Prescription drugs? NSAIDs? (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs i.e.: Ibuprofen, acetaminophen…) Are these the only answers to chronic pain? Wouldn’t it be nicer to have remedies that don’t come with a laundry list of side effects?
Navigating the maze of alternative treatments is overwhelming. Unfortunately, the field is crowded with dubious salespeople and some vendors who genuinely believe that their expensive product is the cure-all for your pain.
You want to take control of your own body – but you’re not a doctor.
So, who do you listen to?
How do you trust that they know what’s best?
Some see anything that is not mainstream medicine as suspicious. Naturopaths, osteopaths, chiropractors, herbal treatments are all seen as red flags.
Help I’ve joined a cult!
Does following non-traditional treatments mean we are falling for a false prophecy of healing? Must we turn a blind eye to alternative products that might help us in order to keep our minds and pocket-books safe?
My mission is to develop a community of chronic pain suffering gardeners who can learn from each other as we explore the effectiveness of alternative treatments and supplements. The goal is to get back to gardening.
So where to start? There’s a confusing array of alternatives and new ones are promoted daily. Infrared light? Emu oil? Collagen supplements? CBD oil? Ayurvedic? Myofascial treatment? Chinese medicine? Regenerative medicine? Do they offer real relief or are they just snake oil?
No snakes were harmed in the making of this oil
What is snake oil anyway? The dictionary defines it as a substance with no real medicinal value sold as a remedy for all diseases. The term snake oil is a euphemism for deceptive marketing. It originates from traveling salespeople who sold snake oil as a cure-all. It was based on a Chinese medicine originally made with the oil of the water snake. It did have some medicinal qualities when properly prepared, however, testing of this cure-all formula revealed it to be everyday mineral oil.
Modern ads for alternative pain products, feel like the old snake oil ads, claiming to cure all your ailments.
Develop a Framework
How do you evaluate a potential alternative treatment and decide if it’s for you?
When you’re in pain and desperate to get back to doing what you love, you can easily fall victim to the commercial hype. Your need for results can cloud your decision-making process.
If you are trying to avoid taking NSAID’s daily and are strictly dealing with finding relief for your pain, you can competently achieve this goal by yourself. But if you are currently on immune-suppressing drugs or other pharmaceuticals that you want to eliminate, you need the help of a professional.
The good news is, the power is within you to take control of your health, by dedication to self-care.
Develop a framework for evaluating what you will and won’t try to help protect yourself. What is the most important factor for you? For me, it’s price. Yours might be results promised or zero side effects, or ease of use… Here’s what mine looks like:
- Potential Cost: $30 monthly
- Potential Cost: $100 monthly
- Potential One Time Cost: Over $500
- Potential Cost: Over $2500 annually
- Potential Cost: One time $5000 plus
For me, this translates to:
Category 1) typically supplements. I am willing to do some research, evaluate effectiveness, and if it isn’t going to have any drug interaction problems, give it a three-month trial.
Category 2) typically chiropractor visits or other means of manipulation and exercise. These are things I am willing to evaluate for effectiveness and given a positive result, incorporate them into my health care routine and budget.
Category 3) typically devices such as a tens unit or specialty machines. I am going to put a lot more thought and research into spending in this category, so that immediately frees me from making a decision when I’m somewhere that a device is being demonstrated and it looks so great and is such a great sale price! Nope, I’ve already made that decision. I will gather the info and evaluate it at home. If I think it will benefit me, I can compare other models, brands, and prices.
Category 4) typically specialists or specialty pieces of equipment. They are within the range of possibilities but are going to take a lot more research before I commit. I currently see a functional health doctor for hormone replacement therapy. My insurance doesn’t cover this treatment, but my doctor is highly trained, and I respect her medical judgment. Since I know that this will not be a “forever” treatment and is beneficial to my long-term health, I’m willing to shell out the big bucks for this at this time.
Category 5) new treatments such as PRP injections, or stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine. These are sort of one time very large expenses and are pretty much out of the question for my budget. I do have a great interest in learning more about them though and will continue to study them. As technology advances and the treatments, if successful, become more commonplace, then the cost will come down and/or insurance might cover the cost.
Decision Making is Exhausting
Research has shown that it takes just as much brain energy to decide from category 1 as it does from category 5. This means even if it’s only a $30 commitment, thinking about whether or not to buy it is fatiguing! Especially when vendors are screaming at you from all different angles. A framework that makes some of the decisions ahead of time helps take the stress and confusion out of the equation.
So, in category 1, if it is something your doctor has recommended, you’ll place a higher priority on it. If it’s something you’ve read about, the research from a trusted source looks promising, and you’re interested in trying, then commit to one product at a time. Give it at least three months and document the results. This gives you the opportunity to truly evaluate whether you want this thing to be a permanent part of your health care. Don’t add another thing during the three months. If something comes along that interests you, add it to a list of things you’d like to evaluate in the future. This takes away the urgent impulse to buy that advertisers create so well!
Examine the company that is selling the product. Is it a generic product like turmeric that many companies produce? Or is it a one-off special formulation that only this company makes? That can be a red flag. It’s possible that this company has found a way to make the product better than the rest of the world, but chances are, that’s a lot of hype. Here’s your opportunity for research. Look at what the company produces, are they lab and research-driven? Or did they just burst on the scene with this one product?
If the company is an MLM, then more scrutiny is needed. Not because it’s a scam, there are a lot of high-quality MLM products, but because there are a lot of subtle endorsements bombarding your senses. Your neighbor proselytizing about their MLM product is not necessarily proof of its effectiveness.
Is the product claiming to cure? Or relieve? Cure is a red flag. What condition is the product claiming to help? All joint related? Or several unrelated body systems? Red flag.
That said, CBD oil qualifies as a huge red flag. CBD oil is being touted as a cure-all for everything from pain to depression. However, there is a lot of research that supports how these seemingly unrelated body systems all benefit from CBD oil.
The topic of whether to take CBD oil and how to select your product is complex. I’ll break it down for you in my upcoming eBook on CBD oil.
Back in Control
Advocating for your health and pain management requires work and commitment on your part. But being in control is so much preferable to fearing the future of your health. The goal is getting Back2Gardening and that goal can be reached when you’re in control. How much you do and how much you spend is up to you. It doesn’t have to be an expensive project in terms of your finances, but it does require an investment of your time and effort.
With your new framework in place, you can easily sort through the hype.
Put yourself on a plan towards healing and share your experiences with others including your doctor. Educate and empower yourself and get Back2Gardening!
Be sure and sign up to receive my free eBook on CBD when it is released:
