Bach flower remedies are a holistic alternative method of healing based on psychological causes of illness developed in the 1930s and generally regarded as safe. Common uses for Bach flower remedies include anxiety, stress, depression and pain. A May 2009 study published in Complementary and Alternative Medicine reports that using Bach flower remedies for pain are no better than a placebo in randomized control trials. However, the study also notes that evidence-based medicine is controversial in complementary and alternative medicine.
History
Dr. Edward Bach, an English physician, devoted his later life to finding the 38 flower essences that corresponded to what he believed are the 38 negative emotional states that produce all illness. He noticed that the illnesses he saw corresponded to personality traits in the patients who manifested them. This led him to search for a cure that would address these personality traits and therefore heal the illness.
Function
Bach flower remedies are 38 flower essences prepared in a specific manner. Flowers are harvested with their dew, in the wild, and are steeped in sunlight, or, for barks, boiled for one half hour. These essences are preserved in brandy, and are sold in small glass vials. A person trained in Bach flower remedies considers the patient's emotional state and other factors, then prescribes an essence that corresponds to the patient's needs for controlling pain or other illness. According to Bach flower remedy practitioners, the method works on the energy field of the patient, resulting in healing.
Benefits
Bach flower remedies are safe to use as very few adverse effects have been reported and include only minor issues such as headache, according to the study reported in Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Because they work by matching negative emotional states to pain, the remedies create awareness of the connection between emotional states and pain.
Considerations
Bach flower remedies are often used over the counter and there are few studies that use random control trials and are unbiased. Because of these factors, it is difficult to tell if Bach flower remedies are effective against pain. At the same time, because there is a proven link between emotional states and the experience of pain, and because Bach flower remedies are safe, they may be a good alternative choice.
Theories/Speculation:
According to the meta-analysis done by Thaler, et al in the May 2009 issue of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there is no evidence that Bach flower remedies work better than placebo for pain. At the same time, they note that there were few studies for their analysis, and that the National Institutes for Health has budgeted $122 million for the study of complementary and alternative medicine. This increase should result in more and better studies on the efficacy of Bach flower remedies for pain.
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