Alternative Therapies (Generally; Overall)

[rynner2]

A long article by a columnist who has tried most of them - and believes in them...

Just look at Cherie Blair and the extraordinary fuss over the alternative therapies in which she has indulged. How everybody sniggered when they heard she'd s hared showers with lifestyle guru Carole Caplin, who'd 'scrubbed out' her toxins, or that she'd visited 'homeopathic dowser-healer' Jack Temple. It seems the public mindset regards anything 'new age' with the deepest suspicion.

How, ask the commentators, can a busy working mother of four with an excellent brain dabble in this kind of lunacy? The answer is simple: it helps. I pursue so many 'alternative' therapies I've lost count. And half the working women I know visit a range of practitioners: reflexologists, masseurs, yoga teachers, homeopaths and even energy healers and mediums.
...
A massage junkie to begin with, I've now been hooked by more abstruse forms of bodywork. These include Trager work (where limbs are wobbled gently to restore mental and physical harmony -- and yes, it works like a dream); zero-balancing (gentle spine-loosening which can release emotional blocks); Thai yoga massage (lazy man's yoga, and the only thing that has caused me to sleep for 11 hours straight since I had children); ayurvedic bodywork (more passive stretching); Barry Pluke's Bodyshift therapy and Kingsley Ogedengbe's famed Chavutti-Thai (a blend of Indian massage with the feet and Thai limb- stretching techniques). Any one of these at the end of a tough week is my idea of heaven.

Also Feng Shui and electronic gemstone therapy.

 

[Anonymous]

Does anyone on the board read the "Barefoot Doctor (tm)" column in The Observer magazine? Truly appalling stuff. Today he was claiming that a fear of blood was due to problems with spleen (or possibly kidney) energy and that it coould all be cured by taking certain herbs and massaging the instep. For some reason I always find my spleen energy rising when reading the good "doctor", and am always on the lookout to vent it.

 

[Beakmoo]

Any treatment 'alternative' or otherwise which helps people break free from the tyranny of drugs should be encouraged and applauded.

It's not a tyranny, anti depressants are a liberation and live saver for many. I agree that some alternatives can be good, and anti depressants should only be used when these fail, but I think it's a bit negative to describe them as a tyranny.

 

[carole]

No harm in some of these alternative therapies as long as you don't expect spectacular results.

There may be a placebo effect which people claim as 'cures' in some instances.

I like crystals because they're nice to look at and if the supposed properties of crystals are indeed true, well, that's an added bonus.

I also like aromatherapy because it feels/smells good and does in some instances work, or at least the insect repellant mix of oils that I tried did. Usually I get eaten alive by mozzies when I'm abroad, when I used the aromatherapy remedy they kept away from me, and the oils even smelt nice . . .

But, if Mrs Blair had any common sense she would have kept quiet about her dabblings in such esoteric interests.

Carole

 

[Spookyangel]

Yeah, I have to agree with you there, Carole. If you believe a treatment is going to make you feel better, then it will.
I was a nervous wreck about taking my driving test and so was recommended by a friend to take "Kalms". They aren't addictive, just some herbal tablets. I took them for a few days before and flew through my test feeling incredibly relaxed about it all.
I found out afterwards, that I didn't actually take them for long enough for them to get into my blood stream and work properly, and I didn't even take a high enough dosage! lol Just shows, you can talk yourself into these things.
Aromatherapy is another example.At one point a few years back I did suffer from stress a lot and found I felt bette if I had some Neroli or Bergamot on a tissue to sniff when I felt the panic feeling rising. Not sure if it worked, or whether it was just that I liked the smell, but it got me through a difficult time.
As long as ppl don't use these alternative treatments in place of medecine when something is really wrong, I don't see the harm in any of it.

 

[gyrtrash]

I've known (too many) people who took anti-depressents...
For the vast majority, it helped them find some equilibrium. A solid place to sort out things they didn't feel able to do before...
I'm glad they took them, they might not be here now otherwise...
It was short-term and life-saving...
(No, it wasn't me)

I also know of many people who have undergone 'alternative' therapies...and their lives are much easier for it.
Spooky - 'Kalms', they contain Valerian don't they? This could bind weakly to GABA-A receptors leading to a 'mellowing out' man! It's a well-used herb for treating insomnia...

