can complementary therapies combat stress?

by Wendy Moore

Anyone tempted to try out a complementary therapy to help cope with stress is faced with a bewildering array of options. Some of them sound fairly logical, others seem slightly strange, and some are downright bizarre – and the choice is growing all the time. So how do you tell a quack remedy from a genuine relaxation therapy?

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We visited the busy Healing Arts Festival in London where more than 100 alternative practitioners set out their wares. Here we take a close look at six of the most popular complementary therapies on display which claim to alleviate tension. We weigh up the evidence as to whether these therapies really do work. But don't forget it is your choice. If you find a remedy which works for you then go for it.

homeopathy

Homeopathy is one of the best known alternative remedies and practitioners often treat people under stress. Homeopaths do not generally make a single condition diagnosis but prefer to build up a rounded picture of the patient and their health problems, for which they prescribe a combination of homeopathic medicines. Homeopathic drugs are prepared on the basis of 'like cures like', and contain a small amount of a substance which corresponds to the illness. But usually preparations are so diluted that traces of the active agent may be undetectable.

Homeopath Trader Selkirk believes that stress is the underlying problem in around nine out of 10 people who consult him. During a consultation he aims to discover the form of stress and prepare a remedy relevant to that person rather than the issue. This means there is no single remedy universally recommended for treating stress – although arnica is often advised for trauma and shock. It is always better to consult a homeopath, who normally undergoes three to four years training, than self-treat, he argues. Homeopaths are now registered with one of several professional organisations.

verdict

Sceptics argue there is no logical basis for medicines which contain sometimes not even a molecule of the active agent. A survey of many scientific trials found a small overall benefit in homeopathy but studies fail to show it is effective for any single complaint. It is generally risk-free although scientists are concerned that if people favour homeopathy over conventional medicine for serious conditions they may miss out on necessary treatment.

find out more

Channel 4's complementary medicine website has more information about homeopathy.

organisations

British Institute of Homeopathy
80 High Street
Egham TW20 9HE
Tel: 01784 440467
Website: www.britinsthom.com
Provides an Open University style of distance learning courses through internationally recognised teachers, many of whom are physicians or pharmacists.

Homeopathic Medical Association
6 Livingstone Road
Gravesend DA12 5DZ
Tel: 01474 560336 (Mon-Fri 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm)
E-mail: info@the-hma.org
Website: www.the-hma.org
Aims to develop, support and encourage the practice of homeopathic medicine in the UK and in other countries.

Society of Homeopaths
11 Brookfield
Duncan Close
Moulton Park
Northampton NN3 6WL
Tel: 0845 450 6611
Website: www.homeopathy-soh.com
The largest organisation in the UK representing professional homeopaths.

website

British Homeopathic Association
www.trusthomeopathy.org
Informative website featuring information about homeopathy, how to get treatment, frequently asked questions, and a list of further reading. Has details of training at the Faculty of Homeopathy, plus an online search for local practitioners.

products

	Nelsons Kali. Phos. 6c Pillules For mental tiredness from overwork and nervous exhaustion. Buy this product from NaturallyThinking.com

	Nelsons Nat. Mur. 30c Pillules For the relief of many symptoms brought on by stress. Buy this product from NaturallyThinking.com

reading

	Natural Care: Encyclopaedia of homeopathy by Andrew Lockie (Dorling Kindersley, 2000) Looks at the key theories, methods of practice, details of remedies, plus an outline of their healing properties and uses. Get this book

	Miranda Castro's Homeopathic Guides: The complete homeopathy handbook by Miranda Castro (Pan, 1996) A guide to the use of homeopathy in treating a wide range of complaints, from coughs and colds to food poisoning, diarrhoea, headache and menstrual cramps. Get this book

inversion therapy

On the face of it, hanging upside down suspended only by your ankles does not sound like the most obvious way to relax. Quite the opposite, you might think. But Helen Garnett, 38, who works in a city bank, was certainly impressed by her trial on the Teeter inversion table. 'I really enjoyed it. It would be good for stress.'

Inversion therapy is particularly recommended for back, neck and shoulder aches and stiffness – a frequent side effect of stress – but is also said to be useful for general relaxation. The principle is that hanging from your ankles elongates the spine, increases space between the vertebrae and reduces pressure on the disks, which in turn releases pressure on trapped nerves. The process is also said to quicken the flow of blood and lymphatic fluid, which clears bodily wastes. A similar technique is used in yoga.

To hang upside down, you first stand upright against the table, release the lever which swings the table to horizontal, then raise you arms to gradually allow yourself to fall back until you are suspended only by your ankles. In this position you can do stretching exercises to help manipulate the spine. It is easy to revert to standing again.

Ted Ivens, managing director of Teeter Hang Ups, which sells inversion tables, says he spends five minutes every evening hanging by his ankles to release shoulder tensions after driving or sitting at a computer. 'It is fantastic. It takes all the pressure away,' he says.

The tables, which fold for storage, are supplied with a video explaining how to use the therapy and cost £395. Tables are also used by physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths during treatment.