# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Haunted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Haunted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/41 "2009-10-05T13:21:38Z")
I had no idea that so many people think of yoga as an alternative medicine. Interesting. I guess I thought most people viewed it (in the traditional sense) as a “path to enlightenment.” ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/42 "2009-10-05T15:52:05Z")
Irish comedian Dara O’Briain has a very funny routine on [science and alternate therapies in general.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIaV8swc-fo) NSFW language, but it does sound charming when he says “fook” in his accent. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/43 "2009-10-05T16:50:23Z")
I wouldn’t say I “recommend” herbalism (as a counterpoint to modern medicine), so much as I’d say there are plants which in their whole, natural state act with medicinal effect which is sometimes useful/helpful/effective. I’m thinking of such things as chamomile or valerian, slippery elm, raspberry leaf, etc. See your doctor, don’t self-medicate, etc, etc. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/44 "2009-10-05T17:12:37Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Putting things in your body affects your body chemistry. It’s pretty simple. If our diets were well-balanced it would probably not be beneficial, but as they are not, it can be. I can’t help but believe that that is some seriously faulty logic there, **mswas**. Eating well-balanced diet == good Putting bad things into body == bad Therefore, putting nothing into body == good Really? ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/45 "2009-10-05T23:23:04Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > 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. There have been [several studies](http://www.suggestadoctor.com/health_article_30.htm) done investigating the effect of acupuncture on IVF success rates - and while it is hard to get an absolute exact control (placebo being harder to do than a pill, and taking into account embryo quality as well), it seems that it does have a positive impact. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/46 "2009-10-05T23:44:46Z")
I really didn’t believe acupuncture did anything until a friend started having it done on her oldish arthritic dog - after the second treatment there was obvious (even to my sceptical eyes) improvement. I couldn’t see how it could be the placebo effect (my original reason for acupuncture seeming to work) ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/47 "2009-10-05T23:55:25Z")
I don’t generally go in for alternative medicine but I’ve just started giving 5-HTP a try. Fingers crossed. (Does superstition count as alternative medicine?) ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/48 "2009-10-06T00:30:47Z")
In my personal experience, both acupuncture / acupressure and aromatherapy work well. Not miraculous, but good solid benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/49 "2009-10-06T02:42:50Z")
I think Chiropractic has uses. For injuries to to muscles and such, I’ve had treatments and it helped. I don’t think Chiropractic is useful for things likes the flu or is a total medical treatment, though. Bo-Feedbacks rocks for certain things like anxiety and other problems where you can train youself out of a bad behaviour like smoking. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/50 "2009-10-06T13:18:53Z")
I recommend them, for hypochondriacs (for two reasons): -they are ineffective (mostly just distilled H2O or sugar pills) -they are harmless (no effect because they contain no active ingredients) So go down to your latest herbal store and buy a stash of these worthless “drugs”-take all you want! No side effects, no danger ,and no ffect whatsoever (except in your mind). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/51 "2009-10-06T15:50:32Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I recommend (homeopathic medicines), for hypochondriacs (for two reasons): > -they are ineffective (mostly just distilled H2O or sugar pills) > -they are harmless (no effect because they contain no active ingredients) Not quite. True, most preparations sold as homeopathic drugs are virtually identical to water (often, the listed dilutions mean that not a single molecule of the supposed drug is actually present in the product). However, some preparations marketed as homeopathic do contain enough of the “active” principle to have an effect, which may be negative - [the most publicized recent case being Zicam](http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/06/who_knew_there_are_actual_medicines_in_t.php), the cold remedy which has been associated with loss of smell in numerous users. Prescription drugs and heavy metals have also found there way into homeopathic products. _“…an Associated Press analysis of the Food and Drug Administration’s side effect reports found that more than 800 homeopathic ingredients were potentially implicated in health problems last year. Complaints ranged from vomiting to attempted suicide.”_ Remember that there’s very little regulation of homeopathic products, so you not only need faith in the placebo effect, but also faith that the manufacturer is putting in what’s claimed on the label and not any other ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402/52 "2009-10-06T17:28:53Z")
Yep. Chiropractic as in massage and manipulation to help with spine/flexibility issues. Not chiropractic as in realigning your bodily energy or any hoo-ha like that. Thing is, it’s really hard to know before you go which one is which. I’ve been to the chiro a few times, and have always had great results, but I’ve been skeptical that maybe I would have gotten better anyway, or it was just placebo, whatever. But recently, I started going to physician-ordered physical therapy, and they cracked my back and neck just like the chiro did, though maybe a bit more gently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alternative-medicines-you-recommend/512402.md?page=2)