These are 'complimentary' therapies, not 'alternative'...
As a wholistic alternative, they should surely be used with everything else available.

 

[KeyserXSoze]

For sciatica good osteopaths and chiropractors can work wonders - they can manipulate to help and give good exercise to you. Yoga is also good, and proper massage and reflexology.

But as with all complementary therapies, make sure whoever you go to has proper accreditation (there will be a national association or some such that can provide a list of people who have training)

Keyser is a big fan of complementary therapies, many of which are older than 'orthodox' methods of healing, but they shouldn't replace your regular healthcare. I have heard anecdotal evidence of people fighting terrible diseases in an alternative way with success, but there isn't as much scientific proof (*putting on my conspiracy hat I'd say this was big fix by pharma companies* maybe)

Current laws in this area are very lax - which means in many country anyone can set up as a healer with no or little training at all. So always check they have full training. Let the buyer beware!

Keyser 'I know a few reflexology moves myself' Soze

 

[inkedmagiclady]

As one who has studied various healing methods, I feel that when said therapies are practice with great love, it definitely couldn't hurt.

What I didn't say in my earlier post was that you are right in suggesting that people find accredited practitioners in any healing modality. It might also be helpful to get recommendations from friends and acquaintances on how these worked for them.

I find that being a 'patient' or a 'client' or 'do-it-yourselfer' of any one of these practices helps me to relax completely in an atmosphere where I can let go of all worries and get clear. This state of clarity allows me to function a little better. When a lot of "little betters" are put together, it turns into a lot better.


edited for horrific spelling

 

[ramonmercado]

Complementary & alternative medicine use USA
13 Jan 2005

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=18848

Steady five-year prevalence points to need for more rigorous evaluation -
In a comparison of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by adults in 1997 and 2002, researchers from Harvard Medical School found more than one in three U.S. adults (36.5 and 35.0 percent, respectively) used at least one form of CAM.

The continued widespread use of individual and multiple CAM therapies underscores the need to rigorously evaluate the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of these approaches, according to the study's lead author Hilary Tindle, Harvard Medical School (HMS) research fellow, and co-author David Eisenberg, director of the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies and the Osher Institute at HMS.

The study results appear in the January/February issue of the medical journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

The study compared results of the National Health Interview Survey in 2002 and a survey conducted by researchers at HMS (Eisenberg et al.) in 1997. The two surveys were similar but not identical. Prior to this study, there had been no head-to-head comparison using a common definition of CAM.

"Our research over the past 14 years has shown a consistent level of usage by adult Americans," said Dr. Eisenberg. "While there have been a few notable changes in which CAM therapies people are using, the overall number of adults employing some type of CAM has remained remarkably consistent since we began our surveys in 1990. This says to us that these therapies are part of the fabric of modern day health care, and that we need to do more research on their safety and effectiveness - just as we would with any other therapeutic options," concludes Eisenberg.

Over the five-year period between the two most recent surveys, the total number of Americans using any CAM therapy remained fairly stable at 72 million. However, there were changes in the choice of CAM therapies used.

The largest change was a 50 percent jump in the use of herbal supplements, growing over the five years from 12.1 percent of adults reporting usage in 1997 to 18.6 percent -- or 38 million adults -- in 2002. The practice of yoga increased 40 percent over the same period, growing from 3.7 percent in 1997 to 5.1 percent-- over 10 million adults-- in 2002.

Use of CAM therapies such as acupuncture, biofeedback, energy healing, and hypnosis remained essentially unchanged between 1997 and 2002, while the use of homeopathy, high-dose vitamins, chiropractic, and massage therapy declined slightly. Since many CAM therapies are paid out-of-pocket by consumers, the authors suggest that some of these declines may be due, at least in part, to a downturn in the U.S. economy from 1997 to 2002.

The ways in which several CAM therapies are used also appear to have changed. For example, only 5 percent of people who used herbs saw a practitioner of herbal medicine in 2002, compared to 15 percent in 1997. "Such changes are important considering that other research has shown that 60 to 70 percent of patients who use CAM therapies do not disclose it to their physician," says lead author Dr. Tindle. "This is especially critical as more becomes known about the adverse effects associated with individual dietary supplements as well as their interactions with prescription drugs".

