her system is very basey. That last claim is what really upset me.

Should I just let her keep believing this quackery?

Alternative remedies for neck pain

kmtiszen — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:12:12 -0800

HolisticRemedyFilter: Any suggestions/home remedies/herbal solutions/voodoo rituals for acute neck and shoulder pain? About two weeks ago I woke up with a pain in my neck and shoulders. It's sore and stiff and generally annoying. To make things worse, I tend to have a nervous tick that's exacerbated by this pain. And to add insult to injury, I think the nervous tick is exacerbating the pain. I've been icing the area for a week now but this thing doesn't seem to want to go away. I won't be able to get in with a doctor for over a week. Thought I'd give the hive mind a chance to play doctor for now.

Does anyone have any alternative suggestions on how to treat this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Seeking chronic pain treatment facility

bilabial — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 06:11:48 -0800

My boyfriend's mother has suffered from a variety of chronic pain issues for roughly 15 years and is in the process of trying to find a facility that is best suited to her needs. At the moment, her main issue is TMJD, accompanied by severe fibromyalgia, digestive problems, recurring candida, and what some doctors have suggested is Sjogren's syndrome. Needless to say, this is all accompanied by severe depression.

In the past she has been an outpatient at the Mayo Clinic (Florida and Minnesota) as well as an inpatient at the Johns Hopkins Chronic Pain Treatment Program. She lives in a fairly isolated part of Florida, and as such, her access to specialists is limited. Nevertheless, she has traveled extensively to work with jaw specialists, endocrinologists, rheumetologists, and has tried a wide variety of alternative and complementary medicine including massage, myofacial release, rolfing, reiki, aromatherapy, all sorts of natural supplements, yoga, and meditation (she has a strong connection to Buddhism). None provide her much relief.

The several month regimen of detox and physical/occupational therapy at Hopkins made an improvement on her pain level, emotional state and stamina, but it was short lived, lasting for only a few months after her stay there ended. She also felt that their approach was too clinical and narrow for the complex web of problems she has. What she's looking for at this point is a place that has the medical credibility and technology for safe diagnosis and detoxification (she takes a few pain medications and an antidepressant, all to very limited effect), a strong emphasis on alternative/complementary medicine, and an approach that can address the depression (as well as other emotional issues) associated with chronic pain. On the other hand, she's concerned about the lack of standards at certain cure-all spiritual detox centers outside of the U.S. The fact that many of those places don't take insurance is also an issue. My boyfriend's mother and father aren't poor, but a place that takes insurance is highly desirable. Traveling is also taxing on her, so she's looking for places within North America. However, all options, both on and off the continent are welcome.

She's working to address the depression, but again, the resources where she lives are limited. We'd like to keep the discussion focused on the treatment options rather than the validity of her sypmtoms and previous diagnoses.

Intestinal Distress

plinth — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:29:36 -0800

Crohn's Disease and Mangosteen - snake oil or success? I've in the process of beating a new diagnosed Crohn's disease flare-up into submission and have been reading a number of things about using mangosteen juice as a helper for prevention of future flare-ups.

After reading dozens of "articles" all of them raise my skeptic hackles as they appear to be thinly masked advertisements to sell product. I've found some research papers, but unfortunately my high school level understanding of organic chemistry and immunology makes critical assessment of these works near impossible for me.

The CCFA has no information at all and my gastroenterologist (who is pretty fly for a GI guy) knows nothing of it, which make me even more skeptical.

So what's the deal?

Is homeopathy good for society?

Arcaz Ino — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 04:42:45 -0800

Is homeopathy good for society? How should it be regulated? Are there any good studies to this effect? Possible pros: placebo, reduction of burden on healthcare system, economic benefits of the industry.

Possible cons: rejection of conventional medicine and science, exacerbation of untreated medical problems, scope for "fraud", reduction of money spent on conventional medicine.

How do these things balance out in real life? What are your experiences?

Coptis detoxifying formula in NYC?

spaghetti — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 05:44:30 -0800

Where in NYC can I buy coptis detoxifying formula? What are some other alternative treatments for colitis?

Cap'n Crunch approves this message.

Errant — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 11:33:52 -0800

Experiences with transpersonal / meditative therapy? I'm about to re-enter therapy after about six years or so, for a variety of depression-related issues. In the past I've been unsatisfied with traditional psychologists and medication-based therapies, so I'm going to try out a counselor who focuses on transpersonal and meditative therapy. I'm not ruling out future medication, and I understand that all therapies are dependent on a working relationship between therapist and client. With that in mind, do any of you have experience with this kind of therapy? What can I expect from my first few sessions, and how does the experience differ from traditional psychotherapy and/or cognitive-behavioral therapy? Thanks in advance.