JM writes: "I just read the blog question and answer on homeopathy. This is a very serious matter to me as my family and I have been using homeopathic remedies very successfully over the past three years. I was introduced to them by a very conservative Roman Catholic group of ladies. In doing my own research, I was not troubled about the "vital force" that Dr. Hahneman refers to because anyone who does not know the Christian faith would of course grasp for some kind of word to describe the human soul and the life of that soul as given and designed by God, and the soul's inter-connectedness to our physical bodies. . . ."
AM asks: "Do you know anything about the Neuro -emotional technique or Neuro emotional component of the triangle of health in Chiropractics? Seems somewhat couched in New Age language though there is of course a persuasive presentation of it. Not sure the spelling is right either. But thought you might quickly be able to say if it's New Age."
The New Age has made huge inroads into the healthcare industry, especially in the area of self-help "cures" in the form of everything from pills to chi machines. However, New Age miracles are usually more hype than fact, which is why consumers would be wise to review new guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on how to spot a fraud before it costs them their money - and their health.
What should a Catholic do when they encounter a wellness organization that presents itself as Catholic and yet promotes Eastern meditation techniques, naturopathy, homeopathy, and other New Age modalities? Can a Catholic healthcare provider really have it both ways?
DD writes: "I just heard about the Cefaly band that is being used by doctors in Europe to help cure migraines. Is this based on real science, or is it just another one of those New Age shams?"
(Image courtesy of Wikicommons, Yeza, CC BY-SA-4.0)
PW writes: "Could you please tell me if the Tens Machine is any way a New Age modality? I have severe chronic pain, and it has been suggested that I use this, but I have felt instinctively that it is New Age and I thought I once saw you wrote or said something about this."
JW asks: "I have a friend who is seeing a Rubenfeld Synergy practitioner (Synergist) for pain relief. I've expressed my concern that it sounds New Age to me. She assures me that it is not New Age but a form of Touch/Talk therapy. Could you give me some insight into this and let me know if it is something I should avoid?"
Lori McClintock, the 61-year-old wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, died from dehydration due to gastroenteritis that was caused by “adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion.”
CC asks: "Can you tell me if 'dry needling' is a New Age practice? I have heard a couple of people mention having had it done by their physicians in recent months and had never heard of it."