medical ethics
The ‘Münster Circle‘ is an informal association of multi-disciplinary experts who critically examine issues in and around so-called alternative medicine (SCAM). We exist since June 2016 and are the result of an initiative by Dr Bettina Schöne-Seifert, Professor and Chair of Professor and Chair of Medical Ethics at the University of Münster.
In the past, we have published several documents which have stimulated discussions on SCAM-related subjects. Yesterday, we have published our ‘MEMORANDUM INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE‘. It is a critical analysis of this subject and will hopefully make some waves in Germany and beyond.
Here is its English summary:
The merging of alternative medicine and conventional medicine has been increasingly referred to as Integrative (or Integrated) Medicine (IM) since the 1990s and has largely replaced other terms in this field. Today, IM is represented at all levels.
IM is often characterised with the thesis of the ‘best of both worlds’. However, there is no generally accepted definition of IM. Common descriptions of IM emphasise:
– the combination of conventional and complementary methods,
– the holistic understanding of medicine,
– the great importance of the doctor-patient relationship,
– the hope for optimal therapeutic success,
– the focus on the patient,
– the high value of experiential knowledge.
On closer inspection, the descriptions of IM show numerous inconsistencies. For example, medicine in the hands of doctors is stressed, but it is also emphasised that all relevant professions would be involved. Scientific evidence is emphasised, but at the same time, it is stressed that IM itself includes homeopathy as well as other unsubstantiated treatments and is only ‘guided’ by evidence, i.e. not really evidence-based. It is claimed that IM is to be understood as ‘complementary to science-based medicine’; however, this implies that IM itself is not science-based.
The ‘best of both worlds’ thesis impresses many. However, if one investigates what is meant by ‘best’, one finds that this term is not interpreted in nearly the same way as in conventional medicine. Many claims of IM are elementary components of all good medicine and thus cannot be counted among the characterising features of IM. Finally, it is hard to ignore the fact that the supporters of IM use it as a pretext to introduce unproven or disproven modalities into conventional medicine. Contrary to promises, IM has no discernible potential to improve medicine; rather, it creates confusion and entails considerable dangers. This cannot be in the interest of patients.
Against this background, it must be demanded that IM is critically scrutinised at all levels.
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The problems for homeopathy in Germany do not seem to stop. Recently, the German health minister announced that he will look at the issue of reimbursement of homeopathy. Now, an article in the Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung (German Journal for Pharmacists) critically discussed the question of the place of homeopathy in German pharmacies. At present, pharmacies are the only places that are allowed to sell homeopathic preparations. This undoubtedly gives them a veneer of respectability; many consumers seem to feel that, if homeopathic preparations are only available in pharmacies, they must be well-tested and effective.
But recently, more and more German pharmacists have been pointing out that homeopathy is ineffective nonsense. A journalist who had listened to the advanced training “Homeopathy Highlights” of the Westphalia-Lippe Chamber of Pharmacists, he subsequently confronted the Chamber with the controversial contents of this advanced training event. The Chamber then declared that it would “no longer offer any refresher seminars on the subject of homeopathy with immediate effect” and that the speaker would also no longer work for it.
And now, the Berlin Chamber of Pharmacists wants the pharmacy community to distance itself from homeopathy as a scientifically recognized and evidence-based drug therapy. With its motion, the Chamber wants to achieve that the title “Naturopathic Medicine and Homeopathy” of the training regulations is replaced by the title “Phytopharmacy and Naturopathy”. The justification states: “The permission to use the title ‘pharmacist for naturopathic treatment and homeopathy’ by the state chambers of pharmacists suggests that homeopathy is a scientifically recognized and evidence-based drug therapy”.
I think it is time that German pharmacists remind themselves that they are more than shopkeepers; they are healthcare professionals who have an ethical duty. I have discussed this issue often enough. If you are interested, here are a few of my posts on this subject:
- Pharmacists must advise customers that homeopathic remedies lack evidence
- “Pharmacists should not sell or dispense homeopathic products”
- German pharmacists fail their customers when advising them on homeopathy
- Pharmacists put themselves at risk by selling homeopathic remedies
- Pro and Contra: should UK community pharmacists sell homeopathic remedies?
- Pharmacists’ responsibilities vis a vis alternative medicine: the violation of healthcare ethics continues.
- It is “disappointing that some pharmacists are still stocking homeopathy products”
- Pharmacists: to sell quackery means you are quacks – or have I got that wrong?
- Pharmacists must use their professional judgement to prevent the supply of homeopathic remedies
It is high time that German pharmacists do the right thing!
Bioenergy (or energy healing) therapies are among the popular alternative treatment options for many diseases, including cancer. Many studies deal with the advantages and disadvantages of bioenergy therapies as an addition to established treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation in the treatment of cancer. However, a systematic overview of this evidence is thus far lacking. For this reason, German authors reviewed and critically examined the evidence to determine what benefits the treatments have for patients.
In June 2022, a systematic search was conducted searching five electronic databases (Embase, Cochrane, PsychInfo, CINAHL and Medline) to find studies concerning the use, effectiveness, and potential harm of bioenergy therapies including the following modalities:
- Reiki,
- Therapeutic Touch,
- Healing Touch,
- Polarity Therapy.
