Testing alternative medicine

1. Testing alternative medicine Burden, blessing or both?

2. Background information • Had acupuncture therapy as teenager. It did not help. Prayer did. • Interested throughout medical studies • Interaction with colleagues and healers in Africa, Asia and Europe >10 years • Three years of research leading to book with four other authors in 1993 • Presently working on revised edition • CDK and CGH in Switzerland

3. Never forget • We are talking about people in the first place • People who are suffering • People who want to help them • Discernment and compassion belong together • Evaluation is not judgement or condemnation • The truth should be shared in love

4. Some initial questions • Am I really willing to change my views on the basis of an honest presentation of the truth? • What if: • I (partially) earn my living with a therapy that is biblically unacceptable? • People I love use unacceptable therapies? • I have been deceived?

5. Why test (alternative) medicine? • Wise stewards of God’s creation test everything and use the good to bless the sick and suffering, 1 Thessalonians 5: 21 • We are warned against deception, Colossians 2: 1-8 • We should be ready to give an account of our beliefs to anyone who asks, 1 Peter 3: 15-16

6. Definition of Alternative Medicine All forms of diagnosis and therapy, that are not taught as examination subjects in medical schools. • Two main elements: • Not accepted by regular medical schools • Frequently alternative paradigms of thinking

7. Two main streams in practice: Those that • Replace regular scientific medicine (alternative medicine exclusively), or those that • Complementregular scientific medicine (complementary medicine)

8. An overview of (alternative) medicine Regular scientific medicine Atropine / Codeine / Scopolamine / Digoxin / Morphine Rational phytotherapy - Standardized extracts - Traditional herbal therapy Chiropractic Manual therapy Complementary medicine Alternative medicine Homeopathy Anthroposophic medicine Ayurvedic medicine Chinese medicine Aromatherapy Bach therapy Popular magazines Popular books Popular “medicine” © Dr. A. Hasler 2001

9. F.1 Necessary? This is available F.2 Effective? F.3 Appropriate? F.4 Ethically OK? F.5 Occult or not? This is acceptable Five Screening Filters

10. Biblical basis for the five filters • Stewardship Mandate for F1-3 • Genesis 1: 26-30; 2: 15; 9: 1-7 • God’s moral laws for F4 • Keep in mind • Personal conscience • Christian freedom, Rom. 14; 1. Cor. 8-10 (MSI) • God’s fixed borders for F5 • Deuteronomy 18: 9-14 (Absolutes) Behälter mit Thorarolle aus: Jerusalemer Bibel Lexikon, Hänssler Verlag 1990

11. Filter 1: Is it necessary? • Medicalization: Problems to be solved medically • Consumer mentality: Buy health from doctor • Hypochondria: imagined illness (what is root?) • Is it really necessary or is it the – • wish of the doctor / practitioner • wish of the patient • common use in certain situations

12. Filter 2: Is it effective? Possibilities regarding effectiveness: • It does not work at all or it may even be unhealthy • It works through usual healing powers • Creational healing power of the body • Creational pneumo-psycho-somatic interaction • Pharmacologically active substances • Placebo effect, ca. 35 % (15-58 %) • Still unknown, but usual healing powers • It works through unusual healing powers • Signs and wonders • Magic / witchcraft / sorcery

13. Filter 3: Is it appropriate? • Age • Sex • Finances • Cultural / Social factors • Drug interactions • Contra-indications • Risk adverse reactions

14. Filter 4: Is it ethically acceptable? • What would be good for relationships? Think: Love God and love neighbour • How would a good person act in this situation? For us: WWJD? • What would have good consequences? • What are the responsibilities of the relevant parties?

15. F.5: Occultism – 6 aspects • Pollution through esoteric world view elements • Comments about the explanatory models • Original explanatory model reflects mindset of the pioneers • Replace the original explanatory model as necessary • Unknown does not necessarily mean occult • Commonest esoteric elements • Micro-cosmos / Macro-cosmos thinking • Unusual linking stars / seasons / elements / food types / organs / diseases • Philosophy that reality consists of a few elements (3, 4 or 5) • Esoteric energy has to be harmonized / stimulated / flowing Danger: World view pollution / poisoning of the mind

16. F.5: Occultism – 6 aspects • Diagnosis with the use of forbidden unusual powers: • Soothsaying (unusual insights in the relationships between things/situations/people and health/disease; insights not obtainable through the use of the five senses only) • Clairvoyance (unusual insights obtained through communication with demons, including those that pretend to be the spirits of the sick or some other human). Danger: Demonization

17. F.5: Occultism – 6 aspects • Therapy with the aid of forbidden unusual powers: • Changes in the health situation of a person through unusual powers (usually aiming at the harmonising of cosmic energy) Danger: Demonization • Use of techniques that open patients up for possible demonic influences • Causing passive mental states: hypnosis or trance Danger: Caught in Satan’s trap = Bondage

18. F.5: Occultism – 6 aspects • Initiate patient into the use of unusual powers • Possible through getting them involved with soothsaying, clairvoyance, witchcraft, sorcery or magic Danger: Demonization • Curses/magic formulas over patients / medicaments • It is a form of witchcraft / magic / sorcery Danger: Strengthening a pre-existent occult bondage Encouragement for the Christian - Proverbs 26:2

19. Recommendations for Christian doctors • Share with colleagues: humility, compassion, professionalism • Study and research: Phyto-therapy, Trigger Point Massage, etc. • Critical evaluation of regular scientific medicine • Reductionism; can a God-less doctor be a good doctor? • Network: Biblical-Christian Healthcare - international • Via www.hfe.org or www.hcf-international.com or www.icmda.net • CDK, CiCP, CIG, CMA, CMS, ICMDA, Journal Christian Healthcare; HCF, MedIchthys, NCF • Take patient’s use of alternative medicine seriously • Reckon with it in anamnesis, diagnosis, therapy • Careful counselling about OK or not-OK alternative medicine

