Alternatives

I've never been an all-or-nothing kind of person. I see the world in shades of gray rather than in black and white.

So when it comes to issues of health, I'm open to all kinds of therapies, treatments, etc. For me, there is a place for many philosophies: "traditional" medicine (as we know it here in the U.S.), osteopathy, chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, nutrition, exercise and even spiritual healing (for me, that is more a positive thinking sort of thing than it is a religious sort of thing). I'm open to whatever it is that will make me feel better when I'm sick and feel even healthier when I'm healthy.

That's not to say I always practice what I preach. I have plenty of unhealthy habits (I consume a lot of caffeine and my fair share of junk food), and many quirky opinions on what is or isn't healthy (I believe canola oil is very unhealthy despite the hype that says it's safe). All I'm saying is that I'm open to alternatives.

Most of you know that I recently had my gall bladder removed. That was a very routine "Western medicine" procedure, and I'm OK with that. It was removed primarily as a preventative against the possibility of cancer later, and I'm definitely OK with that. What I want to share, though, is what happened after the surgery. Lying around recuperating sounds like a restful way to spend a few days, but the inactivity caused my back to ache and the muscles in both my back and abdomen to be tense nearly all of the time. I can't say I was in pain, but I was really uncomfortable, and having trouble sleeping because of it.

My first thought was that I needed to see my chiropractor, but the thought of being incision-down on the table for him to pop my back sounded awful. Then I remembered that a few years ago I had seen a wonderful physical therapist who also administered Cranio-Sacral Therapy, a type of very gentle massage therapy. I decided I might like to go see her again, but she's an hour away; I've lost her contact information and was unable to find it online. I'm sure I could find another therapist closer to me, but instead of that, I also remembered that during my massage therapy sessions I had bought a Still Point Inducer, so I used that. I don't use it exactly as intended; quite by accident, and following my body's own cues, I found my own way of using it that results in a treatment very similar to what my massage therapist would do in a session. After 10-15 minutes on the inducer, all the tension in my back was gone, as was most of the tension in my belly. I slept like a rock that night, too. That was Monday night, and I'm still tension free.

This brings to mind a few of things to consider. First, because I'm open to alternatives, I was able to make myself comfortable without taking pain killing drugs or sleep aids that don't set well with me. I believe there are times when meds are called for, but that this wasn't one of them. Second, by listening to my own body instead of someone else's directions or opinions, I was able to give it what it needed. I was able to see that using my inducer might be a good option, and also able to use my inducer in a way that was most beneficial to me. And third, I was reminded that whatever works, works. It doesn't matter if someone else thinks a therapy is quackery. If holding a straw between my teeth and dancing the hula works for me, then I'm going to stick with it.

I'm still learning. Like many people, I was raised to believe that "doctor knows best". And I'm sure there are times when doctor does know best. But there are certainly other times when I know what's best for me.

I know at least two of my readers (and probably another one or two) visit alternative medicine practitioners with good results. What about the rest of you? Are you open to alternative therapies or are you more comfortable with traditional Western medicine? What kind of results are you getting?