Have you ever personally used alternative medicine for a medical condition and if so,

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. Have you ever personally used alternative medicine for a medical condition?

    • 14
      Yes, I used it exclusively.
    • 32
      Yes, I used it in conjunction with medical therapy.
    • 4
      No, never tried it.
    • 3
      Other. Please discuss.

53 members have participated

I've tried several herbals over the years for a number of conditions. I did not find them to be helpful.

I think that in a lot of cases, accepted western methods are not helpful, either.

bethin

1,927 Posts

I've had accupuncture to help with pain related to Crohn's. Helped some. Relaxed me more than anything.

LiverpoolJane

309 Posts

Specializes in Dialysis, Nephrology & Cosmetic Surgery.

I completed a diploma in Aromatherapy in 1994 to allow me to treat patients in the clinical area. As it turns out I didn't use it to the full potential as I work in Renal and it needs to be used with caution in these patients. I did use the massage to aid relaxation and patients reported it helped them relax and sleep. The hospital I worked in used to vapourise Manuka oil in side rooms were the patienst have MRSA as it had been shown to be effetive against it. I don't know if they are still using it now but it was used with the full cooperation if the infection control team. My current hospital uses honey in infected wounds.

I still use aromatherapy to treat minor ails, lavander for minor burns, tea tree for cold sores & athletes foot.

My son as a child would get at least four cold sores a year, I started treating them with neat tea tree as soon as he got the tingle. They went within days and then he stopped getting them completley. I also used lavander when he had a crop of verrucas - again after one treatment they went. I also used this on a friends child who had verrucas - one treatment and they went.

I treated my SILs psoriasis with a combimation of patchouli and sandlewood oil - she reported a great improvement.

The UK news this morning has reported on an article that showed honey was more effective in treating childrens night time coughs than cough meds. When I start with a cold / sore throat I drink an infusion of honey, lemon and ginger - doesn't taste as bad as it sounds and really works.

One more - I could go on all day - feverfew for migraine, again my son used to suffer with then teribble as a teen after athletics etc, so I bought him tablets and again a reduction in the amount of migraines.

bethin

1,927 Posts

Jane, what's feverfew?

LiverpoolJane

309 Posts

Specializes in Dialysis, Nephrology & Cosmetic Surgery.

Feverfew is a plant that is probably considered a weed in the UK. I used to grow it as occasionally get migraine - the leaves are quite bitter but worth it if you suffer with migraine. However you can buy it in capsule form in the UK, I would try and get my son to take them everyday but he would forget, however he would take it on the run up to a big athletics event and it really helped him. Let me know if you want me to get some for you if you cannot get hold of it yourself, it is sold in every health food shop here. Jane

LiverpoolJane

309 Posts

Specializes in Dialysis, Nephrology & Cosmetic Surgery.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/feverfew-000243.htm

A website from Maryland Uni about Feverfew

deeDawntee, RN

1,579 Posts

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

I have an inversion table which I swear by!! It helps decompress my entire spine, from a stiff neck to a tired lower back. I also take cranberry pills to ward off UTI's...that REALLY works well. There is CoQ10 and Melatonin and others I take occasionally. Of course, I also believe in traditional medicine as well...don't we all, as nurses??

allnurses Guide

Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN

11,304 Posts

Honey, lemon and ginger in hot water has been used for generations - my grandma used to give it to me and I still use it for colds/sore throats/coughs. Glad to know research has been done.

I've heard of most herbs from my mother-in-law and my own grandmother.

I just can't use most of them.

steph

suzy253, RN

3,815 Posts

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

I am always the skeptic when it comes to alternative medicines. I only hope that patients are forthcoming to their doctors when it comes to alternative medicines and the potential side effects.

Also note the anticoagulant properties of feverfew:

http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/cgi/content/full/23/2/116

Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I had a fall onto my backside when I worked in industry, then got SI joint pain. NSAIDS didn't help all that much, tried heat, and so forth. Since I knew the next step was injection I decided to give chriopractic a try.

Two or maybe three "adjustments" and the pain was gone!

I've suggested it to patients on occasion, especially when I don't think there's anything medical that's going to be any better.

nurz2be

847 Posts

I was in a serious car accident about 2 1/2 years ago. I had not had migraines prior to this but was getting them 3-4 times per week. I also had bruised cartilage, bulging discs and 2 discs that were swollen and crushing several of my nerves effecting my right side.

I was sent to a Neurologist and was given every test imaginable, tried 6 types of migraine medications only to have them decrease to 2-3 times per week. Needless to say I could not work, barely got out of bed and most of the time I only got out of bed during the night with night lights on because anything brighter would start a migraine.

Neurologist sent me to a Chiropractor who started me on 4 days a week appointments where I had a Tens unit with hot compress application (30 minutes). A 10 minute massage, I couldn't stand anymore than that to start with. This increased to a 30 minute massage. In addition to this, the Chiropractor sent me for Acupuncture.

It took about 6-7 months but I finally went to having 1-2 migraines every few weeks and after about 1 year of this I was and still am migraine and back-pain free.

I stopped taking the migraine meds once I started the other therapies. I still don't take any medications. I believe that the right combinations, depending on the illness, can be resolved or helped to a tolerable level if the right group of alternatives can be found. Of course there are diseases that need other types of treatments but I truly feel there are legitimate uses for these types of treatments. IMO and from my personal experience.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP

4 Articles; 5,259 Posts

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Seems to me that 'alternative' medicine is just like Western medicine in the respect that all treatments won't work for everyone all the time. And, like Steph alluded to, there are contraindications to alternative treatments for some as well.

I had a patient several years ago whose grandfather was a Cherokee medicine man. He took her out in the woods on several occasions to show her what plants could be used for what. She was still practicing herbal medicine on herself at the time she was my patient (2003, I think) and it must've worked. The only reason she came to us was for her yearly physical.

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