Despite variability seen in previously published reports about overall CAM use, the authors conclude the use of CAM by one third of U.S. adults from 1997 to 2002 appears to have been steady, reconfirming results from the first national survey in 1990.

This work was made possible in part by grants from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and by private foundation grants: Horton Family Fund; Seattle Foundation; John E. Fetzer Institute; American Society of Actuaries; Friends of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Kenneth J. Germeshausen Foundation; and the J.E. and Z.B. Butler Foundation.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES IN HEALTH & MEDICINE
http://www.alternative-therapies.com

The largest peer-reviewed medical research journal in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. Published since 1995, it has a circulation of approximately 15,000 healthcare professionals. Alternative Therapies is published by InnoVision Communications, a division of InnerDoorway, Inc. InnoVision also publishes the peer-reviewed journals Integrative Medicine: a Clinician's Journal and Advances in Mind-Body Medicine and is accredited to grant credits for continuing medical education.

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School has more than 5,000 full-time faculty working in eight academic departments based at the School's Boston quadrangle or in one of 47 academic departments at 18 Harvard teaching hospitals and research institutes. Those Harvard hospitals and research institutions include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, The CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, Children's Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Children's Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, VA Boston Healthcare System.

Contacts: Judith Montminy
[email protected]
617-432-0442
Harvard Medical School
Rick Kendall
[email protected]
212-566-7134
Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
http://www.alternative-therapies.com/at/login/index.jsp

edit to amend title: deleted USA.

 

[headnspace]

Other alternative/integrative medicine places

When I lived in San Diego, I participated in several activities in the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine.

The basics is that "modern" medicine treats the symptoms but it does nothing for the patient as a whole. Learning techniques that help the whole patient is important for full healing.

A good example is a cancer patient. Chemotherapy and radiation sure do help reduce the cancer in the body. It also harms the patient's body as a whole. Using other techniques such as hypnosis, guided imagery, massage, or meditation; the Integrative medicine seeks to make the whole person feel better. Studies have certainly shown that it helps. Personal testimonies also are important to look at when considering alternative therapies along with traditional medicine.

It is important to note that this is "Integtrative" medicine, not just alternative medicine. They do not advocate herbs to cure cancer, although they may advocate herbs to help relieve symptoms. They know that chemotherapy and radiation are the best ways of fighting most cancers.

http://scrippshealth.org/Locations.asp?ID=63

 

[ramonmercado]

Alternative therapies 'cost more'

Alternative therapies 'cost more'
By Nigel Hawkes, Health Editor



THERE is little evidence that complementary therapies are cost-effective, in spite of their endorsement in a recent report commissioned by the Prince of Wales.



A study in the British Medical Journal by experts in alternative medicine found that only five studies of the cost-effectiveness of alternative therapies had ever been done in Britain — and all but one found that they would add to NHS costs, rather than reducing them.

Edzard Ernst and his colleagues from Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth said that they had looked into a study of acupuncture for headaches and four studies of spinal manipulation for back pain.

The conclusion was that these treatments produce benefits, at a cost comparable with other treatments, but it was not clear whether the benefits were clinically relevant. The report, commissioned by the Prince’s health foundation and written by Christopher Smallwood, called on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to carry out full cost-effectiveness studies of the most popular alternative therapies.

It claimed that treating people using such therapies could save the NHS money by reducing future GP consultations and drug prescriptions. But Professor Ernst and his colleagues conclude: “Complementary treatments represent an additional healthcare cost in four out of the five rigorous cost effectiveness studies conducted in the UK.”

The team also found that for spinal manipulation, the health benefits were “small to moderate” and were “of questionable clinical significance”.

In a separate editorial in the BMJ, Trevor Thompson, of the University of Bristol, and Gene Feder, of Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry in London, leap to the support of complementary therapies. They said that uncertain evidence on their cost-effectiveness should not exclude such treatments from reviews and guidelines.

“Those making decisions about integrated medicine in the NHS should consider each complementary or alternative therapy on its merits, using a broad range of appropriate scientific evidence including data on cost-effectiveness,” they write. Such decision-making, if done transparently, may change the public perception of scientific medicine for the better.”

