Anthroposophical Medicine
Encyclopedia
Anthroposophical medicine is a complementary approach to medicine that integrates the theories and practices of modern medicine with homeopathic medicines, physical
and artistic therapies
and biographical counseling. The medical approach has its foundation in a spiritual-scientific
understanding of the human being that regards human wellness and illness as biographical events connected to the body
,[mind] and spirit
of the individual.
Anthroposophical medicine uses a holistic approach ("salutogenesis
") that focuses on factors that support human health
by strengthening the patient's physiology
and individuality, rather than solely addressing factors that cause disease
. The self-determination
, autonomy
and dignity
of patients is a central theme; therapies are believed to enhance a patient's capacities to heal.
The anthrosophical medical system was founded in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner
in conjunction with Ita Wegman
as an extension to conventional medicine
based on the spiritual philosophy
of Anthroposophy
. Conventional medical treatments, including surgery
and medications
, are employed as necessary and anthroposophical physicians must have a conventional medical education, including a degree from an established and certified medical school, as well as extensive post-graduate study. There are currently anthroposophical medical practices in 80 countries worldwide.
Its practitioners do not regard it as an "alternative", but as an extension, to conventional science-based medicine:
Based upon the anthroposophical
view of the human being, the approach considers the patient's:
Each of these is considered to have an influence on a patient's health.
In particular, anthroposophic medicine raises the question of a chronic or acute illness' significance in the biography of the patient: in what ways does the illness express, or appear as a result of, what is happening in the patient's life; and in what way does it open up or close down life paths? The events of an illness often constitute decisive decision points in the patient's life: through overcoming an illness a patient may open up biographical doors and/or develop aspects of his or her being that he or she might not otherwise have achieved. The medical goal is then not necessarily to restore the previous condition of the patient, which led to the illness, but rather to achieve a new and healthier condition.
Biographical rhythms including seven-year phases of development are often considered in understanding the patient's life.
Practitioners believe that spending time with a patient is important to discern the most important factors about the patient, and that aspects of patients' well being are not helped by the rush; many doctors, both anthroposophic and conventional, are critical of the stresses on the medical system today that lead to rushing patients through.
The overuse of antibiotics and other drugs, partly driven by the pharmaceutical industry, has been widely criticized by both scientists and doctors generally, and anthroposophical doctors try to minimize the use of antibiotics, antipyretics, intrusive drugs, and have a differentiated individual approach to vaccinations
. In particular, children treated by anthroposophic doctors are sometimes vaccinated only against tetanus and polio, and some vaccinations are given later than recommended by health authorities.
To find remedies to treat a particular illness, anthroposophical medicine considers the nature of the source of the substances used. The character of a mineral, plant or animal is considered to have been formed by the substances that are most active within it. Thus this character may also reveal what the substance will accomplish when given to treat another organism. This is related to Hahnemann
's Doctrine of signatures
. Willow, for example, has an unusual character:
Critics of the doctrine of signatures suggest that there is no evidence that the shape of plants has ever caused a new medical property to be discovered. The intent of the medical approach is to consider both the effective substances and the character (not just shape) of the mineral, plant or animal these substances are drawn from, however.
The medical approach resists mechanical analogies to organic functions: the heart as pump, the brain as computer. Whereas the American Heart Association
describes the normal heart as a "strong, muscular pump a little larger than a fist [that] pumps blood continuously through the circulatory system,” for example, Steiner considered the heart to be not just a generator of flow, or pump, but also a regulator of flow, that in the circulatory system
blood
is "propelled with its own biological momentum, as can be seen in the embryo, and boosts itself with induced momenta from the heart
"; the discovery of a chick embryo that lived to term without a heart has been taken to support this.
