AUTOGENIC THERAPY The one form of CAM that everybody loves! (Vodcast)
It is currently fashionable to attack Complementary and Alternative Medicine for its apparent ‘lack of evidence’. As I’ve pointed out many times, this would not be unreasonable were orthodox medicine fully or even nearly fully evidence based. Unfortunately it is not with only 13% of all interventions proven to be beneficial and another 23% ‘likely to be beneficial’ according to the BMJ’s book on Clinical Evidence.
However there is one form of CAM for which I’ve never seen anything other than praise. Even Professor Edzard Ernst, perhaps the world authority on using evidence based medicine (EBM) as a blunt instrument to attack homeopathy and CAM exclusively, glowingly praises Autogenic Therapy! So what is Autogenic Therapy?
I’ve provided a brief vodcast to introduce AT >
Facts on Stress and Health
- All doctors agree that a large proportion of patients are suffering from illnesses caused or at least made worse by stress.
- Some illnesses such as stomach ulcers, certain headaches, irritable bowel syndrome are known to be caused or made much worse by stress.
- GPs, although they know about the health risks of stress have neither the tools or the time to teach patients effective relaxation.
- Thus patients with stress-problems tend to end up with treatment of the symptoms of stress rather than getting help with dealing with the stress that is the cause of the symptoms.
Autogenic Therapy
- is a powerful stress-releasing technique that can be learned by almost anyone including children.
- could easily be taught in the evenings in the waiting areas of NHS GPs but this just isn’t happening.
- is available only at one NHS hospital – The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital
I personally think it’s a disgrace that an excellent, effective and non-controversial form of CAM that is capable of helping hundreds of thousands of people suffering from stress-related conditions is virtually ignored by a media that is only too happy to quote any doctor who criticises CAM.
So let’s hear some encouraging noise for Autogenic Therapy! Oh I forgot, you can’t put it into a bottle and market it as a magic product – so maybe it’s worthless after all.
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Hello Dr Kaplan,
I totally agree with you.
AT is an amazing way to manage anxiety and depression. But I have found it an excellent method for stress relief.
Thank you for the training.
Warmest Regards
Keeley Deyn