From all 2477 search results, 21 publications with a total of 1375 patients were included in this systematic review. The patients treated with bioenergy therapies were mainly diagnosed with breast cancer. The main outcomes measured were:
- anxiety,
- depression,
- mood,
- fatigue,
- quality of life (QoL),
- comfort,
- well-being,
- neurotoxicity,
- pain,
- nausea.
The studies were predominantly of moderate quality and, for the most part, found no effect. In terms of QoL, pain, and nausea, there were some positive short-term effects of the interventions, but no long-term differences were detectable. The risk of side effects from bioenergy therapies appears to be relatively small.
The authors concluded that considering the methodical limitations of the included studies, studies with high study quality could not find any difference between bioenergy therapies and active (placebo, massage, RRT, yoga, meditation, relaxation training, companionship, friendly visit) and passive control groups (usual care, resting, education). Only studies with a low study quality were able to show significant effects.
Energy healing is as popular as it is implausible. What these ‘healers’ call ‘energy’ is not how it is defined in physics. It is an undefined, imagined entity that exists only in the imagination of its proponents. So why should it have an effect on cancer or any other condition?
My team conducted 2 RCT of energy healing (pain and warts); both failed to show positive effects. And here is what I stated in my recent book about energy healing for any ailment:
Energy healing is an umbrella term for a range of paranormal healing practices. Their common denominator is the belief in a mystical ‘energy’ that can be used for therapeutic purposes.
- Forms of energy healing have existed in many ancient cultures. The ‘New Age’ movement has brought about a revival of these ideas, and today energy healing systems are amongst the most popular alternative therapies in the US as well as in many other countries. Popular forms of energy healing include those listed above. Each of these are discussed and referenced in separate chapters of this book.
- Energy healing relies on the esoteric belief in some form of ‘energy’ which is distinct from the concept of energy understood in physics and refers to some life force such as chi in Traditional Chinese Medicine, or prana in Ayurvedic medicine.
- Some proponents employ terminology from quantum physics and other ‘cutting-edge’ science to give their treatments a scientific flair which, upon closer scrutiny, turns out to be but a veneer of pseudo-science.
- The ‘energy’ that energy healers refer to is not measurable and lacks biological plausibility.
- Considering its implausibility, energy healing has attracted a surprisingly high level of research activity. Its findings are discussed in the respective chapters of each of the specific forms of energy healing.
- Generally speaking, the methodologically best trials of energy healing fail to demonstrate that it generates effects beyond placebo.
- Even though energy healing is per se harmless, it can do untold damage, not least because it significantly undermines rational thought in our societies.
As you can see, I do not entirely agree with my German friends on the issue of harm. I think energy healing is potentially dangerous and should be discouraged.
As mentioned previously, Nikil Mukerji and I recently published a paper entitled WHY HOMOEOPATHY IS PSEUDOSCIENCE (Synthese (2022) 200:394). Here is its abstract:
Homoeopathy is commonly recognised as pseudoscience. However, there is, to date, no systematic discussion that seeks to establish this view. In this paper, we try to fill this gap. We explain the nature of homoeopathy, discuss the notion of pseudoscience, and provide illustrative examples from the literature indicating why homoeopathy fits the
bill. Our argument contains a conceptual and an empirical part.
In the conceptual part, we introduce the premise that a doctrine qualifies as a pseudoscience if, firstly, its proponents claim scientific standing for it and, secondly, if they produce bullshit to defend it, such that, unlike science, it cannot be viewed as the most reliable knowledge on its topic. In the empirical part, we provide evidence that homoeopathy fulfils both criteria. The first is quickly established since homoeopaths often explicitly claim scientificity.
To establish the second, we dive into the pseudo-academic literature on homoeopathy to provide evidence of bullshit in the arguments of homoeopaths. Specifically, we show that they make bizarre ontological claims incompatible with natural science, illegitimately shift the burden of proof to sceptics, and mischaracterise, cherry-pick, and misreport the evidence. Furthermore, we demonstrate that they reject essential parts of established scientific methodology and use epistemically unfair strategies to immunize their doctrine against recalcitrant evidence.
To my BIG surprise, it impressed Karl Lauterbach, the German health minister, who even tweeted favorably about it.
Prof. Karl Lauterbach @Karl_Lauterbach
Diese Studie von zwei ausgewiesenen Experten zum Thema #Homöopathie ist lesenswert. Zeigt noch einmal sehr klar: eine gefährliche Pseudowissenschaft.
(This paper on homeopathy by two renowned experts is worth reading. It shows once again very clearly: a dangerous pseudoscience)
Yesterday, it was reported that Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to put the financing of homeopathic treatments by statutory health insurers to the test. “Although homeopathy is not significant in expenditure volume, it has no place in a science-based health policy,” Lauterbach told SPIEGEL. “That is why we will examine whether homeopathy can be removed as a statutory benefit.”
In addition to their standard statutory benefits, the health insurance funds offer so-called statutory benefits, which they use to attract customers. Many health insurers also offer homeopathic medicines, although there is no scientific evidence for their effectiveness beyond the placebo effect.
Lauterbach had repeatedly and sharply criticized this funding system as a member of the Bundestag. In 2019, he called for health insurers to be banned from co-financing homeopathy. Since his appointment to Minister of Health, however, Lauterbach has so far kept a low profile in this direction.
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WATCH THIS SPACE!
I recently came across the ‘Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy’.
Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy?
Really?
I know what osteopathy is but what exactly is a ‘cranial college’?
Perhaps they mean ‘Sutherland College of Cranial Osteopathy’?
