Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 1998; 3: 186
Traditional treatments for wart removal have a place in the ancient medical folklore of Europe. Distant healing is the most commonly used alternative treatment today though there is little evidence in the form of controlled trials, to support its use. The objective of this study was to determine the specific effect of ‘distant healing’ on disappearance or reduction of peripheral warts.
91 volunteers (over the age of 16 years) with peripheral outgrowing warts were recruited by press advertisements in Devon. The number, size and location of warts were recorded, a video record made and a history of wart activity obtained. Subjects also completed a Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. After randomisation, the subjects were allocated either to treatment or placebo group. Those in the active group had their NAME, age, city of residence and the NUMBER and LOCATION of warts sent to the distant healers. Twelve distant healers had been recruited, two in the West country and ten - from the Doctor-Healer network - in the London area. Subjects returned 6 weeks after enrolment to have wart and other measurements repeated. The primary outcome measure was the number of warts remaining, and their diameter, at the site of interest recorded by video camera.
Full results will be presented at the conference.
