I think that complementary medicine is effective because it focuses on emotional and psychological health as well as on physical health.  users need to be aware that complementary health practitioners cannot diagnose disease  but they can diagnose ' dis ease' which when broken down means ' not at ease' with oneself.  take time to get in touch with how you feel daily, connect with your partner/friend, ask for a hug if you need, look at the sky, all very simple and don't take much time. be positive.

Catherine B

In my point of view complementary medicine is effective in some conditions, since it has a great effect emotionally and psychologically as well.

Dr.Hermon Mihranian

Effectiveness is mostly proportional to the amount of faith you have, whatever you take...

Absolutely, but not in all cases obviously.

If it were effective wouldn't it be mainsteam by now? Some people believed in it but obviously not all of it works - I mean homeopathy for example relies on a belief in magic as it is simply water. Science based medicine - or mainstram medicine doesn't require "faith", it works whether you believe in it oe not.

How does one establish the effectiveness of an alleged remedy ? Well ?

Yes - one carries out double blind research to test the efficacy of the remedy against a placebo. If it is successful - it becomes part of mainstream medicine eg St. John's Wort is successful against depression. But the vast majority of these so-called remedies are no better than a placebo. This shows the power of emotion and indeed, doctors should look to the mental health of their patients. But that is not an argument for throwing money away on nonsense.

I think it's all in the mind, if you think it is working it might. If you think praying will work, it might. It is just the same thing. Give me a competent doctor and professional treatment every time.

From my own personal experience with complementary medicine I have to say it did nothing for me ! Followed the instructions on taking the medicine, and the diet but to no avail ! It cost approx 500 euros over a period of approximately 6 months. In the end I just phoned to cancel next appointment. I wouldn't put any one else off going down that route, but for me my symptoms were very debilitating and had failed to get any relief after many investigations through my GP. I still continue to have the symptoms, but I guess the visits raised my hopes that I would get some relief regardless of how little !. I great faith in it. My symptoms still persist, but I live with them even though its difficult ! I am glad to see that a high percentage of people have had success... MaryEllen

I believe in complementary medicine, but not alternative. They're not the same thing. The former includes orthedox medicine - as we call it - the latter excludes it.

I include counselling as an complementary therapy, and my experience leads me to believe it can prevent conditions; in my case, the tendency to get ulcers from stress. I believe complementary medicine can create better conditions for healing. I have had wonderful experiences of acupuncture and massage. Reiki I leave alone, as I've never come across anyone whose 'energy' doesn't contaminate, even with the best of intentions. This can happen with massage as well (I'm remembering the massage therapist who spent my whole session telling me about resentments she had against a friend from when she had cancer!! She 'rubbed' her resentments into me, and I left wrecked!). I don't believe faith, as in a belief in God, is likely to help. Neither do I believe faith in the treatment counts for much in serious illness. I write that because I've known great people, women mainly, with faith in abundance in their chosen complementary therapies - and in God - who didn't get well, and died at young ages.

I have never had any success with complementary herbs, pills, potions etc., though one - now banned - remedy for panic attacks did effect me like Valium once upon a time; not to be recommended. My panic attacks were cured by changing the quantity of booze I imbibed; quite the 'alternative' hah?!

Speaking of which, Homeopathy uses alcohol to dilute the remedies, not water.

If you can be cured by means of Complentery Medicine, I think it is a psychological thing. Just as some Thousands of People travel every year to Lourdes or Fatima Looking and Praying for the Miracle OK thats fine as People who spend Thousands of Euro's every year and no results at the end. Well that is Faith and nothing wrong with a bit of faith as we all need it at times of Crisis,

But if this System works what are the Hospital there for???, and as for People refusing Blood on Religious Ground and let the Family Member Die, this is Mindboggling to me.

I have great faith in alternative medicines, and have several times benifited from it.

I tried accupunture as a last resort. I was plagued with aches and pains, especially in my forearms, and was generally feeling in a physical heap. Numerous visits to the GP cost a fortune and by their own admission could do nothing for me. I was cynical about alternative medicine but deparate for some relief so I went the alternative route. From the first meeting I was impressed with the holistic way my physical and emotional state was diagnosed. It cost 50 euro (cheaper than the GP) but I received a full hours medical treatment (not the rushed 10 minute consul I was used too!) In my case, it was decided numerous area's needed to be treated in conjunction with each other so I received what can only be described as a tune up for my entire body !

