Rieki, Acupuncture and the like...

[Meh84]

Does anyone use these therapies in conjunction with any regular medicine?

I have depression and I'm on medication, and have been since I had my son in 2010. I feel I need a boost but don't really want to up my dosage.

Has anyone had any complementary therapy such as Rieki? Did it work for you?

I've had Reiki. In reality I don't hold with such woo things but in actual fact I turned to Reiki twice in my life when I was really on the edge and it brought me back. I was thinking about it only this morning.

There's an element of it which may be that the soothing, comforting safe place it puts you in helps to turn something around but I don't know.

Any road, it can't hurt.

I use lots of them. Massage is my regular go-to.

You're likely to get loads of people sneering about throwing money away, though. However, I would rather spend money on acupuncture than highlights, put it that way.

I had several sessions of acupuncture when I was having a tough time and would definitely recommend trying it.

I've had acupuncture many times and it's great. Really relaxing, worked for me with recurring headaches and vertigo.

Here's a very long old thread about reiki - you don't have to read it all!!!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/philosophy_religion_spirituality/1488874-Reiki

I've had reflexology a couple of times and feel that the relaxed state I was in during the session was worth it alone, whether or not there are any other benefits.

Here is my alternative therapy belief system:

Acupuncture - yes
Massage - hell yeah
Homeopathy - fuck no
Chinese herbal medicine - maybe
Osteopathy (cranial or other) - maybe
Reiki - sure why not
Foot massage - oh yes please

Haha, HTD, great summary.

What strikes me with alternative therapies is that often the presence of another human focused on helping you, soothing you, hearing you is very powerful.

It's different to therapy (obviously) but one of the reasons we get so ill is that we don't have time to stop, breathe and let another help us.

I always feel more centred and soothed when I have a neck massage or a facial as I've stopped and let someone minister to me.

I'm being offered accupuncture after my upcoming operation for sickness...!

I think Reiki is bollocks and dangerous bollocks at that and I'd love a regular maassage... I don't know what to think about accupuncture in hospital. Presumably there's an evidence base to support it?

Healing, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy all helpful alongside orthodox treatment in my experience. Look for a CNHC registered therapist though.

I'm not sure how reiki is dangerous, I had a session last year and felt as if a chunk of my sadness was picked up (felt) and then discarded. I would recommend :) l

I am soooo not woo, but acupuncture has been amazing for helping with intractable pain (when only morphine touched it, and I would have cut my own arm off quite cheerfully), and has been like magic on two separate occasions for tennis elbow

I know many people who have used accusing true successfully for a variety of things. I had a couple of reiki sessions when an acquaintance started to practice it and wanted guinea pigs. It was very nice and relaxing as Ieditate regularly it helped me to get into the mindset for a deep meditation (plus I had no children interrupting, the focus was all one!). Don't get how it's dangerous? It's expensive though.

Used acupuncture!! Not aure what happened there..