Meta-analysis of positive effects, side effects and adverse events of holistic mind-body medicine (clinical holistic medicine): Experience from Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom and Germany

Abstract

About 50% of the general population has a chronic disease not cured by biomedicine. Objectives: Meta-analysis of holistic clinical medicine for which chronic patients were treated and outcomes were, 1) global quality of life, 2) self-rated physical/ mental health, quality of life or ability of functioning, or 3) patients felt cured for a specific disease of dysfunction. Method'. MEDLINE and PsycINFO and specific journals were searched in January 2009. Results: Eleven clinical studies (18,500 participants) were identified. Positive effects: Quality of life Number Needed to Treat (NNT) = 2, physical health problems NNT = 3, mental health problems NNT = 2, sexual dysfunctions NNT = 2, self esteem NNT = 2, working/studying ability NNT = 2, anorgasmia NNT = 1, other specific sexual dysfunctions NNT = 2. Of 791 patients treated was 617, or 78.0% cured (NNT = 1). Side effects and adverse events: re-traumatization Number Needed to Harm (NNH) > 18,500; brief reactive psychosis (if mentally ill) NNH = 4,625; brief reactive psychosis (if not mentally ill) NNH > 9,250; brief reactive psychosis, all patients NNH = 9,250; depression NNH > 18,500; depersonalization and derealization NNH > 18,500; iatrogenic disturbances NNH > 18,500; minor bone fractures (ribs, hand) NNH = 4,625; serious bone fractures (spine, scull, pelvis) NNH > 18,500: suicides during or less than three month after therapy NNH > 18,500; suicide attempts during or less than three month after therapy NNH > 18,500. Suicide was prevented NNT = 1. Therapeutic value TV = NNH/NNT = 9,250. Conclusions: Holistic clinical medicine is an efficient complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment for chronic illnesses and health related problems. Every second patient with physical and mental disorders, sexual dysfunctions, and existential problems were healed. Holistic clinical medicine had no significant side effects or adverse events. Brought to you by | University of Arizona Authenticated Download Date | 6/3/15 6:01 AM Physical diseases Asthma, eczema, allergy (59,90) Chronic infections and autoimmune diseases (63,90) Chronic pain (musculoskeletal and inner organs) (55,56,90) Cancer (3,57,61,90,99,100)-improving quality of life, reducing pain, and increasing survival Coronary heart disease (1,2,90) HIV -improving quality of life and possibly also survival (56) Neurologic dysfunction (Brain Damage, Narcolepsy, Dementia, Intelligence Deficit) (90,101-105) Rheumatologie disease (63,90,106) Mental disordersEating disorders (60,68,86,91) Low self-esteem and self confidence (60,94) Anxiety (35,36,91) Schizophrenia and schizotypia (69,70,83,85,91) Borderline and other disorders of personality (35,36,69,70,85,91) Depression and hypothymia (mood and emotional disorders) (69,70,91) Alcoholism, ludomania, other types of dependency (62,91) Children and adolescence with autism or behavioural disturbances including ADHD (53,60,93) Post traumatic stress and other sequelae of violent or sexual trauma like rape and incest (24,25,40,55,60,64,66,76,77,91,98) Sexual and gynaecolog...

Mind–body practices: An alternative, drug-free treatment for smoking cessation? A systematic review of the literature

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“…As most chronically ill patients according to the experience from the biomedical health system of Denmark actually live for at least 40 years with their health issues unchanged in spite of continuous medical treatment we believe that the accumulated differences in cost are five times what we have calculated for the ten year period, but as some of the most ill patients will go to hospital, which is Subjectively poor working ability (20)(21)(22)60) much more costly and eventually will die in a long and costly process this estimate is not as certain as the one, two and ten year estimates. As most chronically ill patients according to the experience from the biomedical health system of Denmark actually live for at least 40 years with their health issues unchanged in spite of continuous medical treatment we believe that the accumulated differences in cost are five times what we have calculated for the ten year period, but as some of the most ill patients will go to hospital, which is Subjectively poor working ability (20)(21)(22)60) much more costly and eventually will die in a long and costly process this estimate is not as certain as the one, two and ten year estimates.…”

“…Non-drug CAM has, as we have seen, practically no significant side (adverse) effects (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22), which makes them very attractive compared with biomedical drugs. Quite surprisingly to people believing that CAM was inefficient, the mind-body type has in almost all studies been found highly efficient not only in improving quality of life but also in improving health, ability, and survival (NNT = 2).…”

“…Therefore less expensive holistic, complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments have become the focus of attention, as these treatments might be more cost-effective than biomedicine (6). Fortunately a number of reviews have recently documented that some types of CAM, especially mindbody medicine, are highly cost-efficient compared with biomedicine (7,8), and completely without the many serious side (adverse) effects and adverse (negative) events that often follows treatment with drugs (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22). Most unfortunately, very few studies have been performed in this field, rendering us with almost no data about the actual situation for most types of CAM for most clinical conditions.…”

Neurologic Changes and Depression

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