.
extracts in the treatment of cancer
was first proposed by Rudolf Steiner
and developed by anthroposophical researchers; it is now probably the best-known anthroposophic therapy. Various forms of the medication are widely available in Central Europe
, where the treatment regimens of up to two-thirds of all oncology patients includes mistletoe. The extracts are generally no longer used to reduce or inhibit tumor growth, but to improve the patients' quality of life and to reduce tumor-induced symptoms and the side-effects of chemotherapy
and radiotherapy; a wide array of clinical studies support the efficacy of the treatment regimen for the latter purposes. There are also phytotherapeutic preparations using non-homeopathic doses of mistletoe; these should not be confused with the anthroposophical preparations.
In the United States, mistletoe "holds interest as a potential anticancer agent because extracts derived from it have been shown to kill cancer cells in vitro" but no forms of the extract have been approved by the FDA for any indications. Mistletoe extracts may not be distributed in or imported into the US except for the purpose of clinical research.
Although preclinical (animal) studies suggested a potential role for mistletoe extracts in cancer therapies, no such effects have been convincingly reported. Evidence for the efficacy of mistletoe as an anticancer drug from human studies is weak. Though numerous cohort studies and case series have reported tumor remission and regression, double blinded
studies have tended not to support this effect, and the cohort and case studies have been criticized as biased due to their small size and lack of double-blinding. Mistletoe extracts are also frequently used to treat cancer patients in Holland, and in Great Britain
. The treatment has been approved as palliative therapy for malignant tumors in Germany. In the United States it is approved for clinical trial only, and numerous clinical trials have evaluated its effectiveness.
Approximately 30 types of mistletoe extracts are used clinically; the most commonly used is known as Iscador. Though no serious side effects are normally found from mistletoe treatments, in one case a patient allergic to mistletoe went into anaphylactic shock. Minor side-effects of injections reported include redness, pain or, in a few cases, subcutaneous inflammation.
The National Cancer Institute (US) position on mistletoe is: "Extracts of mistletoe have been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to boost the immune system (the complex group of organs and cells that defends the body against infection or disease). For this reason, mistletoe has been classified as a type of biological response modifier (a substance that stimulates the body's response to infection and disease). Extracts of mistletoe have also been shown in the laboratory to prevent the growth of new blood vessels needed for tumors to grow....At this time, there is not enough evidence to recommend the use of mistletoe as a treatment for cancer except in carefully designed clinical trials. These trials will give more information about whether mistletoe can be useful in treating certain types of cancer."
The first steps towards an anthroposophical approach to medicine were made before 1920, when homeopathic physicians and pharmacists began working with Rudolf Steiner, who recommended new medicinal substances
as well as specific methods for preparing these. In 1921, Dr Ita Wegman opened the first anthroposophic medical clinic, now known as the Ita Wegman Clinic, in Arlesheim
, Switzerland
. Wegman was soon joined by a number of other doctors. They began to train the first anthroposophic nurses for the clinic.
At Wegman's request, Steiner regularly visited the clinic and suggested treatment regimes for particular patients. Between 1921 and 1925, he also gave several series of lectures on medicine. In 1925, Wegman and Steiner wrote the first book on the anthroposophic approach to medicine, Fundamentals of Therapy.
The clinic expanded and soon opened a branch in Ascona
. Wegman lectured widely, visiting Holland and England particularly frequently, and an increasing number of doctors began to include the anthroposophic approach in their practices. A cancer clinic, the Lukas Clinic, opened in Arlesheim in 1963.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
and artistic therapies
Art therapy
Because of its dual origins in art and psychotherapy, art therapy definitions vary. They commonly either lean more toward the ART art-making process as therapeutic in and of itself, "art as therapy," or focus on the psychotherapeutic transference process between the therapist and the client who...
and biographical counseling. The medical approach has its foundation in a spiritual-scientific
Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy, a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world accessible to direct experience through inner development...
understanding of the human being that regards human wellness and illness as biographical events connected to the body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
,[mind] and spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
of the individual.
Anthroposophical medicine uses a holistic approach ("salutogenesis
Salutogenesis
Salutogenesis is a term coined by Aaron Antonovsky, a professor of medical sociology. The term describes an approach focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than on factors that cause disease...
