pseudo-science
I had totally forgotten this amusing little episode: According to THE GUARDIAN, Jacob Rees-Mogg (JRM) once tweeted that I should be locked up in the Tower of London!
If you are not from the UK, you may not know this Member of Parliament. So, let me explain.
JRM is the MP for North East Somerset and currently the ‘Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency’. His personal net worth is estimated to be well over £100 million. I probably don’t need to add much more about JRM; there is plenty about him on the Internet and on social media, for instance, this little gem:
Some of JRM’s medically relevant voting records are revealing:
- He voted against raising welfare benefits five times in 2013.
- He voted against higher benefits over long periods for those unable to work as a result of an illness or disability: 14 votes over 5 years.
- Between 2012-2016, he voted 52 times to reduce the spending on welfare benefits.
- He voted to exempt pubs and clubs where food is not served from the smoking ban in October 2010.
- He voted against a law to make private vehicles smoke-free if a child is present.
- He voted against allowing terminally ill people to be given assistance in ending their lives.
Wikipedia mentions that Rees-Mogg is against abortion in all circumstances, stating: “life begins at the point of conception. With same-sex marriage, that is something that people are doing for themselves. With abortion, that is what people are doing to the unborn child.” In September 2017, he expressed “a great sadness” on hearing about how online retailers had reduced pricing of emergency contraception.
In October 2017, it was reported that Somerset Capital Management, of which Rees-Mogg was a partner, had invested £5m in Kalbe Farma, a company that produces and markets misoprostol pills designed to treat stomach ulcers but widely used in illegal abortions in Indonesia. Rees-Mogg defended the investment by arguing that the company in question “obeys Indonesian law so it’s a legitimate investment and there’s no hypocrisy. The law in Indonesia would satisfy the Vatican”. Several days later, it was reported that the same company also held shares in FDC, a company that sold drugs used as part of legal abortions in India. Somerset Capital Management subsequently sold the shares it had held in FDC. Rees-Mogg said: “I am glad to say it’s a stock that we no longer hold. I would not try to defend investing in companies that did things I believe are morally wrong”.
In a nutshell, JRM seems to stand for pretty much everything that I am against. But that is no reason to send me to the Tower of London. So, what exactly was JRM referring to when he wanted me locked up?
The Guardian article explains: At a press conference to mark his retirement [Ernst] agreed with a Daily Mail reporter’s suggestion that the Prince of Wales is a “snake-oil salesman”. In the living room of his house in Suffolk he unpacks the label with the precision on which he prides himself. “He’s a man, he owns a firm that sells this stuff, and I have no qualms at all defending the notion that a tincture of dandelion and artichoke [Duchy Herbals detox remedy] doesn’t do anything to detoxify your body and therefore it is a snake oil.” Far from regretting the choice of words and the controversy it has generated, he appears to relish it.
Looking back at all this bizarre story, I am surprised that JRM did not advocate chopping my head off in the Tower of London. He must have been in a benevolent mood that day!
Look what I found on Facebook:
Learn how to offer the healing energy of Reiki to yourself, people, and animals while enhancing your animal connection skills!
From daily support for health or challenges during times of crisis, Reiki helps restore balance on physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental levels for all living beings, enabling the body to do what it does best—heal itself. These benefits extend to other people, animals, trees/plants, and self-healing.
Reiki offers so many benefits for animals and for their human caregivers that I call it the gift that keeps on giving!
Reiki also enables students to connect and communicate more deeply with animals. If you think animals like you now, wait until they discover you’ve got Reiki—you’ll become an animal magnet!
For 25+ years Reiki has blessed me, my animal companions, students, and as a teacher I love sharing those benefits with as many people and animals as possible.
AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE
For many years I’ve taught a LIVE personally-mentored 6-week audio class where students learn all the basic skills needed by a beginning Reiki practitioner in addition to foundational principles of energy healing. And you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your home!
TAKEN REIKI BEFORE but don’t feel confident? Students who have retaken Reiki with me share that the weekly calls, opportunities to practice, online community, and opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance have helped them make Reiki a part of their daily lives and feel confident in offering it to loved ones.
REIKI LEVEL 1 CLASS SERIES
August 3 – September 7, 2022
LIVE WEEKLY CALLS and PERSONAL MENTORING
Every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Pacific for six weeks. Each call will be recorded and available for replay for students, including those in other time zones/countries. You do not have to attend live to take this class.