Aside from the active work with the needles the time given you to lie back, close your eyes and find some calm in a busy world certainly had healing power itself.

I was shocked but delighted to find I had more mobility and less pain in my arms from as soon as the day after the first session. It took only 4 sessions for the pains, which I had lived with for months, to go.

I wouldn't give up on conventional medicine but if there's ever anything they can't help you with, it's well worth trying an alternative route.

I suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and in the worst case a loading with a chemical (e.g. parathione, a common insecticide) may lead to massive insomnia that can last a whole week. Seven days and nights without a single minute of sleep. Isopathic remedies i.e. homeopathic preparations made from the toxin can relieve all symtoms on the day when I get the first dose.

I once had such a loading with parathione (from an insect spray that had been used months before I moved into the place) and I had an extreme muscle weakness, irritability and hot flushes along with the insomnia. I lived on a farm at that time. Weeding vegetable patches, I noticed the vigour and strength of common dock (Rumex obutusifolius and R. crispus) and as the plant didn't look posionous I tried to see whether this signature (a term in hoemopathy) would be the correct one to find a remedy for my condition. It turned out to be a panacea. After making a tea from the roots I felt like Popeye after a meal of spinach. I regained my strength, I could sleep again without problems and I also got rid of a number of menopausal symtoms (vaginal dryness and hot flushes) along with the other problems. I often had diarrhea after drinking fluoridated tap water and the tea helped in those cases as well. A pork fat allergy leads to loss of hair and extreme oily skin and dock teahas helped me get rid of those problems as well.

Since then I have experienced a number of occasions when I got instant improvement when I drank such tea when I had loadings with chemicals (mercury and hexachlorobenzene among them)

When I mentioned my unique experience to a herbalist she told me that in her clinic she uses dock to detox people who have lodings with mercury from amalgam "silver" tooth fillings.

A Canadian women I met told me that her mother and aunt used to take dock to treat hot flushes and it didn't surprise me when she told me that her family is of Irish descent. Dock obiviously used to be an old Irish tradionalr remedy to treat menopausal problems.

What is alternative/complementary medicine? What do you mean by effective?

A nice massage is very pleasant but it is hardly medicine. You have a whole range of unbelievable quakery masquerading as medical treatments: qigone, magnetic therapy, homeopathy, chinese medicine, ayurvedic, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, colonic irrigation, reflexology, iridology, clinical ecology, acupuncture, naturopathy, spitituality, bio-identicals, aromatherapy, spinal manipulation, reiki etc. Some are harmless but ineffective. Others are dangerous and ineffective.

There is no alternative to eveidence-based medicine in our present state of scientific knowledge.

Well Joh  you have some list there.

I always thought qigone (Chi-quan) was a form or relaxation-cum-exercise, like yoga. homeopathy is just water, dye and alcohol. colonic irrigation is an enema. reflexology, spinal manipulation, craniosacral and reiki, from what I can see are forms of massage and aromatherapy is simply nice smells - very relaxig perhaps but I don't expect it to cure me of anything. chinese medicine surely is just the use of helps, roots etc. ayurvedic is a form of yoga.

bio-identicals refers to the use of bio-indentical hormones (from animals rather than syntheseised) - this is now an FDA approved form of medication for some bio-indenticals.

acupuncture -  I have known some doctors to refer patients for this and for the patients to have claimed it worked.

As for clinical ecology and naturopathy - surely somethign to do with nature rater than peoples illnesses.

, spitituality I have never heard of. magnetic therapy sounds like a nonsense, iridology refers to diagnosing illneses by looking at someones eyes. Now the only person I expect to diagnose anything from looking at my eyes is my opthalmologist

how can something be dangerous but ineffective? if it has no effect then how could it pose a danger? ah yes I hear you say if one takes that route instead of the conventional. you should remember that people have free will, and you cannot take that will away from them, nor can you impose your own on them.

HELLO. PLEASE FORGIVE UPPERCASED TYPING I HAVE AN EYE AILMENT LEADING TO POOR VISABILITY THANK YOU.

YES ALTERNATIVEIVE THERAPIES I AGREE WITH, BUT WITH CARE & ADVICE FROM A PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST. MY WIFE & I ARE INVOLVED FOR MANY YEARS & ARE PROOF THAT IT DOES HELP.

REGARDS HOMER

GOD BLESS