Anyway, they explain on their website that:
Cranial Osteopathy uses the same osteopathic principles that were described by Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of Osteopathy. Cranial osteopaths develop a very highly developed sense of palpation that enables them to feel subtle movements and imbalances in body tissues and to very gently support the body to release and re-balance itself. Treatment is so gentle that often patients are quite unaware that anything is happening. But the results of this subtle treatment can be dramatic, and it can benefit whole body health.
Sounds good?
I am sure you are now keen to become an expert in cranial osteopathy. The good news is that the college offers a course where this can be achieved in just 2 days! Here are the details:
This will be a spacious exploration of the nervous system. Neurological dysfunction and conditions feature greatly in our clinical work and this is especially the case in paediatric practice. The focus of this course is how to approach the nervous system in a fundamental way with reference to both current and historical ideas of neurological function. The following areas will be considered:
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- Attaining stillness and grounding during palpation of the nervous system. It is within stillness that potency resides and when the treatment happens. The placement of attention.
- The pineal and its relationship to the tent, the pineal shift.
- The relations of the clivus and the central importance of the SBS, How do we assess and treat compression?
- The electromagnetic field and potency.
- The suspension of the cord within the spinal canal, the cervical and lumbar expansions.
- Listening posts for the central autonomic network.
Hawkwood College accommodation
Please be aware that accommodation at Hawkwood will be in shared rooms (single sex). Some single rooms are available on a first-come-first-served basis and will carry a supplement. Requesting a single room is not a guarantee that one will be provided.
£390.00 – £490.00
29 – 30 APRIL 2023 STROUD, UK
This will be a spacious exploration of the nervous system. Neurological dysfunction and conditions feature greatly in our clinical work and this is especially the case in pediatric practice.
_________________________
You see, not even expensive!
Go for it!!!
Oh, I see, you want to know what evidence there is that cranial osteopathy does more good than harm?
Right! Here is what I wrote in my recent book about it:
Craniosacral therapy (or craniosacral osteopathy) is a manual treatment developed by the US osteopath William Sutherland (1873–1953) and further refined by the US osteopath John Upledger (1932–2012) in the 1970s. The treatment consists of gentle touch and palpation of the synarthrodial joints of the skull and sacrum. Practitioners believe that these joints allow enough movement to regulate the pulsation of the cerebrospinal fluid which, in turn, improves what they call ‘primary respiration’. The notion of ‘primary respiration’ is based on the following 5 assumptions:
- inherent motility of the central nervous system
- fluctuation of the cerebrospinal fluid
- mobility of the intracranial and intraspinal dural membranes
- mobility of the cranial bones
- involuntary motion of the sacral bones.
A further assumption is that palpation of the cranium can detect a rhythmic movement of the cranial bones. Gentle pressure is used by the therapist to manipulate the cranial bones to achieve a therapeutic result. The degree of mobility and compliance of the cranial bones is minimal, and therefore, most of these assumptions lack plausibility.
The therapeutic claims made for craniosacral therapy are not supported by sound evidence. A systematic review of all 6 trials of craniosacral therapy concluded that “the notion that CST is associated with more than non‐specific effects is not based on evidence from rigorous RCTs.” Some studies seem to indicate otherwise, but they are of lamentable methodological quality and thus not reliable.
Being such a gentle treatment, craniosacral therapy is particularly popular for infants. But here too, the evidence fails to show effectiveness. A study concluded that “healthy preterm infants undergoing an intervention with craniosacral therapy showed no significant changes in general movements compared to preterm infants without intervention.”
The costs for craniosacral therapy are usually modest but, if the treatment is employed regularly, they can be substantial.
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As the college states “often patients are quite unaware that anything is happening”. Is it because nothing is happening? According to the evidence, the answer is YES.
So, on second thought, maybe you give the above course a miss?
Pancoast tumors, also called superior sulcus tumors, are a rare type of cancer affecting the lung apex. These tumors can spread to the brachial plexus and spine and present with symptoms that appear to be of musculoskeletal origin. Patients with an advanced Pancoast tumor may thus feel intense, constant, or radiating pain in their arms, around their chest wall, between their shoulder blades, or traveling into their upper back or armpit. In addition, a Pancoast tumor may cause the following symptoms:
- Swelling in the upper arm
- Chest tightness
- Weakness or loss of coordination in the hand muscles
- Numbness or tingling sensations in the hand
- Loss of muscle tissue in the arm or hand
- Fatigue
- Unexplained weight loss
This case report details the story of a 59-year-old Asian man who presented to a chiropractor in Hong Kong with a 1-month history of neck and shoulder pain and numbness. His symptoms had been treated unsuccessfully with exercise, medications, and acupuncture. He had a history of tuberculosis currently treated with antibiotics and a 50-pack-year history of smoking.
Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a small cervical disc herniation thought to correspond with radicular symptoms. However, when the patient did not respond to a brief trial of chiropractic treatment, the chiropractor referred the patient back to the chest hospital for further testing, which confirmed the diagnosis of a Pancoast tumor. The patient was then referred for medical care and received radiotherapy and chemotherapy. At 2 months’ follow-up, the patient noted feeling lighter with less severe neck and shoulder pain and numbness. He also reported that he could sleep longer but still had severe pain upon waking for 2–3 hours, which subsided through the day.
A literature review identified six previously published cases in which a patient presented to a chiropractor with an undiagnosed Pancoast tumor. All patients had shoulder, spine, and/or upper extremity pain.