In addition to the 60-90 minute weekly calls, each student receives handouts and personal guidance for practice sessions.
When the class concludes, and all requirements have been fulfilled, each student receives a Reiki Level 1 certificate.
To learn more or register:
AND NOW FOR THE IMPORTANT BIT:
Choose one payment for all six classes. Payment is available with Visa, MC, or PayPal (choose PayPal credit card option for payment with Amex or Discover). PayPal also offers a payment plan option. Confirmation will be sent after registration along with instructions on how to join the first call. If you were unable to register in time to attend the first class live you can very easily catch up with the replay. Final deadline for registration is the day of the second class.
Single Pay Plan: $249.00
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This seems like a good little earner to me!
Congratulations to whoever invented it.
Yet I do feel that something has been forgotten:
the evidence.
If you search for Reiki on Pubmed, you find a baffling array of papers many of which arrive at positive conclusions. If you then check out the primary studies, you realize that most of them are of extremely poor quality, published by members of the Reiki cult (often in 3rd class journals for the nursing professions). If you search for independent systematic reviews that adequately account for the quality of the primary studies, you discover that, in fact, the evidence does not support the notion that Reiki is effective for anything. Here are a few examples:
- There is insufficient evidence to say whether or not Reiki is useful for people over 16 years of age with anxiety or depression or both.
- The serious methodological and reporting limitations of limited existing Reiki studies preclude a definitive conclusion on its effectiveness.
- In total, the trial data for any one condition are scarce and independent replications are not available for each condition. Most trials suffered from methodological flaws such as small sample size, inadequate study design and poor reporting.
And what about Reiki for animals?
As far as I can see, there is no good evidence at all.
So, does this render the above and similar courses fraudulent?
I let you answer this question for yourselves.
Earlier this year, I started the ‘WORST PAPER OF 2022 COMPETITION’. You will ask what is there to win in this competition? I agree: a competition without a prize is no fun. Therefore, I suggest offering the winner (that is the author of the winning paper) one of my books that best fits his/her subject. I am sure this will over-joy him or her. And how do we identify the winner? I suggest that I continue blogging about nominated papers (I hope to identify about 10 in total), and towards the end of the year, I let my readers decide democratically.
In this spirit of democratic voting, let me suggest to you ENTRY No 6:
This study was to ascertain the efficacy of dry cupping therapy (DCT) and optimal cup application time duration for cervical spondylosis (CS). It was designed as a randomized clinical trial involving 45 participants with clinically diagnosed CS. The eligible subjects were randomly allocated into three groups, each having 15 participants. Each of the three groups, i.e., A, B, and C, received DCT daily for 15 days for 8 min, 10 min, and 12 min, respectively. All the participants were evaluated at the baseline, 7th, and 15th day of the trial using the neck disability index (NDI) as well as the visual analog scale (VAS).
The baseline means ± SD of NDI and VAS scores were significantly reduced in all three groups at the end of the trial. Although all three groups were statistically equal in terms of NDI, group C demonstrated greater efficacy in terms of VAS.
The authors concluded that the per-protocol analysis showed that dry cupping effectively alleviated neck pain across all treatment groups. Although this effect on neck disability index was statistically equal in all three groups, the 12-min protocol was more successful in reducing pain.
Who would design such a study and why?
- The authors claim they wanted to ascertain the efficacy of DCT. A trial is for testing, not ascertaining. And this study does certainly not test for efficacy.
- The groups were too small to generate a meaningful result of what, in fact, was an equivalence study.
- Intra-group changes in symptoms between baseline and time points during treatment are irrelevant in a controlled trial.
- The slightly better results of group C are most likely due to chance or non-specific effects (a longer application of a placebo would generate better outcomes that a shorter one).
- The study participants had cervical spondylosis, yet the conclusion is about neck pain. The two are not identical.
- The title of the paper promises that we learn something about the safety of DCT. Sadly, a trial with just 45 patients has no chance in hell to pick up adverse effects in a reliable way.
- As there is no control group, the study cannot tell us anything about possible specific effects of DCT.
The authors of the study have impressive affiliations:
- Department of Ilaj bil Tadbir, Luqman Unani Medical College Hospital and Research Center, Bijapur, India.
- Department of Ilaj bil Tadbir, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru, India.
