[piano97]

What do folks think of reflexology, polarity therapy, reiki, cranio-sacral therapy, etc?

Not in place of medication, by as an adjunct.

I've tried holotropic breathwork, brain-wave biofeedback and EMDR and i found them amusing but not helpful.

[amicus_curiae]

My passion is for alternative music.

But I think that alternative and medicine are mutually exclusive.

Then again — there’s no telling how powerful a placebo can be.

[piano97]

Some of it is snake oil, no doubt. But I often think meds are not far off from that to some degree.

[SorryShaped]

I know our bodies do things with emotions all the time, like store them in strange places. Anyone who has had a yoga practice where you cry and don't know why, should agree.
There's quite probably science to those things adjectivised with "pseudo-" but we just don't yet understand everything. "Medicine" is after all, a practice.

[Merlin]

I think there is very interesting research on mindfulness meditation and diet changes.

[SorryShaped]

I agree. What we put into our bodies changes the whole. What we do to our bodies, changes the whole. Why not what we do with? Oh wait, that's already science too, exercise being a big one.

[Pookyl]

Mindfulness is the only complimentary therapy that I have found works.

[*Laurie*]

I have not has acupuncture for mental health issues, but I had it because of uncontrollable kidney infections. Western medicine was not helping the infections at all. I saw several doctors and had a bunch of tests. Not one doctor could really help me. My life was seriously messed up from having such painful, recurring infections. A friend suggested acupuncture...I didn't think it would help, but I was desperate.

Three weeks into acupuncture treatments the kidney problems stopped. That was 25 years ago and I have not had another infection since. I'm a believer.

[piano97]

Thanks Laurie, glad to hear your story. I think I will continue to do theurapeutic massage with reflexology and some other energy techniques (cranio-sacral massage, polarity therapy). I have to be careful though...I'm prone to thinking I don't need meds anymore and it starts with something like finding something new that I haven't tried yet.

Something interesting that happened after I had my first session last week....I've had gallbladder problems before, had an ultrasound, there was a couple small stones or something or another, MD said was fine and repeat u/s in six months. I never did though. That was a few years ago. For awhile now, probably at least 6 months, in the evenings when I lay down on couch I have an ache in that area. Doesn't hurt per se, but a dull ache.

I have not had it since the session last week. Not at all. And was having it every evening. So, I don't know what she did, but something balanced that out for me.

I'm seeing my doctor this week, and plan to schedule another session this week.

There is definitely something to it. I'll update on things. Anyone who has experiences with this please let us know.