") that focuses on factors that support human health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
by strengthening the patient's physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
and individuality, rather than solely addressing factors that cause disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
. The self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
, autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
and dignity
Dignity
Dignity is a term used in moral, ethical, and political discussions to signify that a being has an innate right to respect and ethical treatment. It is an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights...
of patients is a central theme; therapies are believed to enhance a patient's capacities to heal.
The anthrosophical medical system was founded in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist. He gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher...
in conjunction with Ita Wegman
Ita Wegman
Ita Wegman, MD is known as the co-founder of Anthroposophical Medicine with Rudolf Steiner. In 1921, she founded the first anthroposophical medical clinic in Arlesheim, now known as the Ita Wegman Clinic...
as an extension to conventional medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
based on the spiritual philosophy
Spiritual philosophy
Spiritual philosophy is a generic term for any philosophy or teaching that pertains to spirituality and spiritual realities. It may incorporate religious or esoteric themes, especially those from Theosophy or Neo-Theosophy, New Age thought, mysticism, and Eastern philosophy...
of Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy, a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world accessible to direct experience through inner development...
. Conventional medical treatments, including surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
and medications
Anthroposophic Pharmacy
Anthroposophic Pharmacy is the discipline related to conceiving, developing and producing medicinal products according to the anthroposophic understanding of man, nature, substance and pharmaceutical processing....
, are employed as necessary and anthroposophical physicians must have a conventional medical education, including a degree from an established and certified medical school, as well as extensive post-graduate study. There are currently anthroposophical medical practices in 80 countries worldwide.
Key concepts
Anthroposophical medicine seeks to extend, not replace, mainstream Western medicine.Its practitioners do not regard it as an "alternative", but as an extension, to conventional science-based medicine:
Based upon the anthroposophical
Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy, a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world accessible to direct experience through inner development...
view of the human being, the approach considers the patient's:
- Physical constitution;
- Life or etheric bodyEtheric bodyThe etheric body, ether-body, æther body, a name given by neo-Theosophy to a supposed vital body or subtle body propounded in esoteric philosophies as the first or lowest layer in the "human energy field" or aura...
, sometimes considered to be analogous to chiChiChi may refer to:Chinese chi is an energy or form of life*Chi , a traditional Chinese unit of length , approximately 1/3 of a meter*Chi , a dragon in Chinese mythology...
or pranaPranaPrana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" .It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", chakshus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus...
; - The physio-psychological organization (also called the astral bodyAstral bodyThe astral body is a subtle body posited by many religious philosophers, intermediate between the intelligent soul and the physical body, composed of a subtle material. The concept ultimately derives from the philosophy of Plato: it is related to an astral plane, which consists of the planetary...
), understood as the bearer of both the emotional or psychological state (affectAffect (psychology)Affect refers to the experience of feeling or emotion. Affect is a key part of the process of an organism's interaction with stimuli. The word also refers sometimes to affect display, which is "a facial, vocal, or gestural behavior that serves as an indicator of affect" .The affective domain...
), and of consciousnessConsciousnessConsciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
; - And the 'ego', source of the self-reflection and free willFree will"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
that co-form the patient's biography.
Each of these is considered to have an influence on a patient's health.
In particular, anthroposophic medicine raises the question of a chronic or acute illness' significance in the biography of the patient: in what ways does the illness express, or appear as a result of, what is happening in the patient's life; and in what way does it open up or close down life paths? The events of an illness often constitute decisive decision points in the patient's life: through overcoming an illness a patient may open up biographical doors and/or develop aspects of his or her being that he or she might not otherwise have achieved. The medical goal is then not necessarily to restore the previous condition of the patient, which led to the illness, but rather to achieve a new and healthier condition.
Biographical rhythms including seven-year phases of development are often considered in understanding the patient's life.