The authors concluded that patients with a previously undiagnosed Pancoast tumor can present to chiropractors given that these tumors may invade the brachial plexus and spine, causing shoulder, spine, and/or upper extremity pain. Chiropractors should be aware of the clinical features and risk factors of Pancoast tumors to readily identify them and refer such patients for medical care.
This is an important case report, in my view. It demonstrates that symptoms treated by chiropractors, osteopaths, and physiotherapists on a daily basis can easily be diagnosed wrongly. It also shows how vital it is that the therapist reacts responsibly to the fact that his/her treatments are unsuccessful. Far too often, the therapist has an undeniable conflict of interest and will say: “Give it more time, and, in my experience, symptoms will respond.”
The chiropractor in this story was brilliant and did the unusual thing of not continuing to treat his patient. However, I do wonder: might he be the exception rather than the rule?
This randomized clinical trial (RCT) tested whether acupuncture is effective for the prevention of chronic tension-type headaches (CTTH). The researchers recruited 218 participants who were diagnosed with CTTH.
- The participants in the intervention group received 20 sessions of true acupuncture (TA group) over 8 weeks. The acupuncture treatments were standardized across participants, and each acupuncture site was needled to achieve deqi sensation. Each treatment session lasted 30 minutes.
- The participants in the control group received the same sessions and treatment frequency of superficial acupuncture (SA group)—defined as a type of sham control by avoiding deqi sensation at each acupuncture site.
The main outcome measure was the responder rate at 16 weeks after randomization. Followed-up was 32 weeks. A responder was defined as a participant who reported at least a 50% reduction in the monthly number of headache days (MHDs).
The responder rate was 68.2% in the TA group (n=110) versus 48.1% in the SA group (n=108) at week 16 (odds ratio, 2.65; 95%CI, 1.5 to 4.77; p<0.001); and 68.2% in the TA group versus 50% in the SA group at week 32 (odds ratio, 2.4; 95%CI, 1.36 to 4.3; p<0.001). The reduction in MHDs was 13.1±9.8 days in the TA group versus 8.8±9.6 days in the SA group at week 16 (mean difference, 4.3 days; 95%CI, 2.0 to 6.5; p<0.001), and the reduction was 14±10.5 days in the TA group versus 9.5±9.3 days in the SA group at week 32 (mean difference, 4.5 days; 95%CI, 2.1 to 6.8; p<0.001). Four mild adverse events were reported; three in the TA group versus one in the SA group.
The authors concluded that the 8-week TA treatment was effective for the prophylaxis of CTTH. Further studies might focus on the cost-effectiveness of the treatment.
“Our study showed that deqi sensation could enhance the effect of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic TTH, and the effect of acupuncture lasted at least 6 months when the treatment was stopped,” said co-investigator Ying Li, MD, PhD, The Third Hospital/Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Why am I not convinced?
Assuming that all the findings are correctly reported, the study does not at all show that the treatment was effective. It merely demonstrates that those patients who knew that were receiving TA told the researcher that they improved more than those who knew they has sham acupuncture. The difference in outcomes is not in the least surprising: patients’ knowledge of having had the verum leads to a placebo effect and to social desirability (patients giving the researchers positive responses simply because they were thankful for being looked after). Patients’ knowledge of having had the sham treatment leads to disappointment and thus worse outcomes.
But this is not the only reason why I am skeptical about this study. The authors claim they achieved deqi at every treatment. That is 20 treatments in 110 patients or 2 200 deqis! I think someone might be telling porkies here. Deqi cannot reliably be elicited on every single occasion. I, therefore, feel that perhaps the authors of this trial were a bit more than generous when writing up their study, and I am reminded of the recent report claiming that more than 80% of clinical trial data from China are fabricated.
WHAT?
Biblical naturopathy?
Yes, it is not a hoax; it does exist!
It’s another so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) that is new to me.
This website explains what it is all about:
The Biblical Naturopathic Philosophy is based on the following principles:
Do no harm
God has designed the body to be self-healing
Recognize the healing power of nature as designed by God
Recognize the supernatural healing power of God
The natural and supernatural work together
God has made provision for recovery of sickness
Identify the cause and source
Involve the total person (body, soul, spirit)
Support the body rather than treat symptoms
Health is maintained through Biblical patterns and principles
What do we believe?
We believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1-20).
We believe God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. (Gen. 1; John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:3).
We believe Jesus is both Lord and Christ, to the glory of God the Father. (Acts 1:9-11; 2:36; Phil. 2:9-11).
We believe that whosoever will confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart God raised Him from the dead shall be saved. (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:21; 1 John 1:12).
We believe that the Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus to indwell, empower, teach, guide and comfort believers. (Luke 12:12; Rom. 8-11; John 16:13; Acts 1:7-8, 9:31).
We believe that the Lord Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection from the dead provided for the healing of the spirit, soul, and bodies of all peoples.
We believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ, who will come to rule as King upon the earth with the saints. (Acts 1:9-11; 1Thess. 4:13-5:2; Rev. 19:11-21, 22:20).
And this is what they offer in terms of coursework:
COUNSELING
CNS101 Christian Counseling
Covers ethics, foundations of faith, makeup of man, motivational gifts and personality, Faith-Based Therapy™, leading someone into salvation, identity / position / purpose / significance in Christ, scriptural concordance, basics of counseling, opening a counseling center, recognizing mental illness, initial forms and assessments, value of nutrition, and legal issues.
