Attitudes towards natural medicine

[Quiet]

This is a multiple option poll.

Im an interested to see how people view natural medicine, alternative medicine and complementary therapies
Natural therapies include naturopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, nutrition, homeopathy, traditional chinese medicine and flower essences

Do you use natural therapies?

Have you been to a natural heath practioner?

Are you interested in visiting a natural health practioner?

Do you use home remedies?

Do you only trust doctors?

Do you trust any health practioners - conventional or alternative?

What do you think of natural medicine?

 

[Peppermint]

I do use natural medicines sometimes. They've been recommended to me by doctors multiple times. There's nothing wrong with them intrinstically, and many manufactured meds have been derived from plants. They're perfectly fine as a complementary therapy. Although when it comes to trust, I'm more likely to give it to person with a medical degree rather than someone with hearsay stories about how this or that natural remedy worked for their friend's friend's aunt.

Yesterday I found out roasted pumpkin seeds contain great quantities of an amino acid that's a precursor to serotonin, and they're investigated as a possible way to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, which I find cool, because I love pumpkin seeds.

 

[this is only temporary]

Do you use natural therapies?

Yup, lots of them. I had a grandma who taught me.

Have you been to a natural heath practioner?

Well... define natural health practitioner? I haven't exactly been to one who defines themself that way exactly, though I have been to people who practice on both sides of the line, wherever that line is. Still confused. I've also encountered absolute quacks on both sides of that fuzzy line.

Are you interested in visiting a natural health practioner?

No, thank you, I would prefer not to get sick.

Do you use home remedies?

Yes.

Do you only trust doctors?

HELL no. But I also don't trust "natural medical practitioners."

Do you trust any health practioners - conventional or alternative?

No. Well... I trust very very few, and the one I do trust I have known since I was an infant.

What do you think of natural medicine?

All medicine is natural medicine, no? I am all for natural remedies, but I am also greatly in favor of not dying of rabies or smallpox or urinary tract infections or parasites. Does that make sense? If if works to keep people healthy, why discriminate between labels?

:tea:

 

[Jill Hives]

I am for natural medicine and modern medicine. I personally tend to think doctors shove pills at people far too easily these days, and I really don't necessarily trust pills.

Ideally in my opinion all practicing doctors should have an extensive back ground knowledge of nutrition and how vitamins effect the body. I think that would make a large and positive difference in how a lot of diseases and illnesses (mental and otherwise) are treated.

 

[endersgone]

I am for natural medicine and modern medicine. I personally tend to think doctors shove pills at people far too easily these days, and I really don't necessarily trust pills.

I think this is true most of the time, but you can find some good docs out there (who really know their stuff). Just have to be on the lookout ; )

 

[Lex Orandi]

I don't really like the way this poll is worded... When I hear "natural remedies," I think of pseudoscience like acupuncture and Chinese medicine. If by natural you mean eating oranges to get vitamin C and boost your immune system, well then yes, I do support natural medicine.

I only trust doctors, and then only sometimes (like @Jill_Hives said, doctors push lots of pills these days). I also listen to my mom, who's an RN.

 

[Quiet]

I don't really like the way this poll is worded... When I hear "natural remedies," I think of pseudoscience like acupuncture and Chinese medicine. If by natural you mean eating oranges to get vitamin C and boost your immune system, well then yes, I do support natural medicine.

I only trust doctors, and then only sometimes (like @Jill_Hives said, doctors push lots of pills these days). I also listen to my mom, who's an RN.

I am including 'pseudosciences' like acupuncture and chinese medicine under the banner of natural medicine. I dont understand them enough to critise them or recommend them. The eating fruit to get vitamin C would fall under the category of nutrition, which is central to naturopathy - you are what you eat.

 

[AKM]

I don't think much of things like acupuncture and reflexology, but I'm all for healthy diet to help health issues. I also use doTERRA essential oils to help my body heal or fight off illness. Pharmaceuticals tend to take what's good in the plant remedies, make synthetics of them that don't have all the same properties and create negative side effects. Modern medicine wouldn't make any money if they really helped people stay or get truly healthy. Prevention is better than cure.

