Holistic Doctors, and medicine

I was wondering if anyone here has been to see a holistic doctor (health care professional) or if they take herbs and homeopathic medicines, and what their experiences with them have been.I just recently wen to see one, and my experience was one of great subjectivity, and I am not so sure I believe in it. Maybe the herbs and homeopathic stuff works, but the way I was tested sure seemed like BS to me.I have been having a problem with headaches, and sinus and ears over the last 2 months. It has been disabling, and I have missed a tremendous amount of work over it, not to mention, I would rather be dead than feel the way I do.Of course I've been to the regular doctors (5 doctors, and 8 visits) and had both cat scans of the brain and sinus. All to no avail.I've had like 7 different medicines prescribed to me, and the only one that gave me relief was predisone steroid, which probably just reduced the swelling I have in my head.*rant*
All this is contributing to my feelings on the inadequacy's of doctors in general, and the way our health care system is set up.Twice in my life I've had to have operations to correct things, and both times, I had to suffer for 14 months, and 7 months before the finally found out what was really wrong. Total BS IMO.If I went over your house to fix your heater in the middle of winter, would you like to hear me say "in about 2 weeks we will perform a test on your system, and then go from there".Obviously heating is more important than my body, and health.
*end rant*Edited by riVeRraT, : spellingEdited by Adminnemooseus, : I can't take it anymore - Change "Holoistic" to "Holistic" in topic title.

The problem with "natural healing" and whatnot is that there is little to no way you can know if anything they are telling you is based in research, science, or anything rational. They take on the mantle of medical practice but do not live under the same strict standards of empiricism. The schools they attend are not like medical school and are often more like 13th grade. Many of the things they are taught in those places is either just flat out wrong or based upon woo-woo.Herbs may or may not help you, and there's little you can do to find out if they will except use yourself as a guinea pig. Lots of herbs are marketed for lots of maladies, but none of the companies who sell them have to demonstrate that they are safe nor effective for their intended use before selling them to you, so you're pretty much on your own as far as safety and efficacy goes.Homeopathy is total bunk. You can read about homeopathy here.Here are some good links for you to read to avoid quacks:http://www.quackwatch.org/07PoliticalActivities/WHC/02.html
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/avoid.html
Be Wary of "Alternative," "Complementary," and "Integrative" Health Methods | Quackwatch
http://www.quackwatch.org/...keryRelatedTopics/scivsalt.html
http://www.quackwatch.org/...keryRelatedTopics/altpsych.html
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/herbs.html

If 5 HVAC doctors said the same thing, I'd be inclined to believe them - that no quick fix was possible. I wouldn't be calling in the guy who attaches magnets to the gas line to align the molecules.

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I've been to two naturopathic doctors over the past three years. I have not been to a holistic practitioner though.Since neither field is consistently regulated, you need to do your homework and go with what you are comfortable with and what works for you.I have a medical doctor that I go to for a physical once a year. I think each one has their place, but we as consumers still need to do our homework.My ND has prescribed holistic treatments a few times. Some helped and some didn't seem to. None have harmed me yet.I also use the naturopath to help advise on trustworthy manufacturers or info I find on the internet.Since your medical doctor can't find a problem, but you still experience discomfort; you may have a problem a naturopath can help you with. This path is usually not a quick fix though.I am pleased with my choice and feel better.Did the homeopathic tests give you any understandable info to go on?

you can make your own Homeopathy remedies - it's easy.1) Take a series of bottles - label them with the thing you want to cure.2) fill with tap water.you have now created some remedies with the same active properties as any expensive Homeopathy remedy you'd buy from an "expert".You could even sell them to neighbours and friends - don't worry if any "experts" complain - lab tests will reveal that your "riverrat special homeopathic cures" are identical to anything produced by the experts!

I get the feeling that a lot of people think that modern medicine (i.e. doctors) can cure anything except for cancer and AIDS. In reality, medicine is a science and an art. Doctors don't always know what you have just by looking at you (your not as simple as a heater), they have to do tests (thats the science part). A lot of times, even after testing, they don't know whats going on in your body (sometimes symptoms indicate a deeper problem - sometimes they don't, sometimes the symptoms and/or the problems are solved by the immune system - sometimes they aren't), so doctors rely on experience to guide their treatment (thats the art part).
Holistic doctors, reflexologists, homeopaths (and so on) don't do that - they just give you BS.My advice: save your money for real tests and treatments that can (and in my opinion probably will) heal you.Don't take me to be callous - my mother is a nurse (about 30 years now), and I've heard enough stories of people waisting their time and money with this BS, just letting their problem get worse.Remember - doctors are people: they have limited knowledge and judgment, and also make mistakes - but they are the best we have and we would be much worse off without them.Anyway, may you get well soon.

