The Ministries of Health and Science have prepared a new report to combat pseudotherapies in which they analyze eight techniques: vacuum therapy or cupping therapy, tai chi, light therapy, conscious breathing, chi-kung, zerobalancing, aromatherapy and relaxation techniques based on the induction of bodily sensations. And the conclusion is clear: of all of them, the one that cannot be considered a safe therapy because it entails health risks is vaccinology (application of cups, glass or plastic, heated on the skin or using other cupping techniques, in different points of the body) and, furthermore, no benefit is proven. Therefore, they recommend that it not be used.
The report, carried out by the Spanish Network of Agencies for the Evaluation of Health Technologies and Benefits of the National Health System, can be consulted on the RedETS website and on the
And the rest of the therapies? We summarize their conclusions.
From a physiological point of view, it would be a type of exercise with which all the muscles of the body can be worked, enhancing strength, flexibility and balance and with fewer problems of muscle overload and risk of injuries associated with other sports disciplines.
The report concludes that tai chi, as a physical activity carried out in various pathologies, especially those of the musculoskeletal area, is beneficial with respect to perceived well-being and various functions such as pain reduction. The perceived improvement or neutral effect in various pathologies, when compared with other exercise modalities appropriate to the problem treated, suggests that the benefit is linked to physical activity in these patients.
It is about the use of light for therapeutic purposes. It is commonly applied with the use of a light box placed approximately one meter away at a height within the field of view; however, application is possible with a portable overhead light source, ceiling-mounted light fixtures; or ‘naturalistic’ light therapy, known as dawn-dusk simulation, which mimics twilight transitions outdoors. Phototherapy can be administered for varying periods of time and at different times of the day. The clinical indications analyzed in this report are related to any type of mental health problem.
The report points out that due to various methodological limitations of the included studies, it is not possible to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of light therapy in mental health problems. “There is insufficient evidence to support the use of light therapy in the treatment of different clinical mental health conditions,” he says.
It consists of being fully present at the moment when breathing is performed and feeling its effects on the body. This practice could relieve the person who performs it from the feeling of anguish or stress, since it reduces the heart rate and respiratory rate on a physical level.
The report concludes that based on current evidence and its limitations, studies on conscious breathing should be interpreted with caution, with no guarantee that their efficacy results can be extrapolated to clinical practice.
It is considered a set of breathing and movement exercises with some possible health benefits due to the practice of physical exercise and breathing education. With it, you can work all the muscles of the body, enhancing strength, flexibility and balance; and with fewer muscle overload problems and risk of injuries associated with other sports disciplines.
The report concludes that chi-kung could have the benefit of low-impact physical activity on people with musculoskeletal diseases and in those where it can contribute to reducing stress levels and improving quality of life with a low risk of side effects. adverse. It must be taken into account that the evidence supporting this statement is of low quality.
It is a technique or modality of physical and manual mind-body work that, according to its founder, Fritz Frederick Smith, involves ‘energy’ and ‘structure’, achieving balance in the individual.
The report points out that with the information currently available, there is no scientific evidence on the safety and effectiveness of the technique in any clinical condition.
Branch of phytotherapy that uses essential oils (extracted from plants) with the aim of improving well-being, reducing anxiety, stress and other clinical symptoms, both emotional and physical.
The low methodological quality of many of the studies included in the identified systematic reviews does not allow definitive conclusions to be drawn. Aromatherapy may be a complementary resource of some value for the treatment of physical and psychological symptoms in cardiovascular diseases and dysmenorrhea. Essential oils are natural, but not harmless, and a number of mild adverse events have been identified associated with their use.
Among the relaxation techniques based on the induction of bodily sensations, autogenic relaxation training (or autogenic training) stands out, which consists of reaching a state of deep relaxation through mental representations of physical sensations (heat, cold, heaviness) in different body parts.
The report considers that autogenic training could be beneficial in improving psychological and physical symptoms in different health conditions, but the conclusions cannot be definitive due to the low number of studies for each health condition and their high or uncertain risk of bias. . It is necessary to continue evaluating the safety of these techniques