 

[Faye]

Im an interested to see how people view natural medicine, alternative medicine and complementary therapies
Natural therapies include naturopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, nutrition, homeopathy, traditional chinese medicine and flower essences

Do you use natural therapies? I have gotten massages, used homeopathy once (it didn't work at all), used flower essences (which IDK if they really helped or if it was just placebo), and nutrition and supplements. This was in the past. I no longer trust alternative medicine, but I do think good nutrition is extremely beneficial.

Have you been to a natural heath practioner? Yes. It seemed like he helped, but I'm not positive now.

Are you interested in visiting a natural health practioner? No, I don't plan on going back.

Do you use home remedies? Not really.

Do you only trust doctors? I don't trust any doctors.

Do you trust any health practioners - conventional or alternative? see above.

What do you think of natural medicine? In general I think it has a few good bits surrounded by a large amount of quackery. On the whole I'm not sure that it is worth it. I think the things that have been around the longest are more likely to help you than the more modern and new-agey stuff. A lot of it has a facade of scientificness.

 

[Blackmountainside]

i think natural medicine can be very useful. i think you have to use your discretion - be wise. i agree, doctors are sometimes too quick to prescribe. perhaps a holistic approach is best sometimes.

 

[MikeAndreson]

I think using a herbal remedies is a best option to avoid side effects on body. Beside, some herbal products are cheaper than organic compound products. I believe on doctors before taking any type of herbal products. Because they always suggest me what herbal product is suitable for my body. I am using a herbal products since last one year for loosing my weight and I have seen a good effects in few months.

 

[sprinkles]

Both have pros and cons.

Doctors may not connect well with their clients and many of them prescribe too many pills and some of them miss things just because it's all in a days work.

Natural medicine on the other hand is not very well regulated, so one must be careful. There have been exposed frauds and substances that some companies sell which are either fake (the contents aren't even what the packaging says it is) or they don't really use stuff that is fresh enough to be effective. This even happens with the larger supplement companies, some of which have been known to sell rancid fish oil - if you break open the gel cap it smells completely horrible when it really isn't supposed to.

 

[barbad0s]

I would say that the overall mentality of natural medicine is more useful while the specifics of its treatment methods are underdeveloped (placebo effect/lack of double blind studies/research, witchcraft etc), while with conventional health, the specifics of its treatment methods are better developed while its overall mentality is impoverished (lack of preventative/holistic approach, treating the organ and ignoring the body as a system), though it does depend on the doctors in both cases. You will have natural practitioners who will understand and recommend conventional methods when they are more appropriate, and you will have regular doctors do things like telling you to pay attention to your diet/exercise/sleep before "pushing pills".

When it comes to "trust", I trust conventional doctors more to give me something that will be more immediately effective, yet at the same time I feel the need to be more wary because they are prescribing me a bunch of synthetic compounds, while a natural doctor will just prescribe me a bunch of powdered flowers and tree bark which doesn't have the ability to seriously screw with my body chemistry. There are issues with some types of natural health doctors trying to push all sorts of ridiculous(ly expensive) natural/illegal supplements like mushroom extracts or dessicated tiger penis (dead serious), but try not to be naive, use common sense and don't go to back alleyway fortune tellers and it shouldn't be a problem.

I have a couple of decades worth of Chinese medicine and acupuncture experiences I've collected, so feel free to ask or PM any specific questions you might have surrounding that.

I think the general consensus is that, if you're seriously sick, go to a conventional doctor. But if you have a pervading issue that several conventional doctors seem to have been unable to figure out or treat, and trying to work on your overall heath/fitness doesn't work, then consider seeing a natural health practitioner.

For good measure: Left to right, tiger penis, snakes, and lizards, preserved with our favourite superfruit, goji berries. Somehow, I have a feeling these won't be particularly effective treatments.