Trick or Treatment (43 page)

What is the evidence?

The efficacy of mistletoe preparations remains unproven – either for curing cancer or for improving the quality of life of cancer patients. Other elements of the anthroposophical concept are not well researched, and the therapeutic concept as a whole has so far not been rigorously tested.

Mistletoe injections have been associated with a range of adverse effects. The most important risk, however, is that of discarding conventional treatments. For example, anthropospohical doctors tend to advise parents against the immunization of their children, and some cancer patients forfeit conventional treatment for mistletoe extracts.

Conclusion

Anthroposophic medicine is biologically implausible, it has not been shown to be effective, and it is unlikely to work. It can also carry considerable risks.

Aromatherapy

The use of plant essences (‘essential oils’) for treating or preventing illnesses or enhancing wellbeing.

Background

Plant oils have been used in several ancient cultures, but the birth of aroma therapy proper was not until the publication of a book entitled
Aromathérapie
by the French chemist René Gattefosse in 1937. Gattefosse had previously burned his hand while working in his laboratory and immediately immersed it in lavender oil. To his amazement, the wound healed quickly without leaving a scar. This experience prompted him to study the medicinal powers of essential oils.

There are several ways of using essential oils. Most commonly, the diluted oil is applied to the skin via a gentle massage, but the oil can also be added to a bath or diffused in the ambient air. If combined with a massage, aromatherapy is definitely relaxing – but it is unclear whether the effect is caused by the oil, the gentle massage or both. Aromatherapists believe that different essential oils have different specific effects. Therefore therapists individualize these oils according to their patient’s characteristics, symptoms, etc.

A consultation with an aromatherapist can last between one and two hours. The therapist will normally take a brief medical history, possibly conduct a short examination and then proceed by massaging a diluted essential oil into the skin of the patient. This process is relaxing and, for most people, agreeable. Aromatherapy is often advocated for chronic conditions such as anxiety, tension headache and musculoskeletal pain. Aromatherapists usually recommend regular sessions, even in the absence of symptoms, e.g. for preventing recurrences.

What is the evidence?

Some clinical trials confirm the relaxing effects of aromatherapy massage. However, these effects are usually shortlived and therefore of debatable therapeutic value. Some essential oils do seem to have specific effects. For instance, tea tree has antimicrobial properties. However, these are far less reliable than those of conventional antibiotics. The risks of aromatherapy are minimal, such as the possibility that some patients may be allergic to some essential oils.

Conclusion

Aromatherapy has short-term ‘de-stressing’ effects which can contribute to enhanced wellbeing after treatment. There is no evidence that aromatherapy can treat specific diseases.

Ayurvedic Tradition

‘Ayurveda’ means knowledge (veda) of life (āyus). It is one of the ancient Indian systems of healthcare and involves bringing about balance between body and mind.

Background

Ayurveda has been used in India for roughly 5,000 years. It includes individualized herbal remedies, diet, exercise (yoga), spiritual approaches like meditation, massage and other interventions. Health is perceived as a balance of physical, emotional and spiritual energies, and any deviation from health is thought to be caused by an imbalance of these elements. Treatment is aimed at re-establishing the balance through individualized prescriptions, usually of several interventions simultaneously.

Ayurvedic practitioners will take a medical history, examine the patient, diagnose the nature of the imbalance and try to restore balance through their prescriptions. There is much emphasis on lifestyle advice, but Ayurvedic medicine supplements are also prescribed frequently. A consultation might take 30–60 minutes and numerous sessions are usually recommended, often lasting up to a year. All conditions are claimed to be treatable in the Ayurvedic tradition.

What is the evidence?

The whole system of Ayurveda has not been submitted to clinical trials, but elements of it have. The results are mixed. For instance, yoga has proven benefits for cardiovascular health. A recent trial of Indian massage, however, showed no positive effects in stroke patients. Ayurvedic remedies usually contain a multitude of herbal and other compounds. Some encouraging findings exist for conditions like acne, constipation, diabetes, chronic heart failure, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis. However, in none of these cases is the evidence sufficiently strong to warrant a positive recommendation. (The evidence for specific herbal remedies is discussed in Chapter 5.)

Ayurdevic medicines have regularly been implicated for containing substances such as heavy metals. These can either be a contaminant or a deliberate addition – according to Ayurvedic belief, they generate positive medicinal effects if handled properly. In reality, however, heavy metals are highly toxic no matter how they are prepared.

Conclusion

Ayurdevic healthcare is a complex system that cannot be easily evaluated. The current evidence suggests that some of its elements are effective while many others are essentially untested, or overtly dangerous, e.g. many herbal preparations.

Bach Flower Remedies

Highly diluted plant infusions intended to cure emotional imbalances which are thought to be the cause of all human illness.

Background

The concept was developed by Edward Bach, who had worked as a micro biologist at the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital in the early twentieth century. Inspired by the principles of homeopathy, Bach identified thirty-eight flower remedies, each one corresponding to an emotional disturbance such as depression, fear, loneliness or oversensitivity. Administering the correct remedy, he believed, would cure the emotional disturbance and consequently the physical or psychological illness. For example, heather is used to treat self-centredness and honeysuckle is an antidote for those who live in the past. Similarly, wild rose is supposedly helpful in cases of apathy, and vervain treats the opposite problem of over-enthusiasm.