Practitioners believe that spending time with a patient is important to discern the most important factors about the patient, and that aspects of patients' well being are not helped by the rush; many doctors, both anthroposophic and conventional, are critical of the stresses on the medical system today that lead to rushing patients through.
The overuse of antibiotics and other drugs, partly driven by the pharmaceutical industry, has been widely criticized by both scientists and doctors generally, and anthroposophical doctors try to minimize the use of antibiotics, antipyretics, intrusive drugs, and have a differentiated individual approach to vaccinations
Inoculation
Inoculation is the placement of something that will grow or reproduce, and is most commonly used in respect of the introduction of a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into the body of a human or animal, especially to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease...
. In particular, children treated by anthroposophic doctors are sometimes vaccinated only against tetanus and polio, and some vaccinations are given later than recommended by health authorities.
To find remedies to treat a particular illness, anthroposophical medicine considers the nature of the source of the substances used. The character of a mineral, plant or animal is considered to have been formed by the substances that are most active within it. Thus this character may also reveal what the substance will accomplish when given to treat another organism. This is related to Hahnemann
Hahnemann
- People : , German writer, architect and artist , German female entertainer, Kabarettist and actress* Marcus Stephan Hahnemann , American soccer goalkeeper* Paul G...
's Doctrine of signatures
Doctrine of signatures
The doctrine of signatures is a philosophy shared by herbalists from the time of Dioscurides and Galen. This doctrine states that herbs that resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments of that part of the body. Examples include the plants liverwort; snakeroot, an antidote for...
. Willow, for example, has an unusual character:
Critics of the doctrine of signatures suggest that there is no evidence that the shape of plants has ever caused a new medical property to be discovered. The intent of the medical approach is to consider both the effective substances and the character (not just shape) of the mineral, plant or animal these substances are drawn from, however.
The medical approach resists mechanical analogies to organic functions: the heart as pump, the brain as computer. Whereas the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
describes the normal heart as a "strong, muscular pump a little larger than a fist [that] pumps blood continuously through the circulatory system,” for example, Steiner considered the heart to be not just a generator of flow, or pump, but also a regulator of flow, that in the circulatory system
Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
is "propelled with its own biological momentum, as can be seen in the embryo, and boosts itself with induced momenta from the heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
"; the discovery of a chick embryo that lived to term without a heart has been taken to support this.
Studies of efficacy
In 2005, a Swiss government study identified 178 clinical studies of anthroposophical medicine. For many treatments used in anthroposophical medicine, however, proofs of efficacy have not been made through strictly controlled medical testingEvidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests...
.
Mistletoe treatment for cancer
The use of mistletoeMistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.-Mistletoe in the genus Viscum:...
extracts in the treatment of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
was first proposed by Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist. He gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher...
and developed by anthroposophical researchers; it is now probably the best-known anthroposophic therapy. Various forms of the medication are widely available in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, where the treatment regimens of up to two-thirds of all oncology patients includes mistletoe. The extracts are generally no longer used to reduce or inhibit tumor growth, but to improve the patients' quality of life and to reduce tumor-induced symptoms and the side-effects of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and radiotherapy; a wide array of clinical studies support the efficacy of the treatment regimen for the latter purposes. There are also phytotherapeutic preparations using non-homeopathic doses of mistletoe; these should not be confused with the anthroposophical preparations.
In the United States, mistletoe "holds interest as a potential anticancer agent because extracts derived from it have been shown to kill cancer cells in vitro" but no forms of the extract have been approved by the FDA for any indications. Mistletoe extracts may not be distributed in or imported into the US except for the purpose of clinical research.