CNS102 Advanced Christian Counseling
Covers stress, co-dependency, self-esteem, anger, forgiveness, premarital and marriage counseling, divorce, family issues, blended families, depression, suicide, grief / loss, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, sexual abuse, sexual addictions, and reality disassociation.
CNS103 Drug & Alcohol Recovery (GOD14®)
Provides an overview of drug and alcohol education, sin and disease of alcoholism, identifying the addict, AA and NA, scriptural steps, relapse and enabling, family dynamics, steps to breaking physical and psychological addiction, prescription drugs, screening, neurotransmitters, chemistry rebalancing, recovery flowchart, detox categories, and forms and assessments.
BIBLICAL
BIB210 Ministerial Ethics
All ministers should hold themselves above reproach. This course will challenge as well as encourage spiritual ethics beyond a secular view.
BIB220 Ecclesiastical Ordinances
This course outlines the duties required of ministers such as baptism, funerals, weddings, etc. The course is designed to prepare the licensed or ordained minister to structure and carry out ministerial duties.
BIB230 Doctrinal Foundations
The foundations of the Christian faith are scripturally established. Every minister should be able to give an account of what they believe and why. This course is designed to assist rather than to indoctrinate.
BIB270 Biblical Naturopathy
What is a Biblical naturopathic doctor; Biblical philosophy of healing; Creation and makeup of man; Scriptural principles for understanding and restoring health; Causes of disease; Things that block healing; History of naturopathy; Naturopathic tenets / axioms; Forefathers of health and healing; The mind & heart of God – It is God who heals; Health in America; Introduction to the techniques of health evaluation; Introduction to the healing modalities; Genetics, predispositions, generational curses; Biblical examples of natural healing; Physical to spiritual analogies; Foods of the Bible; Emotions and organs.
BIB280 Understanding & Improving Health
Health in America, History of Nutrition; Water and Sunshine; What is Protein?; What are Carbohydrates?; What are Fats, Oils, and Fatty Acids?; Issues with Sugar, Milk, Soy, MSG, Aspartame, and Genetically Modified Foods; Dietary Guidelines; Diets and Dieting; and Nutritional Deficiencies; Exercise; Biblical Principles and Perspectives; Confronting Sickness and Disease; Practical Support.
BIB290 How to Pray for Healing
Understanding who we are in Christ; The authority of the believer; The role of faith in prayer; The benefit of confession; Praying for guidance; How to pray for physical healing; Praying for Inner Healing; A balanced approach to understanding deliverance; Understanding spiritual warfare.
BIB300 Biblical Freedom Techniques
Forgiveness; Generational curses; Demonic influences; Demonic influences for sickness; Evil spirits as a cause of sickness; Biblical examples; Types of spirits; Strongholds; How do you know?; How to remove evil spirits; Inner healing.
DIET AND GENERAL WELLNESS
DGW310 Biblical Eating
Biblically speaking, are there certain foods best not eaten? What does the Bible have to say about diet and why? God has said plenty about the diet best suited for His creation.
DGW320 Biblical Health Principles
Times have changed, but the Bible and its principles have not. Learn basic principles that can be applied for maintaining health while understanding some of the changes to our foods. Have we become addicted to certain foods? This course teaches how to have a healthy diet and live healthy in a not-so-healthy world.
DGW330 Wellness with Weight Loss
For many, losing weight is a never-ending struggle — especially since our bodies are designed to keep weight on at all costs; it’s a matter of survival. But a medical revolution is under way, showing us how to work with our bodies instead of against them to ignite the natural fat-burning furnaces that lie dormant within us. Drawing on the cutting-edge science of nutrigenomics — how food talks to our genes — Dr. Mark Hyman has created a way of losing weight by eating the right foods, which in turn sends the right messages to our bodies. In this easy-to-follow eight-week plan based on each individual’s unique genetic needs, Dr. Hyman explains how to customize your personal weight-loss program with menus, recipes, shopping lists, and recommendations for supplements and exercise. Ultimately, you will rebalance and stabilize your metabolism — an UltraMetabolism — to maintain weight loss and enjoy lifelong health.
NUTRITION
NUT410 Digestion & Enzymes
Digestion Enzyme therapy is an emerging successful alternative for restoring health. Learn the basics of digestion along with how enzymes work and the benefits to immune function, pain reduction, mood stabilization, and mental clarity, and more. Discover the inexpensive yet highly effective digestive enzymes needed to restore digestive, neurological, and behavioral health.
NUT420 Nutrition 1
This is a comprehensive course that will guide you to achieve and maintain a high level of health and fitness through careful dietary planning and nutritional supplements. The elements of health are discussed along with recommendations for a multitude of conditions. This course is also a guide to various alternative remedies and therapies.
NUT430 Nutrition 2
This course provides a thorough resource and reference to natural supplements, herbs, and homeopathic remedies as well as relating them to all the major ailments and health conditions. The information is thoroughly documented by scientific data and research.
