In October of 2015, I finally got something done that I should have looked into years ago: I got tested for allergies. I’d always known about seasonal allergies I suffered from (Springtime has always been a killer season), but unexplained reactions and too frequent ER trips finally made me bite the bullet.
The result? Two long pages of food and environmental allergies that I had been living with, never knowing. Fast forward a few months and tons of more tests later, it turns out that there are quite a few things I should have been paying attention to.
We live in a time where there is a pill, treatment or procedure for everything. I’ve never been a huge fan of taking medicines of any kind, just because it seems to throw my body off more than heal it. But I also don’t agree with being blissfully ignorant when it comes to health and wellness. You should do something, but sometimes the obvious isn’t the answer. Traditional medicine may not be what the body is asking for.
Alternative (or non-traditional) medicine is any practice that is put forward as having the healing effects of medicine, but does not originate from evidence gathered using the scientific method, is not part of biomedicine, or is contradicted by scientific evidence or established science.
Examples include new and traditional medicine practices such as homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, energy medicine, various forms of acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, Sekkotsu, and Christian faith healing. (via wikipedia)
I’ve been considering looking into acupuncture, which some of my friends swear keeps them in top shape. I also know others who swear by their chiropractor.
So I’m asking today, would you try non-traditional medicine in favor of an alternative treatment? And if you’ve already gone the alternative route, share your experience!
I’ve tried acupuncture once! It kind of freaks me out because I don’t like needles in the first place, but then you need to leave it in for awhile. I went rock climbing once and strained my muscles too hard, but I needed to recover within the week because I had a swim meet I needed to compete at, so instead of waiting to recover like I usually do, I went to get acupuncture. It worked and I competed, but I probably wouldn’t do it again unless it was urgent. / I’m Taiwanese so I’ve tried Chinese medicine before, but it tastes funny to me, so I only take this route if my mom insists 😛 / My whole family is very into using dōTERRA essential oils. There are so many ways to use them! Just to name a few: soothe headaches, soothe muscles, help focus, help sleep, for colds, and so so many more -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
My mom gets acupuncture. She has Fibromyalgia and it helps her – though she does need to have it done every two weeks, and she can notice the difference when she hasn’t had it/is close to appointment time. However, she also takes regular medicine, the acupuncture is just in addition to. Sure she feels better with the acupuncture, but I also think it could be the fact of being relaxed for an hour, way from home, etc, that may help her feel better as well.
The closest thing I’ve ever done is taking various vitamins for joint problems, ha, and it didn’t help me one bit. xD
I’ve dabbled in the Alternative Medicines for a little bit, but not too often. I used to work for Aveda so we were encouraged to not only try the Aryuvedic services that was offered. It does work because it requires you to focus on what is happening in your body there for you take better care of your body. But I will say I have always wanted to try acupuncture for many reason, like stress!
I’ve dealt with seasonal allergies almost my entire life and finally after giving up dairy, especially milk, I’ve improved drastically. Although its not as bad as it used to be (almost year round at one point), I still get my bouts of sneezing and annoying irritation. I found that I have a leaky gut which contributes to my “allergies” basically what I eat leaks into my bloodstream and causes my immune system to react. I highly recommend holistic/alternative treatments because it delves in deeper into your lifestyle & how that may affect your allergies as opposed to the quick fix in a pill.
While not exactly medical (and probably totally useless for allergies), I’m a huge proponent of mindfulness and meditation!
I have year round allergies now (they got worse and worse every year and now its just 24/7) and subsequently asthma. I have tried alternative medicine and finally decided to see out a functional medicine doctor. I found that trying small idea were not enough and I was just fumbling in the dark trying to see what will work. I’ve had to reevaluate everything I eat and what goes into my body.
I agree to be careful with medication. For example, In the past few years I have been subscribed steroids to help deal with my asthma and other issues. My new doctor explained that steroids can make things worse in the long run. There is so much I didn’t know. I hope you get better and from my experience the past 3 years I suggest you seek out someone to help you. A long list of food and environment allergies is a sign that you may need to work on a couple of health areas. You will save a lot of time and frustration if you have someone who can guide you. Feel better!!!