The Prince himself defended his attitude on Wednesday at a conference organised by his Foundation for Integrated Health. He said: “I seem to have attracted a remarkable degree of controversy for something as apparently harmless as advocating a whole-person, holistic approach to healthcare.

“If certain organs of journalistic rectitude are to be believed, you are all the subjects of a highly sophisticated brain-washing operation,” the Prince joked, to hearty laughs from his audience of GPs.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/ ... 05,00.html

 

[ramonmercado]

Middle-aged use alternative medicine

Middle-aged use alternative medicine

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Wake Forest University researchers say middle-aged people are more likely than younger or older adults to use complementary and alternative medicine.

"Midlife adults entered adulthood at a time of more widespread use of complementary and alternative medicine in the population and when public health policy was shifting attention toward individual responsibility for health and health promotion," said Professor Joseph Grzywacz and colleagues.

Grzywacz said the study's results came from data for 31,044 people who participated in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. The survey included questions on 20 types of complementary and alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, chelation therapy, herb or megavitamin use, chiropractic or yoga.

"Some types of complementary and alternative medicine, such as alternative medicine systems, are used primarily for treating existing conditions," Grzywacz said. "Others, such as mind-body interventions, are used primarily for illness prevention and health promotion."

The study appears in the October issue of the Journal of Aging and Health.

Alternative

 

[ramonmercado]

FDA, FTC Send Warning Letters to Companies Marketing Alternative Hormone Replacement Therapies
16 Nov 2005

FDA on Thursday announced it has sent warning letters to 16 companies that market alternatives to approved hormone replacement therapies, saying they consider the treatments to be unapproved new drugs... Reuters reports. The Federal Trade Commission also announced it has sent warning letters to 34 Web site operators marketing similar therapies, saying the sites make claims that "may be false or unsubstantiated and therefore may violate the law" (Reuters, 11/10). The Web sites were identified during an FTC search of sites asserting that alternative HRT products -- including progesterone creams, sprays or dietary supplements -- could cure or prevent diseases (FTC release, 11/10). FDA said alternative HRTs often are promoted as being safer or more natural than agency-approved therapies (United Press International, 11/10). Some of the companies that received letters claim that their products prevent cancer, osteoporosis-related bone deterioration or arthritis. Such claims would cause the products to fall under the auspices of FDA's Food, Drugs and Cosmetic Act. The companies -- All Natural Pain Relief, Bio-Health, BuyInnovations.com, CHS International Research, ComCore 21, Greatest Herbs on Earth, HMS Crown, Healthworks 2000, Healthy Days, Heba Laboratories, Herbal Fields Supplements, Nutriteam, One Life USA, Suzanne's Natural Foods, The Way Up and Tip Top Vitamins -- were given 15 days to respond to FDA (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 11/10). "FDA takes seriously its responsibility to protect consumers from products promoted with unproven claims," Margaret Galvin, the agency's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, said, adding, "It's particularly troublesome when these claims provide false hope to patients with serious or life-threatening conditions" (FDA release, 11/10). HRT aims to replace hormones weakened by menopause (Reuters, 11/10).

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... sid=33596#

 

[ramonmercado]

Yoga Is More Effective Than Conventional Exercise For Back Pain, Group Health Study Finds
Source: Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies
Date: 2006-01-03

Yoga Is More Effective Than Conventional Exercise For Back Pain, Group Health Study Finds

Yoga appears to be more effective for low back pain than conventional exercise or getting a self-care book about the condition, according to a first-of-its-kind study conducted by researchers at Group Health Cooperative's Center for Health Studies and published in the December 20 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

The study involved 101 adults with low back pain who were randomly assigned to one of three groups.

One group attended 12 weekly, 75-minute classes to learn yoga and practiced at home.
A second group attended 12 weekly, 75-minute sessions of aerobic, strengthening, and stretching exercise, plus home practice.
A third group received a self-care book on back pain.
After 12 weeks, the patients in the yoga group were better able to do daily activities involving the back than were the patients in the exercise or education groups. After 26 weeks, the patients in the yoga group had better back-related function and less pain. Also, fewer people in the yoga group used pain relievers.

"Most people have experienced back pain at some point in their lives," explained Karen Sherman, PhD, a Group Health researcher and the lead author of the study. "Sometimes the pain goes away in a few days, but sometimes it lasts for weeks. And unfortunately, the treatments offered by modern Western medicine are only modestly effective."