Although preclinical (animal) studies suggested a potential role for mistletoe extracts in cancer therapies, no such effects have been convincingly reported. Evidence for the efficacy of mistletoe as an anticancer drug from human studies is weak. Though numerous cohort studies and case series have reported tumor remission and regression, double blinded
Double-blind
A blind or blinded experiment is a scientific experiment where some of the people involved are prevented from knowing certain information that might lead to conscious or subconscious bias on their part, invalidating the results....
studies have tended not to support this effect, and the cohort and case studies have been criticized as biased due to their small size and lack of double-blinding. Mistletoe extracts are also frequently used to treat cancer patients in Holland, and in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The treatment has been approved as palliative therapy for malignant tumors in Germany. In the United States it is approved for clinical trial only, and numerous clinical trials have evaluated its effectiveness.
Approximately 30 types of mistletoe extracts are used clinically; the most commonly used is known as Iscador. Though no serious side effects are normally found from mistletoe treatments, in one case a patient allergic to mistletoe went into anaphylactic shock. Minor side-effects of injections reported include redness, pain or, in a few cases, subcutaneous inflammation.
The National Cancer Institute (US) position on mistletoe is: "Extracts of mistletoe have been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to boost the immune system (the complex group of organs and cells that defends the body against infection or disease). For this reason, mistletoe has been classified as a type of biological response modifier (a substance that stimulates the body's response to infection and disease). Extracts of mistletoe have also been shown in the laboratory to prevent the growth of new blood vessels needed for tumors to grow....At this time, there is not enough evidence to recommend the use of mistletoe as a treatment for cancer except in carefully designed clinical trials. These trials will give more information about whether mistletoe can be useful in treating certain types of cancer."
Reviews
- One review concluded: "Although there is laboratory evidence of biological activity that may be beneficial to cancer patients, the evidence of clinical benefit from human studies remains weak and inconclusive. Because of the absence of serious side effects and the limited evidence that mistletoe products may offer some therapeutic advantages, further research is warranted."
- The National Cancer Institute has concluded that mistletoe extract has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to boost the immune system in animals, and that there is evidence that mistletoe can boost the immune system in human beings. The Institute's review suggests that many studies done on human beings have major weaknesses that raise doubts about the reliability of their findings; in some studies without such weaknesses no significant effect was found, while in others "Iscador proved safe and effective and also showed a significant survival advantage over untreated controls."
- According to the American Cancer SocietyAmerican Cancer SocietyThe American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
, "A number of laboratory experiments suggest mistletoe may have the potential to treat cancer, but these results have not yet been reflected in clinical trials. Available evidence from well-designed clinical trials that have studied mistletoe did not support claims that mistletoe could improve length or quality of life. Review of evidence from carefully conducted controlled human clinical studies indicates that mistletoe does not have any significant anti-tumor activity. Most of the studies that have found positive results from mistletoe extract in the treatment or prevention of cancer are not considered scientifically dependable....Researchers are working to identify the most important components, which are thought to be the lectins (proteins). Laboratory experiments also hint that mistletoe increases the activity of lymphocytes, which are cells that attack invading organisms. " - A professor of Complementary Medicine, Edzard ErnstEdzard ErnstEdzard Ernst is the first Professor of Complementary Medicine in the world, at the University of Exeter, England....
, has suggested that there is a danger that some patients might choose to abandon other cancer treatments.
History
Anthroposophic Pharmacy
Anthroposophic Pharmacy is the discipline related to conceiving, developing and producing medicinal products according to the anthroposophic understanding of man, nature, substance and pharmaceutical processing....
as well as specific methods for preparing these. In 1921, Dr Ita Wegman opened the first anthroposophic medical clinic, now known as the Ita Wegman Clinic, in Arlesheim
Arlesheim
Arlesheim is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland. Its cathedral chapter seat, bishop's residence and cathedral are listed as a heritage site of national significance....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Wegman was soon joined by a number of other doctors. They began to train the first anthroposophic nurses for the clinic.
At Wegman's request, Steiner regularly visited the clinic and suggested treatment regimes for particular patients. Between 1921 and 1925, he also gave several series of lectures on medicine. In 1925, Wegman and Steiner wrote the first book on the anthroposophic approach to medicine, Fundamentals of Therapy.
