Thinking logically can be exhausting.....

[PickelledEggs]

Ok, so this is part rant, part wtf is this?

My mom has been on this spritual healing kick. I have to tell you, it's frustrating. She started taking this class on "theraputic accupressure" I don't know much about regular accupressure, but, this stuff, whatever it is, definately is malarky. (mind you that tuition is approx. $500).

For a quick history, she goes on these kicks for a few months and then she goes on to a new thing. As a kid, I had my voice analyzed through a machine to tell me what vitamins I needed, got dragged to some reiki initiation (which I found out later was actually a cult), went through countless kinds of holistic vitamin methods, etc. I can only hope this is another one of her phases.

For me, I really don't want to get in to a debate on how fake this stuff is. The last thing I want to do is make her mad at me for telling her basically she wasted over $500 (she got certified in other things too). I even let her try it on me. Partially to see exactly what it was, also because she seemed excited and she wouldn't stop asking.

So because I actually recieved one of these treatments... if you want to call them that. I can tell you what exactly it is.

You get layed down on a massage table and they cover you in a lightweight white cotton fleece blanket. (It's apparently important that it is beach white cotton.) Then, for an hour and a half you lay there while whoever is doing the accupressure more or less just sort of rests their hand on your head and back. And you fall asleep and supposively you feel better.

I really don't know how anyone wouldn't fall asleep. You lay there, it's relaxing and you lay there completely still for an hour and a half. And yeah I felt better, but not any different than if I took a nap in my own bed for the same amount of time.

Well, that was my rant.

If you want to look at the site yourself, its //http://www.therapeuticacupressure.com/home/

The people that get certified by this lady say they can treat:

    High blood pressure
    Digestive disorders
    Back pain and lower back pain
    Chemotherapy and cancer
    Migraine and tension headaches
    Chronic pain, joint, and muscular disease
    Sports injuries


Let me know what you guys think of this stuff. Maybe I'm just blowing this out of proportion.

[Jason78]

Let me know what you guys think of this stuff.

Sounds like woo woo, walks like woo woo, looks like woo woo...

[stromboli]

Woo. And potentially dangerous.

[WitchSabrina]

The problem with this type of 'healing' is that IF people pursue it without seeing a medical professional as well they can do themselves damage.  There Are healing techniques that Are effective - depends on who's doing the healing.  I've been to a professional acupuncturist and let me tell you there's nothing woo about it.  And yes it did help.  But the relief was not long lived.  If I had to gauge it I'd say a acupuncture treatment lasts as long as a prescription of serious drugs lasts.  So- if I didn't want drugs but was in bad shape - sure - why not.  
But
I didn't go to some US lady who'd learned a tad from a class she took on a whim.  No.......  I went to a Chinese guy who's family has been doing this treatment for Centuries.  (let me repeat that) Centuries.  Yeah- they know what they're doing - trained from childhood.  Big difference.
What? I didn't want One needle placed in the wrong spot. Duh

so.............  there are treatments people can respond to.  No biggie.  But I think people should be smart about it is all.  When I asked my Dr "what about acupuncture?"  He said "Hey, try it.  But go to This guy (wrote down the recommendation) because he's professional."

As someone who's lived a life with Lots of Woo --- I do think the power of the human mind can certainly play a role in healing. It's just that I've always done so under the advise of a medical professional as well.  

Like herbs - Someone took the time to rigorously test herbs and plants until they made what we have as drugs. TaaaDaaa!  To discount that rigorous testing is just silly.

[surly74]

one of these things is not like the other...essentially vague ailments and then cancer...ok.

what kinds of sports injuries? i fractured a leg once playing sports...a fleece blanket wasn't going to do much for me.

[WitchSabrina]

one of these things is not like the other...essentially vague ailments and then cancer...ok.

what kinds of sports injuries? i fractured a leg once playing sports...a fleece blanket wasn't going to do much for me.

See and I, on the other hand, did not wish surgery on my knee back in college and sought out alternative methods.  Ok so the holistic guy I located told me up front "You're not going to dance ballet nor be a professional tennis player but I can get you to walk or run again.  Want to proceed?"  I said 'yes'.   He did fix my knee using some pretty bizarre business.  I've heard though that knee surgery wouldn't have given me 100% either.  Basically I avoided that Huge Ugly Zipper scar that came with knee surgery back in the 70s.  

[spoil:26jw3c71]Back then my legs were paying for my college.[/spoil:26jw3c71]

[Solitary]

Ancient Chinese medicine is based on the concept of ch'i, which is thought of as a vital energy flow in the body. An acupuncturist regulates the flow with needles. Modern complimentary and alternative medicine also bases many of its claims on the imagined existence of human "bioenergetics fields." One  form of energy healing that was widely promoted in the nursing community was called Therapeutic touch. Therapeutic touch has been debunked by a wide array of researchers. This is all suppose to be based on quantum physics.

