Educate yourself about alternative medical treatments available for specific diseases and conditions. This site is presented to help you research alternative medical treatments, natural and herbal remedies and different ways of thinking about how to solve specific medical problems.  Please read our disclaimer.

Alternative Treatments for Shingles

Alternative treatments for Shingles have been used by people in other cultures for many years.  Some treatments are very effective for some people.  Others may only work because the patient believes they will work, much like the way placebos sometimes work in medical experiments.  However, we believe that the more you know about the options, the more you will be able to make intelligent, informed decisions about the medical treatment, which may be right for you and your particular medical conditions.  Please read our disclaimer.

About Shingles

Shingles is a viral disease that causes red, painful blisters to appear on the skin, generally in an isolated area on one side of the body. Shingles is based on the same virus strain that causes chickenpox. After the visible symptoms of chickenpox are eliminated, the virus does not leave the body. Instead, it remains and after many years can reemerge to cause the condition known as shingles.

Shingles is generally a temporary condition, with the rash lasting for a period of one to four weeks. Nonetheless, the blisters are oftentimes very painful and at times unsightly. At times, the virus can affect the nervous system and residual pain can exists for years after the rash disappears. This condition often requires medical treatment. With ordinary shingles, specific medication is often sought to lessen pain, and vaccines even exist for those over 60 years. In addition and thankfully numerous home remedies exist to help lessen the pain and shorten the duration of the disease if and when it occurs.

• If you do not yet have shingles, exercise, and Tai Chi specifically, has been shown to improve a person’s likelihood of avoiding shingles in a recent scientific study. This could be due to the fact that shingles virus often re-activates when the immune system is suppressed and these activities help to keep it healthy and functioning well.
   
• As shingles does often occur when an individual has a suppressed immune system, it is best to quickly improve this fact. If you are beginning to experience shingles, it is best to increase your supply of B and C vitamins to at or above the daily recommended dosage.
   
• As an additional measure to help your immune system fight the re-emergence of the viral strain, relax and try to catch up on any needed rest. Leisurely activities such as reading a book or watching a good movie are enjoyable ways to speed your recovery time.
   
• Cooling the blisters will help to relieve the pain that they cause. A cool, damp washcloth should do the trick when applied for about twenty minutes.
   
• Avoid popping or disturbing the blisters. Although it may seem that popping will help to relieve the pain, it stands a much stronger likelihood of increasing the duration of shingles.
   
• Avoid pain relief that includes capsaicin initially. Capsaicin comes from hot peppers and in very concentrated forms is an active ingredient in pepper spray. Thus its cream derivative can only worsen the pain when applied to open wounds or blisters that have not fully healed.
   
• Take anti-inflammatory medication to help relieve the pain and reduce the blisters. If you are looking for a natural source, try white willow bark.
   
• Avoid both hot and/or humid conditions. Both situations can further inflame and irritate the blisters. If a case of shingles presents itself in the summer, it may be best to stay in the cool indoors as often as possible. If you own a dehumidifier, turning it on could help remove moisture from the air that would aggravate blisters.
   
• A common homemade pain relief application consists of two crushed aspirin mixed with chloroform. Mix these two substances until it becomes a paste that can be applied to the blistered area, as often as four times a day.
   

Have questions about Alternative Treatments?

We recommend that you review the information about physical therapy on this website, look at the alternative medical treatments on the appropriate websites, do your own independent research, talk with your doctor or other medical professional and learn as much as you can before making the decision that is right for you.  We are not qualified to answer medical, behavioral or health related questions, so please do not ask.