- Department of Moalajat, Luqman Unani Medical College Hospital and Research Center, Bijapur, India.
I would have hoped that researchers from national institutions and medical colleges should be able to design a trial that has at least a small chance to produce a meaningful finding. As it turns out, my hope was badly disappointed.
HISC (HOMEOPATHY IN THE SUSSEX COMMUNITY) was formed in 2011 and has established effective partnerships with organisations that support those in need. Projects include working with domestic and sexual violence charities as well as supporting people recovering from long-term and enduring mental health illness issues. They enable vulnerable and marginalised members of the Sussex community to access low cost treatment with highly experienced homeopaths.
On 22 July, HISC made the following announcement:
Homeopathy in the Sussex Community (HISC) has been awarded a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to provide homeopathy to survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
HISC works in partnership with Sussex-based organisations; RISE, and Survivors Network, offering long-term and low-cost homeopathic support to women who have experienced abuse and sexual violence.
This grant will fund these projects for the next year, allowing HISC to build on the valuable work already being done and reaching even more vulnerable women who want access to homeopathic support.
Society Fellow Caroline Jurdon and Registered members Michael Bird, Therese Eriksen, Tara Lavelle and Jo Magowan have all worked on the project with colleagues from the wider community. HISC received one of the Society of Homeopath’s Community Clinic awards in 2018.
HISC also offer volunteering and sitting in opportunities for students.
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The ‘National Lottery Community Fund’ make the following points on their website:
- “Our funding is public money. This means that it cannot be used to give organisations an unlawful advantage.”
- “We fund projects that support people and communities across the UK to thrive.”
I would argue that, for the following reasons, the award is misplaced:
- Public money should not be wasted. It must be invested in projects that have a reasonable chance to do more good than harm.
- A broad consensus exists today that homeopathy has no effect beyond placebo. In fact, the NHS has stopped funding homeopathy and states that “there’s been extensive investigation of the effectiveness of homeopathy. There’s no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition.”
- Homeopathy can endanger lives. If people are misled into believing that it is effective and thus treat serious conditions with homeopathy, they needlessly prolong their suffering or, in the worst case scenario, hasten their death. Awards of the above nature can undoubtedly have this effect.
In my view, this means that the award given to HISC by the National Lottery Community Fund gives an unlawful advantage to an organisation promoting a bogus therapy. At best, it is a waste of public funds, at worst it causes serious harm.
Surely, women who have experienced abuse and sexual violence deserve better!
A recent report provided a sales prognosis of the future development of the worldwide market of homeopathic products.
… Homeopathic remedies are derived from substances that come from Plant Homeopathics, minerals, or animals, such as red onion, arnica (mountain herb), crushed whole bees, white arsenic, poison ivy, belladonna (deadly nightshade), and stinging nettle. Homeopathic remedies are often formulated as sugar pellets to be placed under the tongue; they may also be in other forms, such as ointments, gels, drops, creams, and tablets. Treatments are “individualized” or tailored to each person—it is not uncommon for different people with the same condition to receive different treatments.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Homeopathic Products market size is estimated to be worth US$ 854.4 million in 2021 and is forecast to a readjusted size of US$ 1388.8 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period 2022-2028…
Currently, the companies in the world that produce homeopathic products mainly concentrate in Europe, USA and India. The main market players are DHU, Nelson & Co Ltd, Hyland’s, Homeopathic, SBL and Apotheca etc, with about 14% market shares.
Europe homeopathic products is the world’s most flourishing area, homeopathic treatment sales in Europe accounted for 24%, North America area is about 16% of market share…
I feel that the agencies that publish such reports could do with a bit of proper research. This might result in fewer errors and less egg on their faces. Here are a few points that I think might need corrections:
- Homeopathics can also be produced from a complete absence of material, for instance, X-rays or vacuum.
- Some can also be injected.
- I fear that the sales predictions are far too optimistic; they fail to account for the almost worldwide realization that homeopathy is an obsolete placebo therapy.
- The market share of South American nations seems to have been forgotten.
- The worldwide main player is Boiron.
Of course, none of this is important; after all, it’s only one of those meaningless market predictions that seem to be made by looking at tea leaves rather than facts.
Am I too harsh?
