Here in India, allopathy is sometimes looked upon as 'unnatural' and 'poisonous'; I've had people giving me several ridiculous suggestions to 'cure' my PsA. One naturopath swore that drinking bottles of Noni juice would drive the arthritis away and another asked me to stop eating red meat and potatoes. My dad, who has suffered from Rheumatoid arthritis for fifteen years has tried the most bizarre cures when nothing else worked-- there was one traditional doctor who gave him a square piece of engraved metal, to soak overnight in a glass of warm water. The next morning he was supposed to drink the water. Another gave him a block of red sandalwood, to soak in water and drink the same.
There were Siddha preparations with gold content that he paid a bomb for. There were vile-smelling oils that we had to rub into his joints, and murky herbal concoctions to drink thrice a day-- they burned his tongue and screwed up his digestive system. There were leaves of the bilver tree to juice up and drink and one 'doctor' even suggested rubbing sparrow blood into his knees!!
All this in a city that is now known as the Mecca of healthcare, which receives thousands of international patients for surgeries every year. My rheumatologist however is brilliant. I was shocked to hear that patients in the US have to wait weeks for a doctor's appointment. Even with our crazy population, we manage to get doctors appointments the very same evening-- at no extra cost. Our rheumy of four years now, a middle-aged lady, diagnosed me correctly the minute she looked at my swollen knee.
NOthing is more annoying than people who tell me that my PsA is 'all in my head'. It's true that stress and negativity can trigger flare ups, but that does not give you the right to tell me that I am imagining my pains, that "I have thoughts of hate and bitterness in my head, which are manifesting in my body as psoriasis and arthritis"--- ugh, what drivel!
I guess I could ask about red meat in India, but I won't. The idea of cutting red meat and potatoes isn't so far fetched actually. Both especially the meat are high in purines (as are a lot of proteins) which cause gout as well as a bunch of other arthritc inflammations. Its a problem for us who are either low startch or low carb for either weight control or liver health.
Gold was a well known and used treatment by mainstream docs here until better meds came around. If they "concoctions" burned is tongue they likley contained capiscan which is also used to treat inflamation. Not a clue on the sparrows blood.
The thing is a lot of "natural treatments" contain known "chemicals" that do treat a number of diseases. You just don't need to go through all that "stuff" to get them.
Ah yes, the well meaning public. I've experienced that well from those who would attempt to cure my diabetic son..."theres a tree root in the amazon...there's a pine nut in France...blah blah blah, did he eat too many sweets, you aren't right with the Lord, were some of my favorites. Yikes! They want to help because they feel helpless. Being around illness makes many people uncomfortable. Now I am the subject of the cure fanatics who insist on "getting me well". There are some wry youtube animations depicting what I secretly would love to say to those who talk to me about cures for diabetes. You can easily translate it to fit any chronic illness scenario. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFIVVHQod5o&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUvhxsvyhnE&feature=relmfu My favorite line, "there's no cure for the stupids."
Anisha, surely when your Dad was suffering years ago, he used what was available to him, as we all would, and I agree with lamb about that, in some there is an essence of something helpful, but not helpful enough.
Baby boomers with arthritis of any kind, Fibromyalgia, it is very big business for all. Personally, in the beginning I tried homeopathic, organic, neutracuticals, ginsing, tumeric, the list is endless...all I can say is that I could not get enough in me to do the trick. You probably need a truck load to really feel any kind of difference!!
Let's not forget soaking the white raisins in gin. Ick, sounds like a commode hugger to me!!!
If these meds were not available to us, surely we would be taking the truck laods, eating the raisins, slathering ourselves with bird blood, drinking like they did on 'Animal House' and growing white poppies in our flower beds!!
Yes people can be so helpful with suggestions of how to 'fix' PsA. I've been told that medication would cure me. I've also been told that I have PsA because I probably have a gluten allergy. Yes I'm pretty sure if I just meditated and avoided gluten I'd be cured.
As far as a wait for an appointment I was seen 6 days after making my first call to a rheumy. If something comes up between appointments I can be seen within a day or 2.
How are you, girl? You are very fortunate to have this with your Rheumatologist, I do not, but I can see my GP anytime, only once did I not get in the same day, and had it been that important, would have gone to an urgent care place or the ER. My GP is 5 minutes from me out here in the cow paddies, and we are so lucky to have such a good Doc, actually there are 2, husband and wife.
I just had all of those things cleared up for me, on the bacteria causing arthritis discussion by info that lady gave a link to written by an infectious disease Physician concerning antibiotic treatment for this. No longer wonder about it at all!
Hope that you are having a good day, and that you will join us more often!