Feng shui consultants do not normally claim to cure diseases, but they say that their work can improve wellbeing and prevent ill‑health. Increasingly, feng shui consultants are giving advice on how to deal with the health effects of electromagnetic fields in the home, even though there is no evidence that such fields are harmful. These consultants generally charge considerable amounts of money for their services.
What is the evidence?
It would not be difficult to test some of these claims, but as yet there have been no serious studies. However, informal tests comparing the judgements of feng shui consultants demonstrate significant conflicts over their interpretation of the energy flow in any given space, which implies that their advice is based on subjective imaginings.
Therefore all we can say is that there is no evidence to show that feng shui does anything but enrich those who promote it.
Conclusion
Feng shui is based on biologically implausible concepts and there is no evidence to show that it works. A competent interior designer can probably offer equally good, if not better, advice.
Food Supplements
Substances usually taken by mouth to increase the intake of vitamins, minerals, fats, amino‑acids or other natural substances in order to maintain or improve health, fitness or wellbeing.
Background
Food supplements are a relatively new invention. At present, sales are booming. Regulation of food supplements varies nationally but, generally speaking, it is very lax. Manufacturers can sell supplements without providing proof that they do any good at all, and often without sufficient data on safety.
Medical claims are not normally allowed for food supplements. This does not, however, stop the industry from cleverly conveying the message that this or that supplement is effective for treating this or that condition. Health writers, books and the internet relentlessly target the consumer with exactly that aim.
What is the evidence?
It is obvious that not all food supplements are the same, as is the case with herbal supplements, which were discussed in detail in Chapter 5. Some are likely to be useful and are supported by evidence; others are either unproven or disproven, and many supplements carry risks of adverse effects. The dangers can be due to a supplement’s inherent properties, contamination (e.g. heavy metals), or adulteration (e.g. synthetic drugs). Also, it is likely that there are many adverse effects that are not known due to lack of research and under‑reporting.
Fish‑oil capsules, as discussed in Chapter 6, are an excellent example of an effective supplement, because they have been proved to reduce the risk of heart disease. They may also reduce inflammation, which might make them beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis and many other conditions.
Shark cartilage, also discussed in Chapter 6, is an example of a popular supplement which has been shown to be ineffective. Although it is probably harmless, it can distract patients from seeking more appropriate treatment and it is certainly damaging for the sharks who are victims of the supplement industry.
Vitamin B6 is an example of a supplement that can be harmful in large doses. It can result in nerve damage to the arms and legs. There are several reports of people reporting such complications having taken 500mg of B6 per day.
Conclusion
Food supplements are a very broad category–too broad to generalize. Some are undoubtedly helpful in certain situations. For many others, the effectiveness is uncertain or even disproven. Adverse effects can occur.
Hypnotherapy
The use of hypnosis, a trance‑like state, for therapeutic purposes.
Background
Hypnotherapy has a long history–it can be traced back to ancient Egypt–but its modern development started in the eighteenth century with the work of the charismatic Viennese scientist Anton Mesmer. He was followed in the nineteenth century by the Scottish physician James Braid.
In recent years, hypnotherapy has become recognized in several areas of healthcare. Hypnotherapists treat a range of chronic conditions, including pain, anxiety, addictions and phobias. Hypnotherapy is practised by several healthcare professionals, including psychologists, counsellors and doctors. One session lasts 30–90 minutes and, depending on the condition and the responsiveness of the patient, 6–12 sessions are normally recommended. Autogenic training is a self‑hypnotic technique, which, after some instruction, can be practised without the help of a therapist.
What is the evidence?
People who are suggestible generally respond best. Dozens of clinical trials show that hypnotherapy is effective in reducing pain, anxiety and the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. However, according to reliable reviews by the Cochrane Collaboration, it is not effective for smoking cessation, even though it is frequently promoted in this context. There is much less research for autogenic training, but the existing evidence is encouraging for anxiety, stress, hypertension, insomnia and some pain syndromes.
Hypnotherapy and autogenic training are relatively safe, but they should not be used by people with psychoses or other severe mental problems. With hypnotherapy, the recovery of repressed or false memories can create problems, and cases of false‑memory syndrome (i.e. remembering distressing events which, in reality, have never occurred) have been reported.
Conclusion
The prudent use of hypnotherapy can be helpful for some patients. Whether this is a specific effect of the treatment or a non‑specific (placebo) effect is difficult to say. Autogenic training has the added advantage of being an economical self‑help approach that maximizes each patient’s own involvement. Neither treatment is associated with serious risks when applied correctly.
Leech Therapy
The application of live leeches to the skin in order to treat a range of illnesses.
Background
Hirudo medicinalis is a small, black, worm‑like animal. It is capable of attaching itself to humans or animals, sucking substantial amounts of blood from the skin. During this process, it increases considerably in size and finally, when it is saturated with blood, it drops off.
Leeches were used for medicinal purposes in ancient Babylon, and in more recent centuries in Europe as a mode of bloodletting, as discussed in Chapter 1. Today their only use in conventional medicine is in plastic surgery: clinical trials show that applying leeches post‑operatively improves the cosmetic results of some operations.
In alternative medicine, leeches are employed for a range of conditions. Some therapists believe that they eliminate toxins from the body; others use them to treat painful local conditions such as osteoarthritis.
While sucking blood, leeches inject pharmacologically active substances into the body. Initially they inject an anaesthetic substance which enables them to bite through the skin without causing pain. Subsequently they excrete a substance that prevents blood from clotting so that they can suck blood easily. This substance is called hirudoine and is a well‑researched anticoagulant. It can now be synthesized and is used widely in mainstream medicine for its anticoagulation properties.