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From: sdyer@bbncc5.UUCP (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Guaranteed Cure For Athletes' Foot--A Holistic Challenge to Scoffers!
Message-ID: <55@bbncc5.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 1-Sep-85 12:35:03 EDT
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Posted: Sun Sep  1 12:35:03 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Sep-85 21:29:46 EDT
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Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA
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Much of what Walt says here (when he's talking about therapy and not the
Medical Establishment) is perfectly sound, although I don't think it's
necessary to add the stress bit--excessive moisture (Summer heat you know)
and a little fungal inoculation and maceration of the skin is the minimum
that you need.  Of course, at that point, individual susceptibility comes
in: Walt likes to embellish this with issues of flight/fight, whereas I
think most medical doctors accept this as a kind of variability which isn't
well characterized for each individual, unless there are obvious disease
factors like diabetes.

I might mention that in my own case of tinea cruris, which at that point
was extremely advanced, washing and powdering was completely ineffective:
each passing day was more uncomfortable.  I am quite glad that my doctor
at my HMO prescribed clotrimazole (the same as the Lotrimin Walt mentions),
for within two days, the itching, weeping and maceration had disappeared,
leaving me free to continue with the therapeutic regimen of keeping the
area dry and clean, but with MUCH less discomfort.  Avoidance of such
susceptibility factors is hardly the province of "holistic practitioners"
alone, although one might rightly call such a therapy which focuses on
more than just symptomology, "holistic."

Now, I would not dismiss Walt's treatment protocol out of hand, because it
sounds grounded in some solid facts about fungi and human skin.  I might
remain skeptical about the "relaxation" exercises being an integral part of
the treatment, but they probably wouldn't do any harm, and might well do
some good.  An interesting study would be to compare two identical
protocols, only one with the relaxation exercises.  Other than this, what
is the difference between what I'm following and what Walt recommends?
Simply the aggressive topical antifungal therapy, and here, more than
anything else, we are talking about speed of resolution.  There is a good
chance that some fungal infections of the skin will ultimately respond to
simple environmental modification, but it takes time.  I suppose meditation
can make you feel better about your itchy feet or raw, weeping groin, but I
would prefer some medication along with my meditation, i.e., a tube of
clotrimazole or miconazole, too, thank you very much.
-- 
/Steve Dyer
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