Anyone may put a plaque on the wall and declare themselves a complementary health practitioner. There are no official regulations and no plans by the Department of Health to introduce any. It is simply a case of consumer beware.
The Department of Health has "no control over, no contact with, no relations with, practitioners of complementary medicine on an official, formal regulatory basis," according to a spokesman. Over the years, they have had numerous contacts from groups such as homeopathists and acupuncturists, wanting official recognition.
These practitioners wish to make their contribution within the context of a regulatory framework. "To be fair these are reputable people who want to do their best to copperfasten the situation and keep out charlatans but to a large extent we have not accommodated them and there is no great urgency to do so, because much of what they do is based on anecdotal evidence and random controlled trials simply have not been done. We are not in a situation where support can be given."
This leaves the consumer in a very unprotected position. If a complaint were made against a doctor, the Medical Council is able to take action. The only way to seek redress in this instance is through common law. Interestingly the Department of Health receives few, if any, complaints regarding complementary medicine. The message for consumers is to check credentials thoroughly. There is also an increasing number of people in the health profession who have also trained in complementary medicine.
One of these is Dr Audrey Bradley, a qualified doctor, an acupuncturist and a lecturer in Anatomy in UCC. She feels that non-medical people would be at an immediate disadvantage. "You can bring medical training of many years to bear. If someone comes to me with a headache I could check their blood pressure because I am medically trained. I do not like knocking people that are not, I am sure they do get very good results."
Dr Bradley, is a member of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, as well as the Cork Medical Acupuncture Society. Her interest in acupuncture was stimulated by the dramatic results she saw when a colleague who suffered from severe back ache had "dramatic results" from acupuncture.
"The use of needles is supported in a diverse range of conditions including nausea, vomiting, arthritis, migraine, sinusitis. There is also good evidence that it can regulate the immune system, and help people who suffer from chronic digestive disorders. Over 75 per cent of my patients get a beneficial result without any side effects, but it is not a panacea for everything. When I finish a surgery I am generally in very happy humour because there is great satisfaction in helping people and getting good results."
Chiropractor Rory Hayes sees a wide range of people, but increasingly they are young clients who, as life gets more sedentary, are suffering from back pain. Rory, who studied for four years at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in Bournemouth, graduated with a BSc in chiropractic. When he sees a new patient at his practice in Dundrum he takes a case history, does an examination and decides what treatment would suit best, most often this is manipulation. If he feels an X-ray is needed he refers on to a GP.
According to Rory cases of adverse effects from chiropractic are exceptionally rare. "It just seems to be anecdotal really. I have never heard of a specific case involving a properly trained chiropractor."
He advises anyone wishing to attend a chiropractor to check that they are members of the Irish Chiropractic Association. "We are registered, have insurance and have trained at chiropractic college. There are people who are out there calling themselves chiropractors and they are not trained."
Myra Quigley, a former nurse, practises the Metamorphic Technique. This involves massage of the feet, hands and head. She decided to study it after becoming aware of the healing power that people had within themselves, provided they are able to source them. "I found that pills, potions and surgery were all like props to people. They did help but in the final analysis it was their own healing that mattered."
The technique was discovered by Robert St John, a British naturopath and reflexologist. Practitioners see themselves as "catalysts" for change. They do not diagnose or prescribe. It is founded on the belief that the body is reflected in the feet and hands. Going one step further it claims that the physical, emotional and mental patterns are established in the womb and are mapped out on the foot and hand.
"The illnesses of the mind and body stem from primary attitudes of mind created at conception and developed during gestation," says Myra who practises in Monkstown, Co Dublin. "Metamorphosis enables the student to contact their primary conditioning factors and effect changes that finally eliminate the abnormalities. People are able to let go of their illnesses, fears and phobias and even illnesses. I have treated alcoholics and prescribed drug addicts."