I don’t think so, – not least because it is easy to find predictions that differ substantially, e.g.:
- The homeopathy market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.3% from 2020 to 2028
- The global homeopathy market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period, from 2021 to 2030.
- Goldstein Research analyst forecast the Homeopathy Product Market to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% during the forecast period 2016-2024 and attain the revenue of USD 16.2 billion by 2024.
Unimportant? Yes, except that homeopaths and their advocates (like Prince Charles, for instance) are bound to use such documents for claiming that, if millions continue to use homeopathy, it must be effective and science must be wrong. Readers of this blog got used to and can by now see through homeopaths’ fallacies – but far too many consumers still fall for them.
Today, I received an email advertising a book – nothing unusual, of course. But the book and its author are both quite unusual. Here is the text:
Dr. Farokh J. Master’s birth into homeopathy was in the year 1976, when he joined Bombay homeopathic medical college, after giving up his studies at the orthodox school of medicine. Dr Master was instrumental in starting homeopathic out-patient dept in many allopathic hospitals viz. Bombay Hospital, KEM Hospital & Ruby Hall, Pune. Besides his work as a senior Homeopath of the HHC, Dr. Farokh Master is teaching homeopathy (advanced level) at the Mumbai Homeopathic Medical College, part of Mumbai university. He is also teaching at other homeopathic colleges in India and abroad. He has given seminars in various countries like Austria, Australia, India, Japan etc…
Healing Cancer: A Homoeopathic Approach
As a homeopath one should not deter oneself in dealing with any type of cases, be it cancer. But for executing that an ultimate guidance is needed. Cancer is so much prevalent and challenging medical problem of today that a trustworthy source of accurate information becomes pertinent and this work of Dr. Farokh Master immediately propels at the top of quality books for cancer. Based on Master’s 40 years of experience this book was written for students to understand the basis of oncology and for practitioners for brushing-up of their knowledge in this growing discipline. Author says that to get a grasp on cancer cases we should believe in the potential of the homeopathic treatment, that healing from cancer refers to internal process of becoming whole and feeling harmonious with yourself and your environment.To even start with handling the cases of cancer one should be aware of understanding of cancer, its cause, pathophysiology, different types, conventional treatment and their side effects, integrative medicines, social problems in the treatment, such topics are well casted by Volume 1 of the book…• A whole chapter on Cadmium salts and cancer.• 51 “lesser known remedies” are briefly quoted and their usefulness in different situations and types of cancer exposed.• A long chapter deals with the “Indian drugs”, it is important that these remedies are used mostly in tincture or low potencies, as herbal or Ayurvedic remedies or food supplements relieving the patients. • The choice and differentiation between the remedies is then helped by the “Repertory of Cancer”, very well compiled and a highly useful section. “Clinical tips from my practice” given as a sub-chapter. • It ends with recommendations on how to deal with radiation illness and the side-effects of conventional treatment, as well as the treatment of pain and help with palliative care. For fighting and curing cancer and improving the quality and quantity of life of people, knowledge of Homeopathy, both philosophically and scientifically is needed which this work of art portrays delightfully.
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It is clear that Dr. Farokh J. Master does not suggest using homeopathy in addition to conventional cancer therapies. He foremost wants to employ it as an alternative cancer cure. It is also clear that, if his concepts were generally adopted, they could kill millions.
Some defenders of homeopathy might claim that this is not what most homeopaths would advocate; they would merely recommend homeopathy as an adjunct to conventional oncology. Yet, there are many examples to the contrary, and not just from India – after all, Hahnemann, the inventor of homeopathy, insisted that homeopathy must never be combined with ‘allopathic’ medicines.
So, the next time someone claims homeopathy to be harmless, please show them this post.
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) related to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and an important issue of public health worldwide. The cost of long-term healthcare for IHD patients may result in a huge financial burden. This study analyzed the medical expenditure incurred for and survival of IHD patients treated with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and Western medicine.
Subjects were randomly selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The Cox proportional hazards regression model, Kaplan–Meier estimator, logrank test, chi-square test, and analysis of variance were applied. Landmark analysis was used to assess the cumulative incidence of death in IHD patients.
