Trick or Treatment—The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine (Electronic book text)

A study conducted in 1996 by Spokane Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic in America showed that a burning candle does not produce any negative pressure at all, and that the deposit is, in fact, candle wax. Indeed, the same group of researchers also demonstrated that instead of removing ear wax, ear candles leave a deposit of wax in volunteers who, prior to the experiment, had no ear wax.

There is no evidence that candling is effective in the treatment of any of the other conditions mentioned above.

Ear candles are not free of risks: burns, occlusion of the ear canal and perforations of the eardrum are on record. There are also cases of house fires resulting from candling sessions.

Conclusion

Ear candles are based on the absurd idea that this method removes ear wax or toxins from the body; it is not supported by evidence.

Feldenkrais Method

A technique aimed at body and mind integration, based on the notion that correcting poor habits of movement will improve health.

Background

Moshe Feldenkrais (1904–1984) was a physicist and electro-engineer who suffered badly from chronic knee pain. No treatment he tried helped and he thus decided to develop his own cure.

The Feldenkrais method is based on the belief that body and spirit form a fundamental whole. The founder declared, ‘I believe that the unity of mind and body is an objective reality. They are not just parts somehow related to each other, but an inseparable whole while functioning.’ Feldenkrais published his first book outlining his philosophy in 1949 — Body and Mature Behavior: A Study of Anxiety, Sex, Gravitation and Learning.

The therapy is carried out in two steps: during the ‘functional integration’ phase, the practitioner uses touch to demonstrate to the patient techniques that improve breathing and body movement. During the subsequent ‘awareness through movement’ phase, the practitioner teaches the patient to correct so-called false movements.

The aim is to improve everyday functions. According to Feldenkrais, behaviour is not innate, but is merely acquired. False behaviour, he thought, was ‘a groove into which a person sinks never to leave unless some physical force makes him do so’. His treatment, he was convinced, provides that force.

The therapy consists of a series of sessions usually carried out in small groups. Once the lessons are learned, the patient has to practise continuously at home. The conditions treated include musculoskeletal problems, multiple sclerosis and psychosomatic problems.

What is the evidence?

Only about half a dozen rigorous clinical trials are currently available. Their results are far from uniform. Some, but not all, results suggest that the Feldenkrais method is useful for multiple sclerosis patients. For other conditions, the evidence is even less convincing. There are no conceivable serious risks.

Conclusion

The Feldenkrais method is not well researched, and there is currently no compelling evidence that it is effective for any condition.

Feng Shui

The Chinese art of placing objects in accordance with the theory of yin and yang in order to optimize the flow of life energy, which, in turn, is thought to influence health and wellbeing.

Background

Chinese medicine assumes that all health is governed by the flow of energy (Ch’i) and the balance of yin and yang within the body, but these concepts can also be applied to the things that surround us. Feng shui consultants give advice on the position of objects in an office or home. They may, for instance, place a screen in a certain position to make sure that the energy is travelling in the right direction, or they might advise their clients to reposition their beds so that they can benefit from the right energy flow while sleeping.

Feng shui is not biologically plausible, because its basic tenets make no sense in the context of modern science. The benefit some people experience after following the advice of feng shui consultants could be due to expectation and has no physiological basis, nor is it likely to last.

Feng shui consultants do not normally claim to cure diseases, but they say that their work can improve wellbeing and prevent ill-health. Increasingly, feng shui consultants are giving advice on how to deal with the health effects of electromagnetic fields in the home, even though there is no evidence that such fields are harmful. These consultants generally charge considerable amounts of money for their services.

What is the evidence?