NUT435 Biblical Eating and Clinical Nutrition
What is food?; Protein, fats, carbohydrates; Foods of today; Biblical foods and diets; Food sources of vitamins and minerals; Vitamins and deficiency symptoms; Minerals and deficiency symptoms; Amino acids; Enzymes; Neutraceuticals; Synthetic verses whole food vitamins; Nutritional deficiencies as a cause of diseases; Diets and individualism; Nutrition deficiency questionnaire; Therapeutic clinical nutrition
NUT440 Emotional Biochemistry
Learn how to screen for emotional and behavioral symptoms. Recognize the mental and physical clues that indicate biochemical imbalances, particularly in the brain. This course teaches natural ways of dealing with physiological causes of depression, anxiety, paranoia, anger, emotional instability, and addictions to prescription and non-prescription drugs.
NUT450 Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis
This course teaches more than just knowing the levels of good and toxic minerals in the body from hair tissue analysis. How do you balance the levels and what do the ratios mean? Hair analysis can also reveal immune system problems, emotional trends, cellular energy levels, glucose intolerance, kidney and liver stress, adrenal and thyroid activity and more.
BOTANICAL
BOT510 Herbs of the Bible
What herbs were used in Bible times? The herbs of the Bible are reviewed in light of their past and present uses. Precautions are also explained.
BOT520 Herbal Pharmacy
This is a comprehensive course reviewing the best herbs for healing, including complete herb forms, benefits, parts used, side effects, dosages and remedies for hundreds of ailments.
BOT530 Nutritional Herbology
This course teaches the nutritional components of herbs and how to determine an herb’s medicinal property. You will also learn the active chemical(s) behind an herb’s use that makes it effective. Classification of herbs and which herbs are commonly used for certain body systems is covered.
BOT540 Way of Herbs
This course blends the Eastern, European, and American Indian herbal healing traditions. Learn the three functions of herbs and the eight traditional methods of herbal therapy. Included are detailed descriptions and dosages of over 140 western herbs and 31 Chinese herbs.
BOT550 Herbals Systems
This course covers the Chinese and Ayurvedic classification of herbs and foods, and the classification of over 400 medicinal herbs available in the west, according to properties and actions. The preparation and processing of herbs is also covered.
BOT555 Leaves of the Tree (Revelation 22:2) Herbology
Comprehensive course covering the use of herbs; herb forms, benefits, parts used, side effects, dosages and recommendations for ailments; Classification of herbs and which herbs are commonly used for certain body systems.
BOT560 Aromatherapy
Science is now confirming that essential oils have healing properties for most physical and emotional conditions. This course is a hands-on guide to the understanding and use of essential oils.
ALTERNATIVE OR ANALYTICAL STUDIES
AAS610 Biblical Strategies
Is there a spiritual strategy for overcoming sickness? What choices are available when faced with terminal illnesses? This course reveals traditional as well as non-traditional natural strategies for defeating sickness and regaining health, particularly if facing death.
AAS620 Parasitology
How prevalent are parasites? What tests are available to determine if you have parasites? What role do they play in allergies, fatigue, bowel disorders, and immune function? What are the latest drugs, treatment, and herbal remedies?
AAS630 Energetic Testing
This course is a basic guide to bio-kinesiology and nutritional therapy using muscle response testing. Learn antidotal therapies using vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, and homeopathic remedies.
AAS645 The Lamp of the Body 1 (Matt. 6:22) Sclerology (Basic and advanced)
Sclerology is easy to learn. Sclerology is the study of the red lines in the white of the eyes and how they relate to stress-patterns in a person’s health. What is a person’s predisposition to disease? What is the hidden cause of symptoms? What will the health challenges be five years from now? The lines in the sclera change as health conditions change. Thus Sclerology is an excellent way to confirm that a natural therapy is working. Are cold hands and feet a circulatory, thyroid, constitutional-vitality, or immunological problem? What is the key to losing weight? Is it glucose metabolism, the endocrine glands, the liver, or an allergy pattern? Is chronic fatigue attributed to a chronic infection, a weak endocrine system (thyroid/adrenals), an exhausted immune system, a liver weakness? The answer is reflected in the sclera!
AAS655 The Lamp of the Body 2 (Matt. 6:22) Iridology (Basic and advanced)
Anatomy & Physiology of the Eye; Topography/mapping; Physical Integrity Evaluation; Color Constitutional Types & Subtypes; Specific Iris Structure Irregularities; Specific Iris Pigmentation Irregularities; Misc. Signs; Collarets Signs; Syndromes; Sclera & Conjunctiva Signs; Deviation in Contraction Furrows; Exceptions to the Rules; Case Studies; Combination of Signs; Introduction to Time Risk; Iridology practice suggestions.
AAS665 The Body Electric (Genesis 2:7) – Energetic Response Testing
Our bodies, made from the dust of the earth, are very electric. Using electro-magnetic principles it is possible to determine which areas of the body are stressed and what nutrients are needed. Step-by-step hands-on training is provided in how to use and integrate Energetic Response Testing. – Brief History; Preliminaries Before Testing; The Arm Technique; Ways of Verifying a Weak Response; Why Does it Work?; Twelve Things That Can Block the Body’s Ability to Heal; Terms and Techniques; Correcting “Reversed Polarity”; Correcting “Switching”; Correcting “Blocked Regulation”; Response Testing Points (organs, glands, systems, nutritional).
AAS670 Serum Blood Analysis
This course presents an analytical system of blood chemistry and CBC analysis that focuses on physiological function as a marker of health. Optimal values are presented that increase our ability to detect dysfunction long before disease manifests. This course covers an in-depth coverage of 52 blood tests, 62 patterns of functional disorders, and 11 nutrient deficiencies, as well as correlating non-invasive in-office functional tests.