20. Filter 1: Is acupuncture necessary? • Arguments for: • Normal scientific medicine is too materialistic • ‘No’ to medication with adverse reactions • Use acupuncture as missionary tool • Only limited means available • Nothing else has helped • Arguments against: • It does not work • Only placebo-effect • It is occult

21. Filter 2: Is acupuncture effective? • NO =Ter Riet et al (1990; inc. Medline 1963-1988 ): Meta-Analysis of 91 usable, published trials over a period of 17 years; 12 % is >50% reliable; none more reliable than 68%. The more thorough the research, the less positive the results = no conclusive evidence. • Possibly YES = Linde et al (2001; inc. Medline 1989-2000): Meta-Analysis of 39 usable published trials; positive for post-operative nausea; negative as help to stop smoking • Yes =GerAc research project: in certain types of complaints, mostly related to pain/allergy relief

22. F.3: Is acupuncture appropriate? • Age – no issue • Sex – no issue • Finances – issue if presented as cure-all • Culture/social – family/patient pressure can be severe • Drug interactions – no issue • Contra-indications – only if ineffective or occult • Risk adverse reactions – no issue • Possibly appropriate in demythologized symptomatic use

23. F.4: Is acupuncture ethical? • What facts are relevant? • Overlap with nerve/artery/vein triads + with muscle trigger points • ?Possible to determine points more accurately electrically • Classical acupuncture anatomy seriously outdated • What consequences are relevant? • Who/what is trusted for healing? • Does it really help? • GerAc research says YES. Relief of pain • Is it harmful? • Van Dijk (1980) 10.000 therapeutic sessions • Pneumothorax (a few cases) • Hepatitis, burn wounds (very rare) • Does it promote responsible behaviour? • Usually patients not made dependent on practitioner

24. Filter 5: Is acupuncture occult? • Promoting non-biblical views of God, man, health / disease and world? • Almost always = World view pollution • Note: Western version has little worldview pollution • Diagnosis with forbidden unusual powers? • Rare in the West until now. Depends on practitioner. • Therapy with forbidden unusual powers? • Rare in the West until now. Depends on practitioner. Some Christian authors say yes. Evidence difficult to document scientifically.

25. Filter 5: Is acupuncture occult? • Techniques that open patients for demonic influence • Hypnosis or Trance possible. Depends in practitioner. • Initiation in use of forbidden unusual powers? • Rare in the West until now. Depends on practitioner. • Curse or magic spell during therapy? • Rare in the West until now. Depends on practitioner.

26. F.1: Ist Homöopathie notwendig? • Argumente dafür: • normale wissenschaftliche Medizin ist zu materialistisch • >nein = zu Medikamenten mit Nebeneffekten • verfügbare Mittel: begrenzte Mittel • nichts anderes hilft mehr: „aus-gearztet“ • Argumente dagegen: • funktioniert nicht  Quacksalberei • nur Placeboeffekt • Okkult  Prinzip der „Unsichtbaren Lebenskraft“

27. Filter 2: Ist Homöopathie wirksam? • Hill und Doyon (1990): 40 Versuche • Effektivität nicht bewiesen • Kleijnen u.a. (1991): 107 Versuche • 23 von ziemliche Qualität • 15 davon günstige Ergebnisse • Pirtkien (1976) Gelenkkrankheiten • 54% besser mit Homöopathie • 95% besser mit Medikation

28. F.3: Ist Homöopathie angemessen? • Age • Sex • Finances • Culture / Social factors • Drug interactions • Contra-indications • Risk adverse reactions • Wenn sie • wirksam wäre, • im Einzelfall notwendig und nicht schädlich, wäre Homöopathie angemessen.

29. F.4: Homöopathie ethisch tragbar? • Was sind die Fakten? • Zwei Tausend Medikamenten; Fünf Hundert bis zwei Tausend Symptomen pro Medikament = Vier Millionen Kombinationen möglich • Verdünnung: D=10; C=100 • Avogadro: D22 – D23 nichts mehr über • Was sind die Folgen? • Okkulte Einflüsse?

30. F.4: Homöopathie ethisch tragbar? • Hilft sie? • Phytotherapie besser? • Ist sie schädlich? • In Forschung nichts gefunden • Geistlich schädlich, Chr. Schriftsteller wie Feller, Markmann, Kunze • Förderung von verantwortungsvollem Verhalten? • Meistens werden die Patienten auf keine ungesunde Weise von ihren Heilern abhängig gemacht.

31. Filter 5: Ist Homöopathie okkult? • Weiterleitung eines nicht-biblischen Konzepts von Gott, Mensch, Gesundheit/Krankheit und Welt? • Fast immer  Verschmutzung der Weltanschauung. • Diagnose mit verbotenen, aussergewöhnlichen Kräften? • Im Westen kaum gebräuchlich. Hängt vom Heiler ab. • Therapie mit verbotenen, aussergewöhnlichen Kräften? • Manchmal. Hängt vom Heiler ab (Pragmatische oder Klassische Homöopathie). • Ja, verschiedene Christliche Schriftsteller.

32. Filter 5: Ist Homöopathie okkult? • Techniken, die den Patienten dämonischem Einfluß öffnen • Hypnose oder Trance möglich aber nicht gebräuchlich. Hängt vom Heiler ab. • Einführung in den Gebrauch von verbotenen, aussergewöhnlichen Kräften? • Kaum gebräuchlich. Hängt vom Heiler ab. • Beschwörung während der Therapie? • Kaum gebräuchlich. Hängt vom Heiler ab.