Alternative Treatments & Therapies

When I began this survey of persons with EMS on March 20, 2006, I did not anticipate the complexity of the results. I had wanted to ask several miscellaneous questions and then tally the responses for a report on this Web site. However, I failed to recognize that the question on usage of alternative treatments and therapies might result in so many diverse and complicated replies; I decided, therefore, to make the answers on alternative treatments a separate report. In this way, visitors to the Web site can get an overview of one issue without its being complicated by other non-related questions that were included in the March survey. The remaining parts of the survey will go into a second report I will write and post later (after May 18, 2006).

Furthermore, today some therapies and treatments are known as "complementary" rather than "alternative." Perhaps I should have included the word complementary in my question; however, I did not. Treatments might be briefly defined this way:

Allopathic - the kind of mainstream or conventional medical treatments traditionally offered by medical doctors (M.D's) including prescription drugs, recommendations for certain over-the-counter drugs, physical therapy, surgical interventions, etc. Definition of Allopathic Medicine

Alternative - usage of treatments and therapies or types of medical practitioners who use a wide variety of things that allopathic doctors generally do not prescribe or recognize as mainstream medicine. Examples may include magnet therapy, rolfing, homeopathy, herbs, yoga, shiatsu, visualization, mega-vitamin therapy, meditation, traditional Chinese medicine, and many others. Alternative therapies are traditionally used in place of mainstream medical treatments. Definition of Alternative Medicine

Complementary - usage of therapies alongside or in addition to mainstream/conventional medical treatments; for instance, a medical doctor might recommend massage therapy for a patient with Fibromyalgia as well as some type of prescription drug treatment. Definition of Complementary Medicine

To the thirty-three (33) persons with EMS who responded to my survey: I want you to know that the following questions requiring comments do not appear in this report according to the number on your acknowledgment email I sent to you. I have deliberately, for various reasons, put them in a different order.

This question on alternative treatments and supplements was the only question to which zero (0) persons replied that they are unsure whether or not they have used an alternative therapy, treatment or doctor. Although it seems to me that people sometimes define alternative treatments in differing ways, all respondents seem sure in their own minds whether or not those treatments or therapies are "alternative." I found this to be one of the interesting results of the survey.

I believe that almost all respondents would agree that usage of chiropractic therapy is an alternative treatment; however, not all would agree that exercise in a heated pool is an alternative therapy, for instance. Some persons even listed prescription drugs in their replies - I think in some cases this occurs because the drug is relatively new and seems like an alternative - in other cases, I think respondents merely wanted to list or share what helps them with problems. At any rate, I did list the prescription drugs but noted that they are, to the best of my knowledge, prescription drugs rather than dietary supplements, herbs, vitamins, minerals, etc.

I believe that some so-called alternative treatments, like massage therapy, might be evolving into mainstream or complementary medical therapies for certain medical disorders and are not considered anymore to "just" be alternatives to mainstream medicine. The fact that health insurance policies often now cover massage therapy supports this opinion. Another example might be the usage of relaxation tapes for anxiety: I still call this an alternative treatment or therapy, but I expect that other people might not even consider that to be the case. So, some boundaries are blurry between mainstream (conventional) and alternative treatments today.

My hope is that this report will educate those with EMS, their families and/or doctors, and interested others. I make no judgments on what anyone has tried or uses. People, in my opinion, who are suffering and in pain will be inclined to try alternatives with or without their major treating physician's knowledge or recommendation. This is especially true if people feel that they are not getting enough relief for their problems from their usual physician(s). Therefore, it's really important for all physicians to ask patients if they are using any other treatments in addition to those suggested or prescribed, and patients should inform their doctors of other therapies and supplements they use.

QUESTION 1: Do you use (now) any alternative treatments or supplements for EMS or any of the secondary problems of EMS? Thirty-three (33) people responded.

Yes: 16
No: 16
Sometimes: 1

QUESTION 2: If you have tried alternative treatments (doctors, whatever), would you list the ones that you have tried or used in the past year? If you have used vitamins or supplements in the past year, please list them without giving brand names.

Originally, these were separate questions on the survey, but I have combined them here. Although only 17 persons said they have used alternative treatments in the past year, more than that have used vitamins, minerals, or supplements, and that accounts for the total being 24 replies. (A few persons wrote long comments, and those will be provided in another section. Some brief comments have been partially quoted, quoted in full, paraphrased or omitted if deemed by me to be unnecessary for understanding the answer or lack of an answer - that is, the comment was really irrelevant to the question. I have also checked numerous spellings of supplements and drugs and hope I have them all correct since a number were spelled incorrectly.)

Person #1: Glucosamine Chondroitin; Yoga; Prayer; Aromatherapy; Green Tea; Herbal Teas; Bee Pollen

Person #2: Lots of activity; Meditation

Person #3: Acupuncture; Massage Therapy; Potassium & Magnesium Supplements

Person #4: Swimming 3 times a week; Weekly Cranial Sacral Therapy & related Osteopathic Treatment; Multivitamin; Calcium; Prescription Potassium; (Note: This person does not consider osteopathic treatment to be an alternative therapy or treatment but included it for the benefit of others who may not know about osteopathy.)

