Triggers and Treatments (Part Nine)
Alternative and Complementary Treatments
I hope our look at Triggers and Treatments for Ménière’s Disease has been helpful to you. Since there are nine parts to this part of the series, I’ve put them all in two free eBooks that you can download, read, and share with others. I’ll link to them at the end of this newsletter.
This last part of the Treatments section concerns Alternative and Complementary Treatments.
Alternative/Complementary Treatments
As AARP wrote, “There is no known cause or cure for the condition, but it is treatable.” We’ve looked at a lot of different types of treatments for Ménière’s Disease during the last few months including Lifestyle Changes, Medical Treatments, Surgeries, Counseling, and Physical Therapy. There is one last treatment area I’d like to share with you. Many people call it ‘alternative.’ Some people also speak of ‘complementary treatments for Ménière’s.’ The Cambridge Dictionary defines complementary medicine as — “a wide range of treatments for medical conditions that people use instead of or in addition to ordinary medicine.”
I taught and demonstrated T’ai Chi and Dao Yin exercises in hospital and clinical settings years ago as ‘complimentary’ and/or ‘integrative’— meaning that the hospital/clinical staffs believed that what I taught could help patients who were also receiving modern ‘medical’ treatments. Many of my T’ai Chi students served in various medical fields (e.g. physical therapists, nurses) and believed what they were learning would benefit themselves and their patients. That opened many opportunities for me to share healthy exercises at hospitals and clinics.
Merrian-Webster defines alternative as — “different from the usual or conventional.” That definition is probably as good as any. Here’s a list of some of the ‘alternative’ treatments for Ménière’s. I’ll list them in alphabetical order. Please know that by listing these ‘alternative’ or ‘complimentary’ treatments, I am not endorsing any of them as ‘effective’ treatments for Ménière’s Disease. What may help one person may not help another. This is simply for your information and consideration.
I will attempt to share three online sources for each alternative/complimentary treatment so you can research each ‘therapy.’ Please consult your doctors and do your own research about participating in any of these treatments. It is your health and your choice.
One other note that might be helpful concerning the use of the terms ‘alternative’ and ‘complementary’ is that Ménière’s Disease affects people across the world. If you live in a country that focuses primarily on Western Medicine, you may think of treatments from Eastern Medicine to be ‘alternative’ or ‘complementary.’ If you live in a country where Eastern Medicine is primary, then you may consider treatments from Western Medicine to be ‘alternative’ or ‘complementary.’ Complementary is often where ‘East meets West’.
[This list does not contain all of the ‘alternative/complementary’ treatments for Ménière’s Disease, Tinnitus, Vertigo, etc. If you know of a treatment that helped you that I do not list here, please add it to the Comments section below with any appropriate supportive information.]
Acupunture —
Acupressure
Alexander Technique
Ayurvedic Medicine
Biofeedback
CBD Oil
Chiropractic (Upper Cervical)
Cranio-sacral therapy
Essential Oils
Feldenkrais Method
Foam Rolling
Herbal Medicine
Holistic Therapy
Homeopathy
Massage
Osteopathy
Reflexology
T’ai Chi
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) —
Yoga
Do Alternative/Complementary Treatments Work?
I think it depends how you define the word ‘work.’ If you mean that an alternative/complementary treatment makes you feel better, more relaxed, etc., then the answer is probably ‘yes’ in some cases. However, if you mean that an alternative/complementary treatment ‘cures’ Ménière’s Disease, then I believe the answer is probably ‘no.’ You may disagree, and I encourage you to share any evidence to the contrary in the Comments section below. I am a journalist, therefore, evidence is paramount to supporting any ‘truth claim.’
I have tried several ‘alternative/complementary’ treatments during my journey with Ménière’s. I was already teaching and practicing T’ai Chi Ch’uan and Dao Yin, so I found that experience helpful. T’ai Chi includes five primary practices: Standing, Rowing, Walking, Push Hands, and Forms. It also includes an aspect of Qigong (Dao Yin) which is good for stretching and flexibility. You may find learning T’ai Chi from a qualified instructor helpful. It helps with balance and flexibility as the disease progresses.
I went through 12 weeks of acupuncture with a TCM doctor. While the treatments did have a positive effect on my tinnitus, I didn’t notice any improvement in the vertigo attacks from Ménière’s. My insurance didn’t cover acupuncture, so I couldn’t afford more treatments. Without the weekly acupuncture, the tinnitus came back as loud as before.
I have visited several TCM doctors, pharmacists, and herbalists through the years. While I saw some temporary improvements with tinnitus and allergies, the treatments didn’t control vertigo, dizziness, imbalance, or fatigue very well or for long periods of time.
Because of my double diagnosis of Cervicogenic Vertigo (CV) along with Ménière’s, I found that Upper Cervical Chiropractic has helped. So has vestibular physical therapy for my CV. Ménière’s still progressed, but chiropractic has helped keep the ‘Cervicogenic’ dizziness in check. My chiropractor also helps my aural fullness with a technique called a ‘J’ hook adjustment. This article explains how that works.
I learned acupressure as part of my training in martial arts. I won’t explain in this article how to use pressure points to subdue an opponent, but I will say that pressure points can also help control a variety of symptoms that are part of Ménière’s. Some include headaches, migraines, nausea, and fatigue. I have used the P6 pressure point (Pericardium 6) for nausea and found it often helps keep me from having the nausea that accompanies a vertigo attack. The National Library of Science has some information about it here. [P6 is known as the Neiguan point in TCM.]
I was asked by one of our readers whether psychedelic medicine might be helpful in healing Ménière's. While there are some peer-reviewed studies concerning the efficacy of psychedelic medicine (including cannabis) for severe stress, severe PTSD, and moderate to severe major depressive disorders, the usage for Ménière's disease has a limited number of studies. Even the few studies I’ve read include warnings about the possibility of cannabis making vertigo, nausea, and tinnitus even worse. Talk with your doctor before trying any psychedelic medicine to treat Ménière's.
Here is the link I promised to two free eBooks that contain all parts of this special series about Managing Ménière's.
I will continue to share future developments in the treatment of Ménière's, but I would love to hear from you about what treatments you’ve found most helpful. You can include them in the Comments section below or email me at markmcgee4@substack.com. With your permission, I will include your comments in future newsletters.
If you find this Managing Ménière's Newsletter helpful, please tell family and friends with Ménière's about it. My desire is to help as many people as possible traveling on this ‘winding road.’
“… rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” Romans 12:12
Here’s to hope!
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