<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>CaliSally</b></i>
It's people like you that give the board a bad name...
You couldn't have made more errors in your assumptions if you tried.
1) Your assumptions that my results were based on ONE experience were wrong. I get massages as I can afford them, which equal a handful a year. I'm 42, you do the math.
2) I'm more intelligent and scientific than to base a result on ONE experience.
3) If my results had anything to do with laying on my stomach for a half hour, why do I not get those results at home, every night?
4) Why do we need "evidence" when my experiences speak for themselves?
5) How is our experiences with "alternative medicine" considered <i>blind faith</i> to you? Isn't blind faith the act of believing in something without proof? I would venture to guess that most around here are like me, more scientific about their health than the general population - having a chronic illness creates that kind of person. So, others claims to benefits are probably based on their own research - not yours.
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You can leave the thread now, since it seems your only purpose here is to be cinical and tell everyone they are wrong. How is that beneficial? Your postings aren't in line with my questions anyway, and when most of us can't comment directly to someone's questions on a thread, they skip it and leave it for someone else with that particular experience.
I don't believe in the hocus pocus side of alternative medicine either - but those of us who have benefited didn't simply regurgitate statements and claims made by others, we are talking about OUR first hand experience.</end quote></div>
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Okay, I can't resist. One more post <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
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I did make a couple harsh statements in my last post, and I apologize for that, but my view hasn't changed. Again, I don't doubt that massages and reflexology have helped many people with CF. But they should not be confused with actual treatment for infections or inflammation.
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1) I understand you've gone many many times, but you're just one person. I was saying that clinical evidence requires many people to get positive results while a control group gets negative results.
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3) Maybe you were only expecting results from the massage, and maybe the massage does help. Maybe both. Relaxation can open your airways, sure. I agree with you there.
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4) We need evidence because many people waste a great deal of time, money, and energy chasing ineffective treatments. The evidence tells us what we should try, and what we shouldn't. If you're stressed and you have tight muscles, then a massage could be great. If you have an infection, then no pair of hands are going to help you. And of course not everything works for everyone.
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5) I agree that personal experience is important, and also that CFer's are more scientifically minded. But CFer's are also much more vulnerable to bad medical advice. They want extraordinary cures to work. I wanted them to work. My experience was wasting thousands of dollars on naturopaths, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and uncertified quacks before I came to my senses and improved my health in a more sane way. I know most of these 'doctors' mean well, but they do little good. Again, if any of these other treatments worked, the scientific and medical community would embrace them.
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My post has everything to do with your question. I think your doctors are giving you nearly every good option you have. Other than that, inflammation is treated best by getting as few infections as possible, keeping your blood sugar stable, having a healthy bodyweight, and exercising when your body allows it. I mentioned glutathione and sinus irrigations earlier because they seem to have helped me. Also, I believe indoor pets can make allergic symptoms worse, even if you're not allergic to the animal. Research that one though, because I can't remember entirely. ha.
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It's remarkable that you have lived so long, and I think you should be proud of that. Those massages probably helped you keep your head through much of it.