No special form of biological energy associated with living things has ever been observed. Our bodies radiate tiny amounts of purely physical electromagnetic waves such as  those observed  in an electroencephalogram (whew!) (EEG) We also have an "aura" of infrared radiation that "CAN'T" be seen with the human eye. This is simply the black body radiation that results from us being warm. A rock at body temperature has exactly the same spectrum as a dead person.  :shock:    Bill

[PickelledEggs]

I went to an actual accupunturist. This though, is nothing like that. No needles. This is more of massaging without... massaging. No pressure, she "channels the bad energy from one hand out to the other"

And yeah, I can agree that alternative medicine can work. This one doctor I go to uses some sort of chiropractic method with this frequency thing that tells you what is wrong with you and he fixes whatever is wrong with you by method of moving your bones around. I have no idea how it works, but he was able to tell me things that I had wrong with me on times that I went in that office not telling him anything from my kidney being infefcted to something as obscure as my jaw hurting.

Who knows, maybe it isn't B.S. or at least maybe she can find enough people to become her patients that she can actually make a living out of it. Even if there is absolutely nothing to it, the placebo effect sometimes works better than medicine.

And Sabrina, I'll put money on the fact that your legs could still get you in to college.

[WitchSabrina]

Ancient Chinese medicine is based on the concept of ch'i, which is thought of as a vital energy flow in the body. An acupuncturist regulates the flow with needles. Modern complimentary and alternative medicine also bases many of its claims on the imagined existence of human "bioenergetics fields." One  form of energy healing that was widely promoted in the nursing community was called Therapeutic touch. Therapeutic touch has been debunked by a wide array of researchers. This is all suppose to be based on quantum physics.

No special form of biological energy associated with living things has ever been observed. Our bodies radiate tiny amounts of purely physical electromagnetic waves such as  those observed  in an electroencephalogram (whew!) (EEG) We also have an "aura" of infrared radiation that "CAN'T" be seen with the human eye. This is simply the black body radiation that results from us being warm. A rock at body temperature has exactly the same spectrum as a dead person.  :shock:    Bill

This is why I always say that BELIEF in such methods is why they have *some* measure of success.  Belief.  I think the human mind has more power and potential than we yet know.

[stromboli]

There is merit to Yoga and some massage techniques; that has been proven. Joe Montana maintained that Accupuncture saved his career. I grew up in an environment of home remedies and cures. Interestingly, an old copy of Back to Eden my father had listed Marijuana as an healing herb, something now being borne out by research. Many of our modern cures are based on old natural medicines. Aspirin-Salicylic acid- was derived from Willow bark. Psilocybin is now being touted as a cure for PTSD.

But seriously, any cure that doesn't begin with recognized medical professionals is not smart. My wife went misdiagnosed for 5 years with her MS because of a Chiropractor we trusted who tried to cure her Migraines with spinal adjustments. It was an Ophthalmologist that diagnosed her condition. I learned the hard way, but I learned.

[surly74]

one of these things is not like the other...essentially vague ailments and then cancer...ok.

what kinds of sports injuries? i fractured a leg once playing sports...a fleece blanket wasn't going to do much for me.

See and I, on the other hand, did not wish surgery on my knee back in college and sought out alternative methods.  Ok so the holistic guy I located told me up front "You're not going to dance ballet nor be a professional tennis player but I can get you to walk or run again.  Want to proceed?"  I said 'yes'.   He did fix my knee using some pretty bizarre business.  I've heard though that knee surgery wouldn't have given me 100% either.  Basically I avoided that Huge Ugly Zipper scar that came with knee surgery back in the 70s.  

[spoil:z6hqlkuj]Back then my legs were paying for my college.[/spoil:z6hqlkuj]

I had a tibial plateu fracture that required screws and 3 months of recovery so I didn't really have a choice. scar isn't that big but i still don't have feeling in the front part of my knee. I have arthritis already and still do physio so I won't be ever back to 100% and it's four years aog. I've had friends recommend different types of treatments for my knee which include some holistic or natual stuff. I've done the normal physio and shockwave/laser therapy and that hurt like hell. That was for scar tissue.

holistic to me has always been to me, at least, a compliment to actual medicine or medical science. Holistic might help some stuff but it's not a replacement for actual medicine.

[Colanth]

Accupressure actually works - for what it was intended for.  When the skeletal muscles knot up it causes pain.  That causes us to tense up, which causes the muscles to knot up more, etc.  Accupressure can force those muscles to relax, breaking the circle.

When it's called massage therapy, insurance companies pay for it, and it's recognized therapy, but when it's called accupressure it's woo.  Changing the name doesn't change anything.

But when it's used for any other purpose, it's suggestion.  It doesn't cure high blood pressure, unless that's caused by anxiety about the pain.  It doesn't cure indigestion, unless ...  But it does force tensed muscles to relax.

[Sal1981]

If it becomes replacement of real medicine, then it's dangerous ... chemotherapy? GTFO.

[Hydra009]

As a kid, I had my voice analyzed through a machine to tell me what vitamins I needed

:shock:  Damn, that's crazy.

[PickelledEggs]

As a kid, I had my voice analyzed through a machine to tell me what vitamins I needed

:shock:  Damn, that's crazy.

Tell me about it... :roll:

If it becomes replacement of real medicine, then it's dangerous ... chemotherapy? GTFO.

That is the main thing I worry about. It's one thing if someone goes to her for stress or something minor like a cold or something, that stuff usually works it's way out eventually anyway. And relieving stress and relaxing can help get rid of minor illnesses just because your body is running at it's best capabilities. But cancer? Replacement for chemotherapy? I don't think so. Maybe if they mean that it will relieve some of the ailments that go along with treatment / cancer?