A total of 11,527 users were identified as CHM combined with Western medicine and 11,527 non-CHM users. CHM users incurred a higher medical expenditure for outpatient care within 1 (24,529 NTD versus 18,464 NTD, value <0.0001) and 5 years (95,345 NTD versus 60,367 NTD, value <0.0001). However, CHM users had shorter hospitalizations and lower inpatient medical expenditure (7 days/43,394 NTD in 1 year; 11 days/83,141 NTD in 5 years) than non-CHM users (11 days/72,939 NTD in 1 year; 14 days/107,436 NTD in 5 years).
The CHM group’s adjusted hazard ratio for mortality was 0.41 lower than that of the non-CHM group by Cox proportional hazard models with time-dependent exposure covariates. Danshen, Huang qi, Niu xi, Da huang, and Fu zi were the most commonly prescribed Chinese single herbs; Zhi-Gan-Cao-Tang, Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang, Tian-Wang-Bu-Xin-Dan, Sheng-Mai-San, and Yang-Xin-Tang were the five most frequently prescribed herbal formulas in Taiwan.
The authors concluded that combining Chinese and Western medicine can reduce hospital expenditure and improve survival for IHD patients.
Why, you will ask, do I think that this study deserves to be in the ‘worst paper cometition’?
It is not so bad!
It is an epidemiological case-control study with a large sample size that generates interesting findings.
Agreed!
But, as a case-control study, it cannot establish a causal link between CHM and the outcomes. You might argue that the conclusions avoid doing this – “can … improve survival” is not the same as “does improve survival”. This may be true, yet the title of the article leaves little doubt about the interpretation of the authors:
Chinese Herbal Medicine as an Adjunctive Therapy Improves the Survival Rate of Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
I find it difficult not to view this as a deliberate attempt of the authors, editors, and reviewers to mislead the public.
Looking at the details of the study, it is easy to see that the two groups were different in a whole range of parameters that were measured. More importantly, they most likely differ in a range of variables that were not measured and had significant influence on IHD survival. It stands to reason, for instance, that patients who elected to use CHM in addition to their standard care were more health conscious. They would thus have followed a healthier diet and lifestyle. It would be foolish to claim that such factors do not influence IHD survival.
The fact that the authors fail even to mention this possibility, interpret an association as a causal link, and thus try to mislead us all makes this paper, in my view, a strong contender for my
WORST PAPER OF 2022 COMPETITION
This cohort study was designed as undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of Arsenicum album 30C against COVID-19.
Participants were enrolled in a homeopathy intervention (HI) cohort (who received Arsenicum album) or in a non-intervention (NI) cohort (who received no systematic intervention) from COVID-19 containment areas of Delhi. Individuals of age 5 years or above were given four medicated pills of Arsenicum album 30C, while those from 1 to 5 years old were given two medicated pills in each dose.
The analysis included 10,180 individuals residing in 11 COVID-19 containment areas in Delhi, out of which 6,590 individuals were in the HI cohort and 3,590 individuals were in the NI cohort. The overall protective effect of Arsenicum album 30C was 83% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76.77 to 88.17): 45 cases per 6,590 (8.34 per 10,000 person-weeks) in the Arsenicum album 30C group versus 143 cases per 3,590 (45.01 per 10,000 person-weeks) in the NI cohort. The protective effect of Arsenicum album 30C against laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 was 74% (95% CI, 55.08 to 85.41): 18 cases per 6,590 (3.32 per 10,000 person-weeks) in the Arsenicum album 30C group versus 38 cases per 3,590 (11.85 per 10,000 person-weeks) in the NI cohort.
The authors concluded that the use of Arsenicum album 30C was associated with some protection against probable and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in a containment-zone setting. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm or refute these results.
It is remarkable, I feel, that the authors conclude Arsenicum album 30C was associated with some protection. All too often enthusiasts of homeopathy claim a causal link where there is none – but not this time, and I wonder why.
Unfortunately, I was unable to read the full text of the paper (it’s behind a paywall and I would be grateful for anyone to make it available). Thus, I cannot comment on one of the most crucial questions related to the study: how were the patients divided into the two groups?
It is clear that it was not by randomization. Yet only randomization would have created two fully comparable groups. The most likely explanation for the findings of this trial is therefore that the two groups differed in terms of one or more prognostic factors. This would explain why a group of patients receiving a placebo (Arsenicum album C30 is a dilution of Arsenic at a ratio of 1: 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 and therefore is a pure placebo [unless, of course, one believes in homeopathic magic) experience different outcomes from those receiving nothing.
