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Links Association of Natural Medicine
www.associationnaturalmedicine.co.uk
......offers courses in complementary medicine , support for member practitioners and a quarterly journal.
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The Dr. Edward Bach Centre
www.bachcentre.com
.......the original source of the Bach Flower Remedies.
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News Swine Flu Update
Questions are now being asked about the decision last year by the World Health Organisation to declare a Swine Flu pandemic. The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly is to launch an enquiry.
There is a new definition of "pandemic" which does not require a high morbidity and mortality rate. This may be one reason the alarm bells were rung early and perhaps over zealously.
There are 20 members of the WHO strategic Advisory Group of Experts, which was involved in the decision to declare a pandemic. Of these 20 people 11 are linked to pharmaceutical companies, either via their universities or through profiting by work done for them. Some of the scientists have acknowledged their interests in the Glaxo Smith Kline company, which manufactures vaccines for the Swine Flu and therefore stands to benefit from increased sales.
Despite early warnings from the Chief Medical Officer of the UK that 65,000 people might die because of the Swine Flu, the current death toll (to February 2010) is 251. The UK now has a surplus of the vaccine, which is estimated to be worth £1 billion and which is not likely to be used.
While planning ahead cannot be an exact science, it does seem that the authorities overreacted to a perceived threat.
What is important is for each of us to take responsibility for our health and to look after our wellbeing.
The Swine Flu Debate
Since April 2009 when Swine Flu was first identified in Mexico, we have encountered mixed messages in the media about how dangerous it would be, how many people would be affected and how quickly it would spread.This has left many people feeling confused.
We naturally want to protect ourselves and our family from any illness, especially if we have any long term health problems and therefore may feel especially vulnerable to new infections.
The NHS website suggests that we should look out for the following symptoms -
- fever
- sore throat
- diarrhoea
- headache
- feeling unwell
- dry cough
as being typical of Swine Flu. In fact these are symptoms we might expect of many viral infections (as well as some other more serious problems). This is because the symptoms show that our body is fighting an infection. How well we are able to fight or defend ourselves against any infection will depend on our general health, vitality and the strength of our immune system. This resistance will be very individual and can be reduced by other factors such as tiredness, stress or worry.
We can then see that the more we worry about contracting Swine Flu, the more that fear can undermine our natural resistance, making us more vulnerable.
We can be responsible about personal hygiene by washing our hands regularly and discarding immediately tissues we have used. This makes good sense and gives us something positive to focus on.
Most people who contract Swine Flu will suffer only mild symptoms and will recover within a week. A minority may find their symptoms are more extreme, but with a healthy immune system, they will recover well.
Drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza (which is inhaled) are readily available in the UK for people being diagnosed with Swine Flu via a website or telephone helpline.
The drug company claims that Tamiflu will
- reduce the length of the illness by one day
- relieve some symptoms
- reduce the potential for complications (e.g. pneumonia).
There are also side effects of taking this drug. Common ones (which maybe reduced by taking the drug with food) include -
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- stomach ache
- headache
Some of the less common side effects include
- hallucinations
- convulsions
- skin reactions
- mild to severe liver function disorders
The UK government has invested in enough stocks of anti viral drugs to treat 80% of the population .... which is a lot of drugs and a lot of money.
While concerned for anyone suffering Swine Flu symptoms, I am left with feelings of uncertainty.
We know that viruses mutate, that they affect some people more than others and that it is not possible to make absolute predictions about how any virus will spread.
We can see from some of the postings on the NHS website, that some people have severe reactions to the drugs; that some people seem to recover on the drug, but then suffer a relapse after about another week; that some people recover without drugs after a week; that some people need longer to heal.
All this suggests to me that we can help ourselves and our family most by looking after our general health. This means eating well; keeping hydrated; sleeping and resting enough; managing our stress levels and taking regular exercise. This will help us to support our immune system so that we are able to fight any infection.