Flower remedies (‘Bach Flower Remedies’ is a brand name) are produced by placing the fresh flowers into spring water. Subsequently brandy is added to make up the actual remedies, which are similar to homeopathic remedies in that both are usually so dilute that no pharmacological action is conceivable. Also both schools claim to work through some sort of ‘energy’ transfer. However, homeopaths are adamant that flower remedies are fundamentally different: succussion (or shaking) is not part of the process of making flower remedies, and their prescription does not follow the ‘like cures like’ principle.

Flower remedies can be bought over the counter, but proponents argue it is best to consult a trained therapist. The therapist would identify the patient’s underlying emotional imbalance, which, in turn, determines the choice of remedy. Flower remedies are also often recommended to healthy individuals with a view to preventing illness.

What is the evidence?

Several rigorous trials of flower remedies are available. None of them shows that this approach is effective beyond placebo in curing disease or alleviating symptoms. As the remedies are highly diluted, adverse effects are not likely.

Conclusion

Flower remedies are based on concepts which contradict current medical knowledge. The trial data fail to demonstrate effects beyond a placebo response. Therefore flower remedies are a waste of money.

Cellular Therapy

The use of human or animal cells or cell extracts for medicinal purposes.

Background

In conventional medicine, organs or cells are sometimes transplanted from one person to another, e.g. bone-marrow transplantations or blood tranfusions. This is entirely different from cellular therapy as used in alternative medicine, sometimes also called ‘live cell therapy’ or ‘cytotherapy’.

In 1931 the Swiss surgeon Paul Niehans had the idea of injecting preparations from animal foetuses into humans for the purpose of rejuvenation. This concept seemed plausible to lay people and many influential individuals who could afford this expensive treatment became Niehan’s patients. When it emerged that Niehan’s
Frischzellen Therapie
(fresh cell therapy) was dangerous – thirty deaths had been reported by 1955 – his preparations were banned in several countries.

Meanwhile several similar cellular treatments had emerged, particularly on the European continent. Examples include ‘Thymus’ therapy (injection of the extracts from the thymus gland of calves) or ‘Ney Tumoin’ (protein extracts from calves or cows) or ‘Polyerga’ (protein extracted from pig spleen) or ‘Factor AF
₂
’ (extract from spleens and livers of newborn sheep). These preparations are usually injected by doctors (non-doctor therapists are not allowed to give injections in most countries) who claim that they have anti-cancer properties, stimulate the immune system or simply regenerate organs or rejuvenate the body in a general sense.

What is the evidence?

Thymus therapy has been extensively researched as a cancer treatment. The totality of this evidence does not show the approach to be effective. Other preparations have either generated similarly negative results or have not been submitted to clinical trials. However, it is known that any treatment that introduces foreign proteins directly into the bloodstream can lead to anaphylactic shock, the most serious type of allergic reaction. If this condition is not treated adequately and immediately, it can result in death.

Conclusion

The seemingly plausible principle of cellular therapy continues to appeal to the rich and super-rich. None of the claims of cellular therapy are, however, supported by scientific evidence, so these treatments are both dangerous and a waste of money.

Chelation Therapy

The infusion of chemical agents which bind to other chemicals into the bloodstream for the purpose of removing toxins and for treating diseases caused by arteriosclerosis.

Background

Chelation therapy started as a branch of conventional medicine to remove heavy metals and other toxins from the body by introducing powerful chemical agents, which bind to the toxins and are subsequently excreted. This conventional form of chelation therapy is indisputably effective and often life-saving. In alternative medicine, chelation therapy is used in very different ways and has two main applications.

First, alternative therapists use chelation to remove toxins, but the source of these toxins is unclear. For example, they may attempt to remove mercury which allegedly leaked from dental fillings or vaccines. There is, however, no evidence to suggest any toxicity from these sources. Thus chelation therapy is employed to fix a non-existing problem.

Second, chelation therapy is used for eliminating calcium ions from the blood, based on the notion that calcium deposits in the arterial wall are responsible for arteriosclerosis which, in turn, is seen as the cause of heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease and other conditions. Consequently, alternative chelation therapists insist that their treatment is helpful for coronary heart disease, stroke prevention, peripheral vascular disease and a range of conditions from arthritis to osteoporosis.

Alternative chelation therapists usually advocate a whole series of treatments. In total, this can cost the patient thousands of pounds.

What is the evidence?

The claims that chelation is effective for coronary heart disease, stroke or peripheral arterial disease is based on outdated scientific theories. Chelation therapy has been tested repeatedly, but these clinical trials fail to demonstrate effectiveness. Serious adverse effects, including deaths due to electrolyte depletion, have been associated with chelation therapy. In 2005 two children, one with autism, suffered cardiac arrest and died after chelation.

Conclusion

Chelation therapy, as used in alternative medicine, is disproven, expensive and dangerous. We urge patients not to use this treatment.

Colonic Irrigation

Use of enemas for ‘cleansing the body’ sometimes herbs, enzymes or coffee are added to the water which is administered via the rectum.

Background

The notion that we are poisoning ourselves with toxic intestinal waste products from ingested food seems plausible to many lay people and is therefore widespread. It forms the basis for a range of alternative approaches which allegedly free the body of such ‘autointoxication’. One of them is colonic irrigation, or colon therapy as it is also called. The popularity of this treatment can be explained through its apparently logical concept and through its continuous promotion by the popular media and certain celebrities.