Current treatments for low back pain include pain relievers--such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), painkillers, and muscle relaxants--and exercise.

"Although exercise is one of the few proven treatments for chronic low back pain, its effects are often small and we haven't known whether one form is better than another," Sherman added. "So we designed a study to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a gentle program of yoga for people with this condition."

While it's estimated that about one million people currently practice some form of yoga for relief of back pain, questions about yoga's value for this condition have persisted. Sherman's study, which is the largest randomized controlled trial to date, helps to prove its effectiveness.

The yoga students in Sherman's study learned 17 poses from viniyoga, a style that's easy to learn and typically allows poses to be adapted for use by various body types.

People interested in learning yoga for relief of low back pain should choose an instructor who is experienced working with students who have this condition, Sherman recommended.


###
Her study was funded by a grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Other researchers on the study were Group Health's Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD; Janet Erro, RN; and Diana Miglioretti, PhD; and University of Washington Professor of Medicine Richard A. Deyo.

About Group Health Cooperative's Center for Health Studies
Group Health is a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. Based in Seattle, Group Health and its subsidiary health carriers, Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans, serve more than 590,000 members in Washington and Idaho. Group Health's Center for Health Studies conducts research related to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of major health problems. The Center for Health Studies, funded primarily through government and private research grants, is the lead site for the Cancer Research Network.

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 123733.htm

 

[ramonmercado]

Scientists dismiss detox schemes
Following a so-called detox plan - often popular in January - is a waste of time and money, scientists say.
They say many supplements do not have any effect and the body can recover from Christmas excess on its own.

The detox business - which includes diets, tablets and drinks said to flush out toxins - is said to be worth tens of millions of pounds.

But the scientists from the Sense About Science organisation say water, fresh air and sleep is all that is needed.

The term detox is meaningless as the body is perfectly capable of clearing out harmful substances, they add.


They [detox products] waste money and sow confusion about how our bodies, nutrition and chemistry actually work
Sense About Science


The gut prevents bacteria and many toxins from entering the body, while the liver contributes to breaking down harmful chemicals which are then excreted by the kidneys.

Tap water rehydrates the body and a good's night sleep will leave people refreshed, the scientists said.

They dismissed detox tablets, socks, body wraps, diets and eating Nettle Root extract or drinking herbal infusions or "oxygenated" water in a bid to make natural procedures more effective.

"They waste money and sow confusion about how our bodies, nutrition and chemistry actually work," they said.

The high street chemist Boots, which sells detox products, maintains they have a role to play when combined with a healthy diet and exercise.

US research last year also concluded that detox diets do no more than the body's own natural system to get rid of toxins.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/h ... 576574.stm

Published: 2006/01/03 04:01:00 GMT

© BBC MMVI

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

BBC 2 tonight:

Alternative Medicine

Tue 31 Jan, 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm 60mins

Healing

Kathy Sykes investigates the power of healers. She discovers that although there is no evidence that healers have any special powers, their patients do appear to recover. It's a mystery that Kathy only finally solves when she discovers that each of us has a powerful self-healing mechanism, that healers have found a way to manipulate. [AD,S]

Website: http://www.open2.net/alternativemedicine/

 

[ramonmercado]

Folk Remedies Widely Used By Older Adults In North Carolina
02 Mar 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A survey of older adults in rural North Carolina shows that they widely use complementary medicine therapies, but tend to focus on folk or home remedies, such as taking a daily "tonic" of vinegar or using Epsom salts.

"What most people think about as complementary medicine – acupuncture, homeopathy and massage therapy – they aren't using at all," said Thomas Arcury, Ph.D., lead researcher, from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "Their use is largely limited to home remedies, vitamins and minerals."

The goal of the study, which is reported in the March issue of Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, was to learn more about what complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies older adults are using and why.

"We want to understand how people make decisions about managing their health," said Arcury. "If we understand how people are treating themselves, the information can be useful for physicians."

Researchers found that the majority of participants don't use CAM therapies to treat diabetes or other chronic diseases.

"They are using CAM for prevention or for treating symptoms (a headache, a sore throat, a cut) but not for treating a chronic condition," wrote the authors. "CAM use among these rural older adults is largely a form of self-care."