I am not aware of any trials of Homeopathic remedies used for people with Swine Flu. It is best to consult your doctor and homeopath individually to find a personal remedy if you suspect you have symptoms of Swine Flu. Your homeopath will consider the way your body is responding in its fight and will choose an appropriate remedy. They may also consider a constitutional remedy after the illness to help boost your immune system.
It is important to put the topic in context as a mild viral illness, to act responsibly, to think positively, to look after yourself and to banish any unnecessary fears. For help with alieviating such fears, go to the Bach Flower section of this website and check out which remedies best describe your own feelings. You may like to look particularly at Mimulus and Red Chestnut.
Placebo?
Because homeopathic remedies work in a different way from conventional drugs and because they are highly dilute and have an energetic rather than a chemical action, some people suggest that they work only as a placebo. Literally this word (in Latin) means "I please" and sometimes substances judged as inert are given as a comparison during drug trials to assess the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the medication under consideration.
I recently read the transcript of an address to the Royal College of Physicians by Professor Irving Kirsch, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Hull
It revealed that the effects of placebos on depression "accounts for about 80 per cent of the response to anti-depressant medication". In his analytical studies, Professor Kirsch has shown that the placebo effect is measurable for treating depression and even for pain relief. The measured response is over 50%. He says, "that a central component of the placebo effect is patient's expectations of improvement". Studies have shown that 25% of people suffering with depression improve even with no treatment, but that a further 50% improve when taking a placebo. The power of our mind is often underrated.
Although the practice would not now be condoned, I have heard tales of patients on a busy ward who had woken in the night, or who just couldn't sleep, being given a tablet of Vitamin C, being told it was a sleeping pill, and them then finding they were able to go off to sleep until the morning. This was deception and not to be encouraged in any way, but it was safe.
So how do we relate this to Homeopathy and Bach Flowers? Certainly whatever drug or remedy we take must inevitably have a certain placebo effect.
But what percentage of improvement after a homeopathic treatment is due to the placebo effect and how much to the remedy itself? One of the difficulties of any research in this area is that as homeopaths, we offer a very individualised approach. We do not offer remedies for a disease label, but choose them for a particular picture of symptoms, which this particular patient is experiencing. There is no way to give half of the patient a treatment and the other half an inert substance.
I would love to do further work in this area. If anyone has suggestions, funding and contacts to launch research into the response (active/placebo) to homeopathic and/or Bach Flower Remedies, please get in touch!
Evidence for the Effectiveness of Complementary Therapies
A pilot project funded by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland has shown that the majority of patients referred by their GP for complementary and alternative medicine "found statistically significant improvements on each of the health outcome indicators measured."
Key statistics are-
- 80% of patients recorded an improvement in their wellbeing, with 73% recording an improvement in their level of activity associated with their main symptom (source, MYMOP)
- 81% of patients said that their general health had improved, with a similarly high proportion of patients (82%) reporting to be less worried about their symptoms following treatment (source, MYMOP).
- 81% of patients reported an improvement in their physical health, with 79% reporting an improvement in their mental health (source, patients survey)
- Among patients using pain killers prior to treatment, 55% said that they use fewer pain killers following treatment (source, patient survey)
- 94% of patients would recommend Complementary or Alternative Medicine to other patients with similar health conditions (source, patient survey).
This research project was carried out over one year with 713 patients referred by their GP to a range of complementary therapies - Chiropractic; Osteopathy; Reflexology; Massage; Aromatherapy, Acupuncture and Homeopathy.
All patients were over 18 and had presented with musculoskeletal problems and / or depression, stress or anxiety. Each patient completed a Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP) form immediately before and after their treatment. The complementary practitioner and GP also completed evaluation forms.
This research shows evidence of the value of Complementary Therapies. The benefit is not only felt by the patients whose symptoms and wellbeing improved. There are also cost and time benefits for conventional medicine too. The ability for patients after their complementary treatment to reduce drug intake is relevant and important. As they also then needed less visits and less time with their GP, the practice time available for other ill patients relieves pressure and stress on the conventional health system.
Ref - Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland Government. www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/hss/complementary-alternative-medicine.htm
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