AAS685 Functional Analysis
Functional testing without labs: pH, tongue, fingernails, face, and body signs; Functional testing with laboratory assessments: hair, blood, urine, saliva, neurotransmitters, and hormones; Heavy metals; Food sensitivities; Strategies and applications.
NATUROPATHIC
NAT710 Naturopathic Heritage and Future
This course is the primer on principles and practice of naturopathy. It covers the history of naturopathy, its philosophy, the laws of disease and cure, and explains the modalities used by naturopaths.
NAT720 Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a natural, safe, inexpensive, and highly effective complement to any modality as well as to conventional medicine. You will learn the laws of homeopathy, how to assess illness, identify clues that point to the right remedy, individualize the remedy, and how to know when medical treatment is required.
NAT730 Detoxification
We live in a toxic world. This course outlines the steps needed to thoroughly detoxify and cleanse your body through fasting, juicing, oxygen therapy, exercise, heat therapy, colon cleansing, kidney cleansing, liver cleansing, and herbal detoxification.
NAT735 Cleansing the Temple
Why detox?; A cause of disease; Elimination organs/channels; Levels of detoxification; Lymph system; Fasting/exercise; Detox side effects; Avoiding a healing crisis; Foods to assist/avoid; Heavy metals; Pathogens; Infrared sauna; Ionic foot baths; Coffee enemas.
NAT740 Anatomy
Illustrated with detailed colored drawings, this course is a road map to the human body. With descriptive text, this course will educate you about the position and basic functions of all the organs and systems of the body.
NAT750 Functional Anatomy
An advanced level of anatomy is presented with more detailed information of the organs and bodily systems. With 210 color illustrations depicting all organs and systems, this course covers basic principles with special emphases on function.
NAT755 Fearfully and Wonderfully Made – Anatomy and Physiology
Basic anatomy and physiology; Understanding the Pathology of sickness and disease, Common disease conditions (this course meets the requirements for certification with International Iridology Practitioner’s Association).
NAT760 Reflexology
Reflexology is a unique system of foot massage, which can treat and prevent a wide variety of ailments. This course covers the history of reflexology, interpreting the feet, basic techniques, the treatment sequence, and an understanding of the meridian system.
NAT770 Naturopathic Jurisprudence
This course covers the legal guidelines for unlicensed practitioners. Learn what your rights are, what the constitution has to say, and what to do if legal disputes arise. Some topics included are insurance, licensing verses certification, correct and incorrect usage of words, and legal consent and disclaimer forms.
NAT775 Establishing a Naturopathic Ministry
Starting a practice; Setting up a business; Operating as a ministry; Legalities; Ethics; Referrals; Evaluation forms; Assessments; Record keeping; Accounting and inventory; Taxes; Advertising; Vendors; Equipment; Business management, Practice management, Introduction to flower essences, Introduction to homeopathy, Introduction to essential oils, Conducting an evaluation, Disorders, Therapeutic Applications, Unusual conditions.
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Chad Hayes who has studied the subject in some detail has published an excellent article about Biblical Naturopathy which is well-worth reading. Here are his conclusions:
So what is biblical naturopathic medicine? It’s untrained, unqualified, unlicensed practitioners that believe their religion makes them immune from government oversight. It’s people that think two individuals signing a contract to call something what it’s not prevents them from being subject to laws designed to keep people safe. It’s delusional people that don’t want to be held accountable for the things they do, doing things they shouldn’t. It’s people that are so arrogant to think that their holy book, written thousands of years before we discovered germ theory, during a time when seizures and schizophrenia were attributed to demonic possession, by authors that never intended for it to be used as a medical text, gives them superior knowledge to those of us who respect our patients enough to spend years actually studying medicine and who are willing to be held accountable for our actions. It’s biblical literalists that disingenuously omit the abortion potion recipe provided by the LORD in Numbers 52 from their biblical naturopathy curriculum, while voting for legislators who put the lives of their constituents at risk by criminalizing abortion and putting a bounty on the heads of pregnant people and the physicians that have devoted their careers to caring for them.
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In a nutshell:
Biblical Naturopathy is yet another SCAM that I recommend avoiding.
Why?
Because it is dangerous nonsense.
One of my previous posts was about a press release announcing a ‘WORLDWIDE DECLARATION’, and I promised to comment about the actual declaration. This post firstly reproduces this document and secondly provides a few comments on it. Here is the document:
DEFINITIONS
Traditional, complementary and integrative healthcare (TCIH) refers to the respectful collaboration between various systems of healthcare and their health professionals with the aim of offering a person-centred and holistic approach to health.
ABOUT US
We represent a worldwide community of users and health professionals of TCIH with a large diversity of backgrounds and experiences with a common commitment to the advancement and
promotion of TCIH.