Person #5: Deep Breathing; Relaxation Tapes; Heat; Ice; Journaling; Massage Units (Vibrators) on painful areas or knots; Vitamin B-50 Complex once daily; Calcium & Magnesium supplement

Person #6: Chiropractor; Acupuncture; Vitamins; Some Herbs; Calcium; Magnesium with Vitamin D; Vitamin B-12, Vitamin E and Garlic

Person #7: Multivitamin; Vitamin C; Calcium plus D; Potassium; Flaxseed Oil Capsules; Omega 3 Fatty Acid Capsules; Iron

Person #8: Vitamin B-12; Calcium; One-A-Day Vitamin

Person #9: Acupuncture; Coenzyme Q10 "really helps with muscle pain, especially if you work out; too many (others) to name."

Person #10: Cranial Sacral Massage; Heat, especially wet heat; Vitamins A, B, C, D, E; Essential Fats; DHEA; Amino Acids; Multiple Minerals; Dried Fruit & Vegetable Supplement; Glucosamine Sulfate

Person #11: Acupuncture; Herbal Supplement (tea) in pill form called Six Ingredient; Fish Oil; Vitamin C; Stress B Vitamins; Good Vitamin/Mineral Supplement; Vitamin E (400 IU); Slo-Mag

Person #12: Water Aerobics (Note: The person did not consider this to be an alternative therapy; however, I am listing it since some might think that it is.)

Person #13: Mostly Vitamins, Minerals, and Over-The-Counter Pain Meds & sometimes Sleep Preparations as well

Person #14: Tanning Beds; Meditation; Iron Pills; B-12 Supplements

Person #15: Massage, especially Myosequence; Cranial Sacral; Myofascial Release & Deep Muscle; "I also get a weekly Lymphodema Therapy"; Daily Stretches; Compression Garment to keep excess fluid down; Magnesium; Multiple Vitamin; Calcium; Vitamin C "when I think I'm getting a cold."

Person #16: Multivitamin; Calcium Supplement; Magnesium; Vitamin C

Person #17: Chiropractor; Deep Breathing; Relaxation Exercises; Various Pain-Relieving Creams; B-12; Vitamins C and D; Folic Acid; Calcium & Magnesium; Coenzyme Q10; Lutein; Glucosamine Sulfate

Person #18: Multivitamin; Calcium; Red Yeast Rice; Vitamin D

Person #19: Multivitamin; B-Complex; Calcium; Vitamin E

Person #20: Multivitamin & Calcium "for general health."

Person #21: "The Basics"

Person #22: Calcium; Vitamin D; Fish Oil; Multivitamin (Note: Person does not take them "for EMS or any secondary problems....")

Person #23: Chiropractic; Massage

Person #24: Chiropractic/Holistic Practitioner (Note: Comments on this & others will appear later because they are long); Ion Cleanse Machine; Olive Leaf Extract; Meditropin; Oil of Oregano (Wild Hyssop); Whey Protein; Coconut Oil; Krill Oil; Iodoral

QUESTION 3: Which supplements do you find most helpful and for what medical problems?

(Please note that the numbering of answers here do not correspond to the previous questions; that is, Person #1 in this section is not the same as Person #1 in the prior section, unless by accident on my part. Also, not as many persons responded to this question, and some persons who cited specific alternative treatments used in the past year did NOT answer this question for reasons known only to them. A few said that they have not used alternative treatments in the past year but will be trying one or more in the near future.)

Person #1: (These are not dietary supplements but prescription drugs. However, since the person listed them, I will give them): "Zoloft for anxiety; Wellbutrin for depression; Cytomel & Synthroid for hypothyroidism..."

Person #2: "I don't know, except for the Vitamin E which keeps night sweats and hot flashes away."

Person #3: "Red Yeast Rice lowered my cholesterol about 35 points. I can't take the statin drugs, so use this instead."

Person #4: "Actually, not certain - take them because I've been told they 'might' help, so I continue on, with hope and faith."

Person #5: "Not sure - but my doc has approved them, and I go on faith!"

Person #6: "Magnesium for osteoporosis and muscle spasms...."

Person #7: "None of them help much, really."

Person #8: "I think they are all important to keep my immune system as healthy as I can. The Slo-Mag is for muscle spasms."

Person #9: "Coconut oil has eliminated J's [spouse who also has EMS] longstanding eczema/lesions on his skin, and is combating longstanding candida infection for me. There are other improvements but I will wait to discuss those until I am more confident through long-term use.

"Meditropin was very scary for me to use, but on serious consideration I tried it and it did restore some lost muscle giving me more strength, improved sleep dramatically and improved breathing; the muscle tone reduced my dress size two sizes without weight loss. Probably I did lose fat but the added muscle also had weight so I only showed a few pounds overall loss. It reduced liver spots on my hands significantly, by supposedly eliminating some plaque from the arteries. And it increased stamina dramatically. I have not used it long enough to say more but when I resume using it, I expect increased improvement. It is a second generation human growth hormone stimulator. It is not a growth hormone but encourages my body to produce more, or blocks the factors that block absorption of my own.

