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

Certain forms of meditation (e.g. Transcendental Meditation) have strong religious associations and may be part of larger systems of beliefs and practices that patients may not feel is appropriate. For example, Hinduism is the most ancient religion to advocate meditation as a spiritual practice. ‘Mindfulness Meditation’ is an approach which has been developed purely for therapeutic purposes and does not raise such issues.

What is the evidence?

Research into meditation is scarce and often seriously flawed. Truly independent evaluations are rare. Nevertheless, it seems likely that meditation offers many of the benefits associated with relaxation. Some alternative therapists suggest that meditation can have a direct impact on serious conditions, such as cancer, but there is no evidence to support such claims.

Some reports suggest that mental illnesses can be exacerbated through meditation, so patients with such problems should not use it.

Conclusion

Meditation can be relaxing and thus increase wellbeing. In this way it can prove to be useful for many people. In the absence of mental illness, it seems to be a safe form of therapy.

Naturopathy

An approach to healthcare that uses exclusively natural remedies and forces like water, heat or cold to promote self-healing.

Background

This movement began in eighteenth-century Europe, where people such as the priest Sebastian Kneipp preached the value of curing disease with the means that nature has provided. Naturopaths are convinced of nature’s own healing power (vis medicatrix naturae), a gift that all living organisms are believed to possess. In their view, ill-health is the result of disregarding the simple rules of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore much emphasis is put on a good diet, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, etc. Once an illness occurs, naturopaths employ herbs, water cures, massage, heat, cold and other natural means to cure it.

Consulting a naturopath is not fundamentally different from seeing a conventional doctor, inasmuch as a diagnosis will be made by taking the patient’s history and a physical examination. The main difference lies in the nature of the prescriptions. Naturopaths do not prescribe synthetic drugs. Their treatment usually consists of several of the treatments mentioned above plus lifestyle advice. Naturopaths tend to treat chronic benign conditions such as arthritis, allergic conditions and headache.

What is the evidence?

Even though it would be feasible to test the effectiveness of the whole naturopathic approach, such trials are so far not available. However, much of the naturopathic approach is eminently valid (e.g., healthy diet, regular exercise). Similarly, certain herbal remedies are of proven value (see Chapter 5).

On the other hand, naturopathy can carry risks, particularly if it delays a patient with a serious condition from seeking urgent conventional treatment. Indeed, many naturopaths are against mainstream medicine and advise their patients accordingly — for instance, many are not in favour of vaccination. Also, some naturopathic treatments, such as particular herbal remedies, can carry risks.

Conclusion

Many lifestyle recommendations of naturopaths are valuable, but a general judgement about the wide variety of naturopathic treatments is not possible. Each naturopathic treatment must be critically assessed on its own merits, and it is likely to be covered elsewhere in this appendix. For any serious condition, naturopathy should not be seen as an alternative to conventional medicine.

Neural Therapy

The diagnostic and therapeutic approach of using injections with local anaesthetics for the identification of health problems, treatment of diseases and alleviation of symptoms.

Background

The brothers Ferdinand and Walter Huneke were German doctors who practised during the first half of the twentieth century. They made observations regarding the local anaesthetic Novocain which led them to become convinced that injecting this drug around a ‘field of disturbance’ (Störfeld) generates dramatic effects in other parts of the body. This, they postulated, has nothing to do with the pharmacological action of the local anaesthetic, but is mediated through the autonomic nervous system.

One key event, for instance, was when Huneke injected Novocain into the skin around a leg wound of a patient who then was cured of an old shoulder pain within seconds. This type of observation was coined Sekundenphänomen (phenomenon of a cure within seconds).