THE HEALTHCARE WE DESIRE
• Focuses on the whole person, including physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions
• Is patient-centred and supports self-healing and health creation
• Is participative and respects individual choices
• Is evidence-based by integrating clinical experience and patient values with the best available research information
• Respects cultural diversity and regional differences
• Is an integral part of community and planetary health
• Uses natural and sustainable resources that are respectful of the health of our planet
• Integrates traditional, complementary and biomedical practices in a supportive and collaborative manner
We appreciate the benefits of conventional / biomedicine. At the same time we recognize its limitations, including:
• The insufficient therapeutic options that biomedicine provides, especially for chronic / non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
• Frequent side effects of biomedical treatments and rising antimicrobial resistance
• Fragmentation of care from increased specialization and the limits of a disease-based model
We are inspired by countries that are successfully integrating TCIH into their healthcare systems. However, we are concerned about:
• Countries that prevent, limit or undervalue the practice of TCIH
• Uninformed or unbalanced media reporting of TCIH
• Insufficient public funding of TCIH research
• Risk of reduced availability of TCIH and unregulated practices in some countries
OUR CALL TO ACTION
All countries
• Ensure full access to TCIH as part of the right to health for all
• Include TCIH into national health systems
• Provide accreditation of TCIH healthcare professionals in accordance with international training standards to ensure high quality care
• Ensure access and safety of TCIH medicines through specific regulatory pathways
• Fund research on TCIH and disseminate reliable information on TCIH to the public
All healthcare professionals
• Foster respectful collaboration between all healthcare professions towards achieving a person-centred and holistic approach to healthcare
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And here are my comments.
- “TCIH”: in the realm of so-called alternative medicine it seems popular to create a new name for the subject at hand; this one is yet another one in a long line of innovations – sadly, it is as nonsensical as most of the previous ones.
- Person-centred and holistic approach to health: all good healthcare has these qualities.
- We represent a worldwide community: really? Who exactly are you then, and what is your ligitimization?
- Whole person, including physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions: all good healthcare has these qualities.
- Patient-centred and supports self-healing and health creation: all good healthcare has these qualities.
- Respects individual choices: all good healthcare has these qualities.
- Evidence-based: either they do not know what this term means or they are deliberately misleading the public.
- Integral part of community and planetary health: all good healthcare has these qualities.
- Natural and sustainable resources that are respectful of the health of our planet: like Rhino horn and similar ingredients of TCM products?
- Insufficient therapeutic options that biomedicine provides: yes, conventional medicine is far from perfect, but adding something even less perfect to it cannot improve it.
- Frequent side effects of biomedical treatments and rising antimicrobial resistance: yes, conventional medicine is far from perfect, but adding something even less perfect to it cannot improve it.
- Full access to TCIH as part of the right to health for all: the ‘right to health for all’ means the right to the most effective therapies not the right to the most bizarre quackery.
- Accreditation of TCIH healthcare professionals: giving respectability to every quack would not render healthcare better or safer but worse and more dangerous.
- Access and safety of TCIH medicines through specific regulatory pathways: regulating access to unproven treatments is nothing less than a recipe for disaster.
- Research on TCIH: yes in some areas, research might be worthwhile, but it must be rigorously testing TCIH and not promoting it uncritically.
- Disseminate reliable information on TCIH to the public: thank you! This is my main aim in writing the ~2500 posts on this blog. Yet I do often get the impression that this gets disappointingly little support – and frequently the exact opposite – from enthusiasts of TCIH.
If you go on Twitter you will find that chiropractors are keen like mustard to promote the idea that, after a car accident, you should consult a chiropractor. Here is just one Tweet that might stand for hundreds, perhaps even thousands:
Recovering from a car accident? If you have accident-related injuries such as whiplash, chiropractic care may provide relief. Treatments like spinal manipulation and soft tissue therapy can aid in your recovery.
In case you don’t like Twitter, you could also go on the Internet where you find hundreds of websites that promote the same idea. Here are just two examples:
There is no question, chiropractors earn much of their living by treating patients suffering from whiplash (neck injury caused by sudden back and forth movement of the neck often causing neck pain and stiffness, shoulder pain, and headache) after a car accident with spinal manipulation.
Why?
There are two not mutually exclusive possibilities:
- They think it is effective.
- It brings in good money.
I have no doubt about the latter notion, yet I think we should question the first. Is there really good evidence that chiropractic manipulations are effective for whiplash?
When I was head of the PMR department at the University of Vienna, treating whiplash was my team’s daily bread. At the time, our strategy was to treat each patient according to the whiplash stage and to his/her individual signs and symptoms. Manipulations were generally considered to be contra-indicated. But that was about 30 years ago. Perhaps the evidence has now changed. Perhaps manipulation therapy has been shown to be effective for certain types of whiplash injuries?
To find out, I did a few Medline searches. These did, however, not locate compelling evidence for spinal manipulation as a treatment of any stage of whiplash injuries. Here is an example of the evidence I found:
In 2008, the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders (Neck Pain Task Force) found limited evidence on the effectiveness of manual therapies, passive physical modalities, or acupuncture for the management of whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) or neck pain and associated disorders (NAD). This review aimed to update the findings of the Neck Pain Task Force, which examined the effectiveness of manual therapies, passive physical modalities, and acupuncture for the management of WAD or NAD. Its findings show the following: Evidence from 15 evaluation studies suggests that for recent neck pain and associated disorders grades I-II, cervical and thoracic manipulation provides no additional benefit to high-dose supervised exercises.
But this is most puzzling!
Why do chiropractors promote their manipulations for whiplash, if there is no compelling evidence that it does more good than harm? Again, there are two possibilities:
- They erroneously believe it to be effective.
- They don’t care but are in it purely for the money.
Whatever it is – and obviously not all chiropractors would have the same reason – I must point out that, in both cases, they behave unethically. Not being informed about the evidence related to the interventions used clearly violates healthcare ethics, and so does financially not informing and exploiting patients.