Arcury said it is common to use some of the therapies, such as vinegar or honey, as a general "tonic."

"I've talked to older adults who'll tell you should take two tablespoons of vinegar every day in a glass of warm water because it's good for you," he said. "They aren't treating anything in particular."

The study divided CAM therapies in eight categories to better document which types of therapies are being used. The categories (and examples) are: food home remedies (honey, lemon and garlic), other home remedies (tobacco, Epsom salts, and salves), vitamins (multivitamins, folic acid and vitamin E), minerals (calcium, magnesium and zinc), herbs (gingko biloba, ginseng and Echinacea), popular manufactured products (flax seed, amino acids and glucosamine sulfate), CAM therapies (imagery, biofeedback and energy healing) and CAM practitioners (chiropractor, herbalist and acupuncturist).

More than half of participants used food home remedies (52 percent) and other home remedies (57 percent). Vitamins were used by 45 percent of participants and minerals by 17 percent. Interestingly, only 6 percent of participants used herbs for self-care.

"We have learned over the years that people in this community didn't learn about herbs," said Arcury. "When they were growing up, their grandmothers may have used chamomile tea. But, doctors were coming into these communities, so they weren't home-doctored by their grandmothers and didn't learn about the herbs. However, the use of home remedies has continued here."

Researchers found that ethnicity was the most important personal characteristic in predicting CAM use. African-Americans and Native Americans were 81 percent and 76 percent (respectively) more likely to use food home remedies than whites and more than twice as likely to use other home remedies.

The ELDER (Evaluating Long-term Diabetes Self-management among Elder Rural Adults) study assessed complementary medicine use among 701 rural adults over age 65 with diabetes. Participants were selected from two rural North Carolina counties with a high proportion of ethnic minorities and people living below the poverty level.

Participants were interviewed in their homes about their health and use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Participants were asked if they had used each item for any purpose in the past year and if they had used it specifically for diabetes.

###

The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Co-researchers were Ronny Bell, Ph.D., M.S., Beverly Snively, Ph.D., Shannon Smith, M.A., Lindsay Wetmore, B.A., and Sara Quandt, Ph.D., all from Wake Forest, and Anne Skelly, Ph.D., R.N., from the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Media Contacts: Karen Richardson, [email protected]; or Shannon Koontz, [email protected], at 336-716-4587.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university's School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report.

Contact: Karen Richardson
[email protected]
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... sid=38552#

 

[ramonmercado]

Doctors attack 'bogus' therapies

The letter describes homeopathy as an 'implausible treatment'
Some of Britain's leading doctors have urged NHS trusts to stop using complementary therapies and to pay only for medicine "based on solid evidence". In a letter, reproduced in the Times, they raised concern the NHS is backing "unproven or disproved treatments", like homeopathy.

One doctor said the NHS was funding "bogus" therapies when patients struggled to get drugs like Herceptin.

Prince Charles is to make a speech in Geneva backing complementary therapies.

He will put forward the case for alternative medicine in the fight against serious disease, in a speech to the World Health Assembly.

'Implausible treatment'

The letter, on behalf of 13 people and sent to 476 acute and primary care trusts, is being seen as a direct challenge to the prince's campaign.

The public and the NHS are best served by using the available funds for treatments that are based on solid evidence

Letter to NHS trusts


'I know they work'
Head-to-head

Organised by Michael Baum, emeritus professor of surgery at University College London, the letter said he and fellow doctors believed alternative medicine was being promoted despite a lack of evidence and "at a time when the NHS is under intense pressure".

It criticised two initiatives - a government-funded guide on homeopathy for patients, and the Smallwood report, commissioned by Prince Charles, which suggested greater access to complementary therapies in the NHS might lead to widespread benefits.

The letter described homeopathy as an "implausible treatment for which over a dozen systematic reviews have failed to produce convincing evidence of effectiveness".

The doctors say while "medical practice must remain open to new discoveries", it would "be highly irresponsible to embrace any medicine as though it were a matter of principle".

There is so much anecdotal evidence that thousands of people gain benefit from using complementary medicines

Terry Cullen, British Complementary Medicine Association


Q&A: Complementary therapies
Popular complementary therapies

The letter continues: "The public and the NHS are best served by using the available funds for treatments that are based on solid evidence."