"Krill oil was not used long enough to know. I just could not afford to keep everything going for now.

"Iodoral was intended to substitute my thyroid meds. I became hoarse and my nails peeled into the quick when I went off Armour brand porcine thyroid, and I have now returned to it. I cannot tolerate synthroid or other mfgr (manufactured) synthetic thyroid supplements because they affect my heart negatively.

"Oil of Oregano is for candida yeast treatment. I can't yet say whether it worked. Olive Leaf Extract is remarkable as an antimicrobial whether they are fungal, viral or microbial. Side effects are nil other than die-off effect which can be controlled easily."

Person #10: "The dried fruit and vegetable supplement amazingly helps my dry eyes. Vitamin C helps my immune system and prevents colds, etc. Some of the amino acids give energy and some prevent infections like herpes. DHEA helps my adrenals. Essential fats are for inflammation."

Person #11: "I don't take the One-A-Day for a medical problem - I just take them to supplement my diet. I take B-12 because my diabetes medication gave me a deficiency in B-12. I take calcium to try to avoid osteoporosis."

Person #12: "Iron for anemia...."

Person #13:"Sublingual B-12 for energy...."

Person #14: "Potassium seems to give me a lift, meaning I have more energy."

Person #15: "Potassium and Magnesium for leg cramps and restless legs syndrome. (The only other thing that works for me is a medication called Provigil provided by the pain clinic for Fibromyalgia patients and it seems to help me.")

QUESTION 4: Which alternative treatments (or therapies) used in the past year have helped you and how? Do not give a Web site, doctor's name, etc.

(Please note that the numbering of answers here do not correspond to the previous questions; that is, Person #1 in this section is not the same as Person #1 in the prior section, unless by accident on my part. Also, not as many persons responded to this question.)

Person #1: "Osteopathic treatment relieves pain and it increases my body's functionality. It has not been a cure, and I need more treatment each week. However, after treatment, I feel actually good for a while. I have more strength and much less pain. I extend the effects of osteopathy by swimming three times a week."

Person #2: "Massage is the best." (comparing massage therapy and acupuncture)

Person #3: (Note: These comments actually were written by the respondent after the question asking for a list of therapies used in the past year; I have decided to put the comments here as they were too long to use in the other section.)

"Chiropractor/holistic practitioner: a longstanding nerve and pain issue in my right leg prevented me sleeping many nights. I had to have a pillow under my leg at all times, even sitting..the leg dragged since EMS. The chiro determined that the pelvis was misaligned; placed me on my abdomen and inserted a wedge beneath the right pelvis, and another sized wedge beneath the left thigh causing a shift of my position that encouraged the pelvis to slip back into place on its own. I was placed under a laser light that stimulates tissue repair. One treatment (with NO manipulation other than the wedges and allowing the pelvis to shift) corrected a problem of many years.

"Another remarkably effective treatment has been with the Ion Cleanse machine and is obtained at the chiro's office. The feet are placed in a pan of water with the ion plate and some salt. Within a half hour the water is filled with various things that indicate relief to certain systems or organs. When I have had gall bladder pain the water has turned green and the gall bladder was relieved. I missed a month of treatments in October, and it returned but left after another treatment.

"Sometimes there are longish black thread-like pieces in the water about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long...those are heavy metals. I still have one mercury filled tooth that will be removed and is the likely source.

"Sometimes there are colonies of cheesy white patches in the water that are yeast. When there is excess cellular debris being removed there is a nasty brown stuff in the water. Liver..same thing. Joint inflammation - orangey patches in the water. I can definitely tell the difference in my body."

Person #4: "Lyrica - for nerve pain - works very well with no side effects." (Note: This is a prescription drug.)

Person #5: "Yoga helped most."

Person #6: "Chiropractic, Empi unit and some vitamins, especially sublingual B-12...."

Person #7: "The lymphodema [massage] keeps fluid down; the massage keeps my muscles moving, gets my scleroderma unstuck and allows me to do physical stuff and recover from it. Like I shoveled snow last week and my muscles and skin tightened down, and she (therapist) was able to get it moving again."

Person #8: "THC pills; Marinol...." (Note: Marinol is a prescription drug.)

Person #9: "Don't know."

Person #10: "Cranial sacral massage relieves pain and takes pressure off nerves. Heat helps muscle pain and dryness of the eyes, especially wet heat."

Person #11: "I have recently tried acupuncture with some success....it seems to be helping with the pain....I do not need to take as many pain meds as usual.... it is quite amazing....She (therapist) is starting me out slowly on a herb supplement....a tea... in pill form... it is called Six Ingredient. Along with the acupuncture and the tea supplements, she tells me I should experience less pain, more energy and a boost in my immune system."

Person #12: "Some of the above have helped at times, others at other times." (Writer refers to Chiropractor, Deep Breathing, Relaxation exercises, and Various pain-relieving creams.)

Person #13: "Not really."

Other Web sites:

Are You Considering Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)? (NIH Web site)

List of branches of alternative medicine: Information From Answers.com

Comments or Questions: faith_rumph@yahoo.com

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