Announcement Asking for Everyone's Input: Alternative Treatments?

[Tinnitus Talk]

It's evident that the current Treatments category on the forums is pretty much filled with discussions about alternative treatments, etc.

Maybe an "Alternative Treatments" category, or sub-category to the current Treatments category would be the best option?

I could then move some of the discussions currently on the Treatments forum to the Alternative Treatments forum...


What you think?

 

[calin]

Hi Markku.

It's hard at times for me to know where to place some resources when posting based on the current categories.

You have moved one or two of mine and that is fine by me.

I guess you would have to determine what an alternative treatment or "support" would mean. Alternative generally means non-RX or drugs such as prescription or surgery performed by the medical field. Herbal, physical such as massage and acupressure/acupuncture, supplements, mind-body work such as meditation, psychology, metaphysics, energy and sound healing, natural substances, detox, ... etc. would all be non-medical or other than through prescription drugs and surgery.

That is my take anyway.

I must be blind... I didn't see an alternative treatment subcategory. Point me to the right direction if you please.

What about a Misc category for helping one just plain feel good? Or Lifting spirits? would that be the "support" category?

Or, you could just make a category called - just plain wacky by calin!!!! I don't mind.
Or... Wacky suggestions... or out of the normal... or alternative things to consider....

....just my thoughts!

I hope to hear from others though.

 

[calin]

Oh, this also puzzles me about where to place... "causes". Mycotoxins can cause tinnitus, but the only way to treat that would be to remove the toxins - mold. It is good to know that mold may be the cause of some that have tinnitus, but placement of that information should not be in a "treatment" category. (I didn't know where to post that information).

Chemtrails have mold spores and myotoxcins based on laboratory testing, but one would not put that in a "treatment" category. Since the Feds will continue them for weather engineering, we should be able to just be aware of the possibility of inhaling the spores and other dangerous chemicals that is used. I guess the treatment would be to have a mold test done by a doctor... but I wouldn't know how to go about that.

Also, if you add a "causes" section, people can post their experiences with how they got tinnitus - if they even can pinpoint it. Loud noises could be one example. Or, the mold information could be posted there. I have read on some forums that people indeed feel they contracted tinnitus from mold. I didn't post that as people who may suspect they have mold should take measures to remove it... and then figure out how to get relief from the contamination to their bodies from the mycotoxins.

 

[calin]

haha... I just had a thought... some here may think I am a mycotoxin to the forum!! I guess one would segregate such things!

all in fun....

 

[Markku]

calin, while you have posted many of the topics I myself would categorize as alternative therapies, I wouldn't call you the forum's mycotoxin.

And about mold I agree, it's a real issue and can cause several issues to human's health...

You're not the only one though who has had problems deciding where to post their stuff. Sometimes it's a fine line between research news, treatments, support...

There used to be lots more categories here, check this discussion: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/work-in-progress-what-do-you-think-about-the-categories.8/

It was really this Rozier's post that made me rethink of the categories back in the day.

There used to be categories for... Support, Sleep and Relaxation, Treatments, Hearing Protection, Tinnitus Maskers and Hearing Aids or Success Stories.

It was kind of a mess, so I condensed the forums by a considerable amount.


If anyone else has suggestions as how to make the categories better, what maybe to add, change etc... I'd like to hear your thoughts.

 

[DezDog]

I like to hear about everything, but I also want to know what has been studied. "Treatments" supported by "Research " (trials) kind of straddle both forums. To avoid splintering the forums again, how about the lead post in a treatment thread contains references to research and perhaps a marker in the thread subject? Perhaps code "alt" (or "rx"? what does this mean exactly?) and "studied". Eg, "Herb X may help (alt)", or "Experimental treatment Y available (studied)". I'm not sure really!

 

[Markku]

@DezDog:

This could be a possibility, "thread prefixes", check: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/forums/treatments.13/

One can also click the prefix and then it shows only those threads...

 

[DezDog]

Very nice!!

 

[Markku]

Still trying to figure out where to put those household mold, fungi etc. discussions from the Treatments category.

There are also several others that in my opinion don't fit Treatments.

In my own head I had visioned Treatments to be a place where actual treatments (drugs, devices, psychological and neurological therapies, etc) were put inside. Like a neat little forum category where one could easily spot what treatments were available.

Causes of tinnitus could be its own category, but maybe a Misc Section for tinnitus would be best. There might not be that much talk about causes of tinnitus to warrant its own category... but a General Chat type of thing for tinnitus could be wise to implement at this point of time.

It's also good that whatever changes are made, it's always possible to reorganize things later, move threads around, delete categories, merge them, create new ones, and so on...


Thanks for all your comments so far

 

[DezDog]

How about a forum named "Alternative Research"? It fits rather well with what calin does. It would be the place where our own research efforts get documented.

The "Research" forum remains a digest of the news available on scientific research and studies, and "Treatments" contains posts about available treatments, and perhaps new treatments being studied (perhaps cross-posted from "Research").

This will leave Research and Treatments as forums with an objective news feel, and allow for investigation within the "Alternative Research" forum.

Perhaps I'm over-thinking it, but I've enjoyed a couple of beers today.

 

[Markku]

Hmms.

How about "Alternative Research & Treatments"?

Combine the two.

Then other more objectively studied things can be put into the current Research News and Treatments sections.

...and me and Jim can move alternative therapy discussions from the current Treatments section to the new category...

Would this work?

 

[Markku]

Some changes made...

 

[calin]

Hmms.

How about "Alternative Research & Treatments"?

Combine the two.

Then other more objectively studied things can be put into the current Research News and Treatments sections.

...and me and Jim can move alternative therapy discussions from the current Treatments section to the new category...

Would this work?

Thanks!

 

[calin]

Markku,

The heading for Alternative treatments and research has this as the header:

Homeopathic and other things not rigorously tested or proven belongs here.
Remember, alternative therapies often promise more than what they are worth.
Exercise caution, and do research before trying anything.

Since there is no rigorous testing or proven results for the Tinnitus Tamer, wouldn't that go in the Alternative thread?

 

[Karl]

Markku -
Possibly "Natural Treatments" ?

Calin -
Good point about Tinnitus Tamer. Not tested. However, it's aim is to rehabituate, which is a well established treatment.

 

[Markku]

Yep, there are still some threads on the Treatments section that would probably suit better on the Alt. section.
Can be vice versa too.

Let me know of any suggestions where you'd place what. I'm all ears.

Tinnitus Tamer is a tough one, I haven't looked into it that closely yet.

This remark on their website makes my alarms go off, though:
"Many Tinnitus sufferers will find that the Tinnitus Tamer completely eliminates the Tinnitus."

Big promises.


But it also mentions habituation, so if it is sort of a masking tool, then it might work in making one's journey into habituation easier/shorter. Though the "original" Tinnitus Retraining Therapy by Jastreboff says that masking is most effective when it doesn't completely hide your tinnitus sound, so you should still hear your tinnitus while using ambient masking. I don't know if Tinnitus Tamer works like that, or if that is the way it's meant to work.


Anyway, let this be a thread where everyone can inform about a discussion which should be moved from one Treatment section to another.