Signatories on the letter include Nobel Prize-winner Sir James Black and Sir Keith Peters, president of the Academy of Medical Science.

Dr Peter Fisher, of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, described the letter as an attempt to introduce a form of "medical apartheid" into the NHS.

Terry Cullen, chairman of the British Complementary Medicine Association, said: "It's very frustrating that senior responsible people dismiss complementary medicine for the sole reason that it doesn't have the definitive scientific proof that other drugs have.

"There is so much anecdotal evidence that thousands of people gain benefit from using complementary medicines. We shouldn't dismiss that."

'Needs evidence'

One signatory to the letter, consultant clinical scientist Leslie Rose, said its purpose was to instil equal vigour in gathering evidence for every treatment prescribed to NHS patients.

"The NHS should not be spending money where the evidence base is much weaker than it is for conventional treatments," he told BBC Breakfast.

He said a business plan for the refurbishment of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital - which cost £20m to set up - did not put any emphasis on evidence.

Complementary therapies also include reflexology, aromatherapy and a range of 'hands on healing' techniques such as reiki and shiatsu.

Prince Charles first advocated the use of complementary medicines more than 20 years ago.

He has since established the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH), which encourages the development of complementary medicines and integrated healthcare.

On Monday the prince had a lesson in crystal therapy while visiting a hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, to see how complementary therapies are helping older people with Alzheimer's and other mental illnesses.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health (DoH) said it was up to clinicians and trusts to decide on the best treatment for a patient.

"We know it is important that as more people turn to these therapies a solid evidence base is developed," she said.

"Patients rightly expect to have clear information about the range of treatments that are available to them, including complementary therapies."

The department said it did not have figures on the amount spent by the NHS on complementary medicines because decisions were taken locally.

About half of GPs are thought to refer patients to alternative therapists.




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5007118.stm

 

[Anonymous]

Well... the prob is this: how much of alternative therapy healing is actually placebo? The answer doesn't matter. If there is a placebo effect then it is worth attempting to use it - the scientific frustration of not being able to accurately predict the placebo of alternative medicines must be frustrating - and the cost is clearly high. I suspect that the wilder claims e.g. crystal healing should be dropped. But some alternatives have, in the last 20 years, grown a strong belief factor e.g. acupuncture, reflexology and thus their social perception is one of efficacy (whether true or not). These should probably be kept.

 

[Mythopoeika]

My friend Jackie used to be a professional reflexologist, Reiki/crystal therapy healer and aromatherapist, and she reckoned she got some really good results with some clients. In particular, she built up a reputation in her area for clearing up cases of tinnitus with reflexology.
She even had a doctor referring patients to her.

She seemed to have some kind of genuine gift (for something) - I had one or two brief Reiki sessions, and a kind of heat suddenly poured out of her hands right at the end. Can't explain that one.

I dunno - I'm not sure one way or the other about some therapies.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that the Royal I know it all authority stance on medicene is silly.

Of course water does not have memory - stands to reason because it has no brain.

Thing is, if you add something to water, then water molocules get knocked about a bit what?

Then the water is affected - and would remain so even if you removed the alien substance (non water, eg, histamine).

If you dilute the water millions of times then there is a chance that a smidgin of that water that was affected still remains affected - not that any of that which was added (non water) would be there at all or that the water would remember it.

All I'm saying is, the imprint would be there by means of default. It was there, ergo it's legacy remains.

Cause and effect - physics right? Mathematics etc.

Is there a well educated FT forum member out there who can tell us about cause and effect and how to work out odds of something by the way?

As for aromatherapy - I think it is largly psychological (smell affects how we feel and can trigger memories etc).

However, I remember hearing that tea tree oil is known to be one of the most powerful natural disinfectants known to mankind - and can kill strains (certain strains) of the common cold and MRSA (whatever the hell that is) - and that Australian Aborigines have known about this for about 3000 years or more.

All of these old fogies saying "No no nonon nonononon non no!" are quite blatently going to die soon, and then the younger generations shall, hopefully, be sufficiently bold enough to prove things to themselves instead of refusing to do so.