As I said, the answer can only be found by studying the precise selection criteria used in this study. Until this is cleared up, I can only say three things for sure:
- A causal link between the treatment and the result is highly unlikely.
- It is regrettable that researchers do not use randomization for potentially important trials.
- It seems unethical to encourage placebo use for the prevention of a serious illness.
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UPDATE
I just received the full text from one of the authors. This is what they say about the allocation of the participants:
“Participants were enrolled in two cohorts: the homeopathy intervention (HI) cohort and the non-intervention (NI) cohort. Recruitment to the cohorts was at cluster level (containment area): the clusters were allotted to the HI cohort or the NI cohort as per convenience.”
I am afraid, this tells me very little, and my concerns noted above still apply.
A few other points are of relevance:
- The study was conducted between April and August 2020. This begs the question of why it took 2 years to publish the findings.
- The outcomes were verified via telephone. This means that social desirability might have influenced the results.
- The paper also confirms that there were many important differences between the groups that might have prognostic significance.
- The conclusion at the end of the paper does imply causality in stronger terms than the abstract: “The use of Arsenicum album 30C may help protect against COVID-19 infection. Randomized controlled trials are needed
to confirm or refute our findings.
Guest post by Björn Geir
I have tried to find a form or type of quackery that can be confirmed to have died out and is no longer practised. Once I thought I had found one, but it turns out that phrenology is still “a thing” and is being practised by a few eccentrics.
I am almost convinced by now that any quackery or SCAM, as Professor Ernst has proposed to call it, never dies. Once someone has invented a SCAM, it will live on forever, like the proverbial zombie, neither dead nor properly alive and useful. Even bloodletting, the archetypical reject from the practice of medicine, is still being practised in some corners of this world. Google “Wet cupping” or “Hijama” if you don’t believe me.
The world will have to live with health-related scam and swindle but its popularity can and should be suppressed and held to an acceptable low. If truth and science are promoted and SCAM is vigilantly and constantly opposed, then public trust in it can be held back and even reversed as now has been shown in Norway.
My somewhat abridged translation of an article published on June 30th on the Norwegian state broadcasting services website.
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Norwegians have become much more sceptical towards natural medicine
Fifteen years ago, most Norwegians had faith in natural medicine. Not anymore.
– This is dramatic. A total reversal of opinion, says John Spilling of Ipsos, a company that performs an annual survey of public opinion in Norway. About 3500 people have been interviewed every year since 1985.
The survey, called Norwegian Monitor, has shown that the alternative industry had its heyday in the 80´s and 90´s, at least according to the Norwegian population’s confidence in natural medicine.
On average, eight out of ten thought this kind of therapy and naturopaths could help when ordinary doctors had given up.
But after the turn of the millennium, something started to happen.
The confidence plummeted.
A screenshot from the article showing the representation of the annual Norwegian Monitor survey results for the statement: Naturopaths and natural medicine can often help when ordinary doctors and medicine fall short.
The results are represented as follows:
Black – Impossible to answer
Grey – No answer
Dark red – Totally disagree
Light red – Partially disagree
Dark blue – Partially agree
Light blue – Totally agree
The graph in the article is interactive so you can find the individual rates by hovering over the bars in the article online.
This year only three out of ten fully or partially agree that natural medicine and naturopaths can help. Mr. Spilling is surprised by the magnitude of change, which also has been steadily declining instead of the usual ups and downs seen in so many other areas.
– I see almost no parallels, he says.
The patients stopped coming
The article interviews Ms. Hilde Moldestad. A homeopath since many decades, now retired and leads the Norwegian Homeopathic Patient Association.
Ms. Moldestad marked the decline already while practising.
– The patients stopped coming, because the trends were such that no one was to believe that there was anything good about homeopathy.
She also noted a strongly declining interest within the patient association.
– There are less and less members. People are not so interested in being team members anymore, they want it free online.
Ms. Moldestad is determined that homeopathy works.
– The irony is that the more research that shows that homeopathy works, the stronger the opposition to using the method.
The [Norwegian] National Research Center for Alternative Medicine writes that there is no solid evidence that homeopathic medicines have an effect. And both the Norwegian Medicines Agency and the Norwegian Pharmacists’ Association believe that in practice the pills only contain water and sugar.
