What holistic/complementary therapy would you recommend, and why?

[Eckhart]

Have you had any experience of acupuncture/shiatsu/reiki/other therapies? What issues did they work/not work for? I'm trying to work out what to go for myself, but there's so many and it's so expensive, especially given that many of them take several sessions to have an effect.

Any suggestions?

I think western medicine is great for dealing with symptoms, but it doesn't seem to be that interested in finding the cause of things, so then you're soon dealing with the same symptoms again.

I remember a friend telling me about having a scan for her very painful periods. She was told there was nothing wrong with her, so it was just a case of 'dealing with the symptoms'. She was furious. Symptoms of what? Being a woman? Being a woman shouldn't have any symptoms!

My GP does NHS approved acupuncture, which made my really bad hay fever disappear completely for a few years. It has slowly come back now so I might need a top up.

I like reflexology but can’t feel any benefits other than enjoying a lovely foot rub.

Ds got stuck during childbirth and I had to have an emergency c section. The osteopath I saw for hip pain during my second pregnancy fixed the hip pain, realigned my pelvis and dd’s birth was a quick, very straightforward vbac.

I trust alternative medicine more than western medicine.

I'd rather have an anaesthetist than a herbalist if I'm having surgery.

@CadburyFlake any easily available in the shops I've even picked up unknown brands from pound shops and they've worked just fine, they're all much of a likeness

Easier for a neck pain than using a hot water bottle which is an awkward size and shape for such an area.

It's also worth noting I think that there's nothing wrong with using modern and complementary therapies together.

I have a spinal condition which causes chronic pain, generally I use heat patches, physio exercises & self massage but I will also take my (very strong) painkillers if I'm having an especially bad day with it.

When I've tried using just the painkillers I've found it's not as effective.

Throw everything at a problem! Why not?

"I think western medicine is great for dealing with symptoms, but it doesn't seem to be that interested in finding the cause of things" totally agree.

Your friend could well have been suffering from endo, which doesn't even show up on scans!

I have endo that went undiagnosed for 14 years with symptoms barely being treated (painkillers for the back pain and migraines, particular kinds prescribed which are also known to reduce bleeding, combined contraceptive pill, iron for anaemia...) BUT no attempt made to identify the cause. I was NEVER referred to a gynaecologist despite TEXTBOOK symptoms of endo even after my 1st mc and an ovarian torsion and multiple a&e admissions.

It was eventually diagnosed purely in happenstance when my 2nd mc was being treated surgically.

Thank you Graphista

Where do you find a good reflexologist or any alt practitioner?

Acupuncture actually has a fair amount of research backing it as a therapy - hence why NHS doctors will sometimes recommend it.

You have to do a 3 year degree to offer acupuncture (I was quite shocked when I realised this the other day).

There are so many good therapies out there - but finding a really good practitioner can be a bit hit-and-miss. But I guess that's no different to any service anywhere.

My favourites:

Lomilomi - Hawaiian body massage for relaxation and uplift.

Pulsing - a rhythmic transformational bodywork for a joyous discovery of embodiment.

Reiki (or other energy work) - a very gentle way to shift energetic blocks.

Postural Integration or Structural Integration - deep bodywork for disintegration and re-integration.

Things that have not worked for me (but I know others swear by): eft (tapping); flower remedies; ear candling; moxibustion; and, surprisingly, I've found acupuncture sometimes great, sometimes ineffective

@wheresmymojo A degree for acupuncture? This is a surprise to me too, and makes me think I might try that first. One of the things that worries me is, as pps have said, how do you know you've got a reputable practitioner? A degree as a qualification should solve that little issue!

@Eckhart if you're going to use a homeopath, please try and find one that trained as a GP first. I've used a 'pure' homeopath and also one who was also a GP and the latter was definitely better.

As with all complimentary/holistic/alternative (whatever you wish to call it) there isn't a one size fits all solution. It takes time to find what works for each person and I find that some therapies work better at different times and for different issues .

Its also not necessarily a quick fix - homeopathic treatment or a complimentary therapy session isn't necessarily going to get rid of your pain as quickly as some pain killers because it will treat the cause not the symptom and I think people often think holistic medicine/therapy doesn't work because it hasn't worked as quickly as 'conventional' medicine.

Thanks Blobby. Yes, that's what I'm after. I have medication which is helpful but I'd rather be doing something that deals with the cause rather than just alleviating symptoms. I don't mind spending time and money but I don't want to waste either if I can avoid it. The GP/homeopath tip is useful, and I will learn from your experience on that one!

The theory behind both acupuncture and shiatsu is to do with the subtle energy channels of the body (meridians - based on Traditional Chinese Medicine).

There is theory behind all of the complementary therapies, the question is what evidence there is to support it... There is some evidence for acupuncture for some conditions, pain being one of them. I had some acupuncture treatment for sleep problems and after that my problems got better; it may be the placebo effect but honestly, just the fact I got some relief from lying awake all night worrying meant it was worth it.

I don't think they're studied properly because if you can't sell medication you can't make very much money. There's no 'mass' way of selling alternative treatments involving massage, for example. So there's no 'proof'.

A lot gets put down to the placebo effect, but sometimes people try two or three things before a treatment works. Surely if it was the placebo effect, any treatment they believed in enough to pay for would do the trick?

It feels a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. Some experimentation will obviously be necessary, but the tips here are a useful foothold.