Well done to the scourge of homeopathy for trying to prove (unsuccessfully) that homeopathy cannot ever work. She failed - but at least she tried, unlike these irritating old fogies who just say "nonononononononno nooooooo!"

 

[Anonymous]

While I always recommend experimentation into any area, one has to remember NHS budgets. Clearly, western medicine has a higher success rate than alternatives. Indeed, as someone who suffers from occasional bouts of tinnitus I would willingly try any alternative therapy. I have read up on the neurological reasons behind tinnitus (and know that it is not a problem of the ear...apparantly), however, I also 'know' from personal experience that stress brings on my tinnitus - especially when I can't sleep well and thus end up with tight muscles in the neck. So, while I can't not say that reflexology qua reflexology will help, if it helps me relax, then it could certainly reduce the effects of my tinnitus. As I said in my previous post, any effect (placebo or piece of mind etc) that can help should always be considered...but always go with a 'proper' doctor's opinion first.

However, the notion of an imprint on water is interesting. I can't remember the researchers' names, but wasn't there a huge study last year that concluded that imprinting/memory or whatever does not happen (in water).

 

[drbastard]

The problem (I think has been mentioned before) with providing solid proof for alternative therapies is that most of the doses/treatments/combinations of treatments are tailored to the individual rather than in the case of medicine where say, one drug is used at one universal dose throughout. This makes alternative therapies impossible to evaluate scientifically.

I believe in alternative therapies but also see the view of the medics, who have to jump through hoops to get their drugs clinically proven and accepted for use whilst the alternative practitioners are asking for their methods to be judged merely by anecdotal evidence. That is neither fair nor a balanced approach. If people want alternative therapy then they can have it, but perhaps not on the NHS. I think that's fair.

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds remarkably fair.

 

[Graylien]

It would be interesting to know what percentage of subjects taking part in 'regular' drug trials who aren't actually administered the drug exhibit the placebo effect (on average). Then we could compare this to the total percentage of subjects who report improvements during 'alternative medicine' trials.

(There's plenty of raw material on the net, but frankly I don't know how to interpret the statistical jargon properly.)

 

[Anonymous]

Hey grey, if you find the stats I'll tryand turn it into english (and attemt to determine how significant or not any effect it)

 

[Anonymous]

While I always recommend experimentation into any area, one has to remember NHS budgets. Clearly, western medicine has a higher success rate than alternatives.

However, the notion of an imprint on water is interesting. I can't remember the researchers' names, but wasn't there a huge study last year that concluded that imprinting/memory or whatever does not happen (in water).

First - the idea that Western medicenes are more effective than alternative medicenes is made more likely by the fact that in the West at least, Western medicenes are used more than alternative ones. That would help towards the Western medicenes having a higher success rate, what?

(why am I saying 'what?' don't know... :? )

Also, according to the idea of cause and effect (if I understand it correctly, it goes like this; do something and something is affected, and by being affected, it affects something else and so forth. Butterfly in China flaps it's wings etc)...

...water would therefore be affected regardless of an imprint which of course could not be there. It would be affected in a different way wouldn't it? Because it is water.

How is it affected? Ah - now why has nobody asked this?

Fogies are why!

Fogies I say!!

:gaga:

 

[Anonymous]

It would be interesting to know what percentage of subjects taking part in 'regular' drug trials who aren't actually administered the drug exhibit the placebo effect (on average). Then we could compare this to the total percentage of subjects who report improvements during 'alternative medicine' trials.

(There's plenty of raw material on the net, but frankly I don't know how to interpret the statistical jargon properly.)

Hmmmn - and why not use placebos if they work?

Worked in 'House'!

 

[Anonymous]

Placebos are often given. It is just not possible to predict placebo efficacy well.

The water debate involves a number of different factors...will try and find the article about why water cannot have (not my words) the 'imprint' factor re: medicine.

Western medicine is more effective than 'alternative' therapies across the board. Anyone remember the old chinese medicine scam re: skin diseases.....ooooo....they put high does steroids into the mix.

Go traditional western first seems the most reasonable course of action.

 

[Graylien]

Hmmmn - and why not use placebos if they work?

Quite. But do we really need to spend £20 million on a specialist hospital and put hoardes of 'alternative' therapists on the NHS payroll merely to exploit the placebo effect? Surely there must be a simpler and cheaper way of doing it?