– But we are up in a paradigm shift. The damage that has been inflicted on humanity during the period in which school medicine has been allowed to dominate, can no longer be undermined, says Ms. Moldestad in the patient association.The article then interviews Mr. Gunnar Tjomlid, an active Norwegian sceptic who talks about some local background stories of local interest and speculates that perhaps this change correlates with the introduction and distribution of internet access in Norway.
Less use
It is not only the Norwegian Monitor survey that shows a decline for the alternative industry. Every two years, the National Research Center for Alternative Medicine (Nafkam) conducts a survey on, among other things, how often Norwegians visit alternative therapists.
– In 2012, you had just under 40 percent who had been to an alternative therapist. And in December 2020, it was 22 percent. So, there has been a declining trend, says Mr. Ola Lillenes, information director at Nafkam.
At the same time, self-treatment, especially with self-help techniques, has increased.
– Healing and homeopathy are probably among those who have fallen the most through these years.
Education and emotions
Jarle Botnen runs the Bø Institute of Natural Medicine in Telemark. In addition, he is part of the steering group in the association of alternative treatment organizations. Over 1000 therapists are affiliated with this organisation which is named Saborg.
– There is a noticeable decline, that is exactly correct, says Botnen.
He has several theories as to why Norwegians have become more sceptical of natural medicine.
Norwegians have received more education and have less trust in their own feelings.
People are used to simple solutions, such as over-the-counter painkillers. They do not treat the cause of the ailments, which takes more time.
It is difficult to distinguish charlatans from the serious [alternative practitioners]. The industry has also not managed to cooperate well enough, according to Botnen.
The pharmaceutical industry has been lobbying to get more of the market for alternative medicine.
The attitude in the media has changed from being positive to natural medicine to often the opposite.
Small brown glass bottles with homeopathic pills lie in a drawer in a pharmacy.
Sales of homeopathic medicines have declined at the same time as Norwegians have become more sceptical of natural medicine.
– We often hear remarks such as “we trust the authorities”, “the authorities have approved the preparation or treatment”. This is reflected in the consumption of chemical and synthetic medicine, which has increased somewhat formidably during this period, Botnen believes.
John Spilling in Ipsos says it is true that people have great confidence in the public sector. Confidence in hospitals and elderly care has also increased, while the alternative industry has had the opposite development.
– Most of Norway’s population does not trust this type of product. I can only understand that the situation of this industry is very different than in 2001.
End of article————-
These are indeed positive and convincing results. I suspect a similar trend has been happening in most other populations? It would be very interesting to know if a similar trend has been observed elsewhere.
I have previously reported that a Canadian naturopath, Jason Klop, is under investigation for selling fecal Microbiota transplants to treat autistic children. Now, there is a new twist in this story.
On Twitter, J.N. Stea summarized it nicely:
This naturopath is fighting a judge so that he can charge parents about $15,000 to give his nephew’s poop to children as a treatment for autism. His lawyer argues that he should be allowed to since naturopathy isn’t scientific anyway.
Klop’s lawyer defends the naturopath against an investigation into his business of selling fecal microbiota transplants to families of autistic children. The College of Naturopathic Physicians (CoN) had banned Klop for selling, advertising, and manufacturing pills made from human feces claiming that Klop has been engaging in conduct not acceptable for a naturopathic physician. Klop’s lawyer, Jason Gratl, argued this was difficult to prove in a field that has a few restrictions and some ambiguous boundaries.
“What does it take to be a naturopath and do something that is not appropriate in a field so wide-ranging and open to interpretation?” the lawyer, Gratl, asked the court suggesting that the lack of scientific evidence supporting the use of fecal Microbiota Transplants (FMT) to treat autism is not necessarily relevant in this instance.
“Naturopaths can rely on science in certain aspects, but they are not bound to science,” Gratl said. He explained that naturopathic practices could be based on anecdotes and historical knowledge. Later, he pointed out that the field also includes homeopathy, which, some believe, involves magical thinking. It is definitely not scientific in its core.” After describing the case as a “tragedy”, Gratl called the allegations against his client “entirely unverfounded and scurrilous.”
I suspect it is nothing new to most readers, yet I find it gratifying to hear from a lawyer that naturopathy
- is not science,
- relies on anecdote instead of evidence,
- and involves magical thinking.
I do think, however, that despite all this, naturopaths should not be allowed to do any odd nonsense that comes to their minds and fills their bank accounts quickly.
