# Alternative medicines you recommend **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 2, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402 "2009-10-02T22:39:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/1 "2009-10-02T22:39:22Z")
I forgot to add none of the above, but that scarcely matters, as we all know most people prefer regular medicine, or those wouldn’t be called alternative. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/2 "2009-10-02T22:47:15Z")
I’ve gone with hypnosis, because it’s related to NLP, which I believe to be a valid psychological technique. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/3 "2009-10-02T22:49:06Z")
I’ve never done biofeedback, but I believe it would work for some things like controlling blood pressure. Other stuff I think is more based on placebo effect or the “GE lighting effect” that just being studied brings up your mood and productivity. And of course some is wishful thinking and some is being wooed by charismatic leaders. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/4 "2009-10-02T22:50:14Z")
Other: Leeches. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/5 "2009-10-02T22:55:35Z")
Good one. And I should have listed vacuum cups to bring blood to the surface. And of course being covered in bees has a certain appeal to some : \> ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/6 "2009-10-02T22:57:27Z")
I believe you can have a moderator edit your poll. Might not hurt since it’s still fresh and all. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/7 "2009-10-02T23:39:51Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > I believe you can have a moderator edit your poll. Might not hurt since it’s still fresh and all. …to make it more scientific? Somehow a scientific poll on alternative medicine is counter intuitive. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/8 "2009-10-02T23:39:51Z")
Jameson’s Irish Whiskey. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/9 "2009-10-03T00:55:48Z")
I used to work for a small company specializing in biofeedback. I don’t think it is a magic cure all. It’s also a lot of hard work. But for some things it works very well. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/10 "2009-10-03T02:51:20Z")
None. There is absolutely zero evidence that any of those things do anything useful other than making someone believe that they do (the placebo effect) or just promote general well-being, such as yoga. In fact, you have a good list of the biggest scams in the field. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/11 "2009-10-03T03:00:01Z")
**Musicat** you seem awfully uppity, may I offer you a few minutes with a leech or two? Perhaps while we get some soothing candles in here too? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/12 "2009-10-03T03:06:04Z")
Oh! And if your arthritis or tendonitis are acting up, I can provide the bees for your therapy. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/13 "2009-10-03T03:31:18Z")
What does herbalism mean? I mean, I swear by cranberry pills for prevention of UTIs, but I don’t know exactly what the term means. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/14 "2009-10-03T03:40:47Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > What does herbalism mean? I mean, I swear by cranberry pills for prevention of UTIs, but I don’t know exactly what the term means. Marijuana. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/15 "2009-10-03T04:18:14Z")
I’d recommend yoga entirely because it’s the only kind of exercise that I actually kinda liked, and I generally hate deliberate exercise. Most or all of the rest are hooey, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sebastienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Sebastienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebastienne)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/16 "2009-10-03T04:28:06Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > Other: Leeches. Aren’t leeches now being used by mainstream Western medicine to help draw blood through reattached tissues? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/17 "2009-10-03T04:35:10Z")
I was a skeptic of acupuncture/acupressure until I put my back out. It helped me recover more quickly than usual, I think. I also do yoga a few times a week - flexibility, meditation and inner muscle strength. The rest, I don’t think I’d bother wasting time with - although herbal teas are nice 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/18 "2009-10-03T05:08:45Z")
> [@Sebastienne](#): > > Aren’t leeches now being used by mainstream Western medicine to help draw blood through reattached tissues? All I know of modern day leech use for medicinal purposes is that they are being tested for such things. Not that they are frequently used. Some doctors use them, others dont. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/19 "2009-10-03T10:54:20Z")
Osteopathy has sorted me out several times. But I would only go to an osteopath for muscular or bone related issues. Yoga = exercise. For Other, I recommend laughter and love. ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8797f3/32.png) [@Brainiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/20 "2009-10-03T12:12:40Z")
I don’t recommend regular medicine either. They are all posers after your wallet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402.md?page=2)