Well you sure missed that point.

My father-in-law had a sinus cavity that wouldn't drain. When he gets back from vacation, I'll check and see what they finally did to find the problem. It took awhile. Eventually his eye was protruding from the buildup and it "ate away" the bone before they found the problem.I will try and remember to ask. They should be back on the 16th.

your body is a bit more complicated than a heater. also, are you looking for any answer, or are you looking for the right answer? god forbid, doctors are human and limited by the advancements we have made and how up to date your doctor is on current medical research. new discoveries are made every day. do some reading and ask specific questions. "my head hurts" is not very descriptive. it's your health and they can only help you so much as you inform them.also, a steroid that reduces swelling and allows the tissue to heal does more than "just reduce the swelling". you don't put a cast on a broken leg because it magically heals the leg, you put it on to immobilize the leg so it can heal itself right.you may have severe allergies and irritation. you may have it forever. there is a reason our population is growing so fast, some people simply have horrible diseases that ought to have killed them.i have terrible sinuses. they always hurt. they kind of burn like chemical seeping into my nose all the time. but as long as they don't develop into a brain infection, i'm cool. if i don't have a migraine, i'm generally pretty content with my nose pain. it's been more than a good solid year since my last sinus infection. shortly thereafter, i had an episode of nasty allergies brought on my a horrible white bush outside my window. my head hurt so bad my teeth felt like they were going to come out of my head and i missed a few classes until the damn thing stopped blooming. i'm just glad i've been okay since then.i know people who swear by various alternative treatments. my boss loves her acupuncturist. i like to have better reasons for why a given treatment ought to work than "this will realign your warm fuzzies". personal issue, maybe.

riVeRrat Depends on whether the heater in my home is as complicated as the human body.

I appreciate the help. but I don't think that is the problem, as I have had a catscan of the sinuses, and it revealed nothing. Also the brain too.This whole thing started with migraines, every 4 days, then every 2, then one long, what I thought to be a migraine, that lasted 4 weeks.My primary doctor gave up, and I went to see a neurologist, then two different ent's. I had a hearing test done, all to no avail.My symptoms are:
first the headaches, which have partially subsided.
Dizzyness, and loss of balance.
nausea
My sinuses feel raw
eyes water
ringing in ears
super sensitivity to noise (cell phone sounds like a rock concert)It's like allergies, but times 100.
It is disabilitating.The last week, I have been feeling better, but only slightly.All this crap has got me really depressed, and has probably contributed to my attitude lately.

First off,t hanks for the reply.I am well aware that my body is more complicated than a heater, that wasn't my point.My point is, if the technology exists to correct a problem, as it was in the past with me, then why does it take so long?When a heater is broken, I stay until it is fixed, why can't our medical system be the same way.There is absolutely no good reason why after feeling a lump in my throat, that it should take 7 months before it finally gets removed.

It is amazing how many of you have missed that point.No it doesn't.It depends on whether the means to fix it is available.I've spent 26 hours once to replace a boiler in a school, yet our health system, can take as long as they want with our bodies.I wonder if when the doctor gets sick, if he takes as long to get all the tests done, and find out whats going on.If there is no cure, or there is no tests, as it is with some diseases, then that is a different story.

Thanks nator, I am reading through those links.

because when the body breaks it almost always does all the same things. if you have an infection or cancer or you're pregnant, your lower back might hurt and you might have a stiff neck and abdominal pain and diarhea and everything else. have you sat down and read symptom lists before? it's not like Oh! you have a rash! it must be menengitis! you might be allergic to your detergent and also present with a flu. same symptoms. most female problems share symptoms with pregnancy (cessation of menses is not universal). and even when you know specifically where the problem is,it's hard to figure out the cause. and your doctor may thing you need to have your sinuses surgically cleaned, and think you may not be ready to hear that. because some tests take a long time to run. there are other people who need care too. (you're clearly not dying. triage is a hierarchical system.) because you have to pay for the hours you spend in the hospital and i doubt you want to go inpatient for three weeks to nail down everything wrong with your head (no jokes, people. it's not the place.) there's a great reason. it might just be a swollen lymp node and they have to do many things with that. 1. make sure they haven't missed an infection. 2. biopsy for lymphoma. 3. scan for other invasions. 4. make sure there's a reason for it to be removed.