The clinic expanded and soon opened a branch in Ascona
Ascona
Ascona is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.It is located on the shore of Lake Maggiore.The town is a popular tourist destination, and holds a yearly jazz festival, the Ascona Jazz Festival....
. Wegman lectured widely, visiting Holland and England particularly frequently, and an increasing number of doctors began to include the anthroposophic approach in their practices. A cancer clinic, the Lukas Clinic, opened in Arlesheim in 1963.
Modern history and prevalence of practice
There are about 28 anthroposophic hospitals, departments of hospitals, rehabilitation centers and sanatoria located in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, the USA and Brazil, as well as over 140 outpatient clinics worldwide. Four of the German and Swiss anthroposophic hospitals are state-sponsored; three are academic teaching hospitals under the aegis of nearby universities. Three European universities (Bern, Hamburg and Witten/Herdecke) have professorships in anthroposophic medicine and other universities offer courses on the field. Anthroposophic medicine is recognized in Germany as a "Special Therapy System", along with homeopathy and herbal medicine, under the Medicines Act and has its own committee at the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. Anthroposophical medical treatment has been a recognized specialty within Swiss governmental health policy since 1999. The International Federation of Anthroposophical Medical Associations estimates that there are currently approximately 2,000 Anthroposophical doctors worldwide. Based on the number of prescriptions it has been estimated that anthroposophic medicinal products are prescribed by more than 30,000 physicians.Journal review articles
- Ernst, Edzard (2004). Anthroposophical medicine: A systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift, 116(4):128-130, ISSN 0043-5325, PMID 15038403.
- Kienle, G. H., and Kiene, H. (2007). Complementary cancer therapy: A systematic review of prospective clinical trials on anthroposophic mistletoe extracts. European Journal of Medical Research, 12:103-119, PMID 17507307. Reprint (accessed 10/29/2007).
- Mistletoe and Cancer, Townsend Letter, October 2002
Books
- Bott, Victor, An Introduction to Anthroposophical Medicine, ISBN 1-85584-177-0
- Bott, Victor, Spiritual Science and the Art of Healing. ISBN 0-89281-636-8
- Denjean, Barbara and von Bonin, Dietrich, Anthroposophical Therapeutic Speech ISBN 0-86315-418-2
- Douch, Geoffrey, Medicine for the Whole Person: A Guide to Anthroposophical Treatment ISBN 0-86315-362-3
- Evans, Michael and Rodger, Iain, Complete Healing ISBN 0-88010-489-9
- Goebel, Wolfgang and Glöckler, Michaela, A Guide to Child Health, ISBN 0-86315-390-9
- Hauschka, Rudolf, The Nature of Substance ISBN 1-85584-122-3
- Hauschka, Rudolf, Nutrition ISBN 1-85584-117-7
- King, Francis X., Rudolf Steiner and Holistic Medicine, ISBN 0-89254-015-X.
- Leviton, Richard, Anthroposophic Medicine Today ISBN 0-88010-265-9.
- Mees, L. F. C., Blessed by Illness ISBN 0-88010-054-0
- Mees, L. F. C., Secrets of the Skeleton: Form in Metamorphosis ISBN 0-88010-087-7
- Murphy, Christine (ed.), Iscador: Mistletoe and Cancer Therapy ISBN 1-930051-76-X
- Murphy, Christine (ed.), Practical Home Care Medicine: A Natural Approach ISBN 1-930051-09-3
- Murphy, Christine, The Vaccination Dilemma ISBN 1-930051-10-7
- Renzenbrink, Diet and Cancer ISBN 0-85440-766-9
- Steiner, Rudolf and Wegman, Ita, Extending Practical Medicine. ISBN 1-85584-080-4
- also published as Fundamentals of Therapy, ISBN 0-7661-4688-X
- Steiner, Rudolf and Weisz, Paul B., Angiogenesis: Key Principles-Science-Technology-Medicine ISBN 0-8176-2674-3
- Wolff, Otto and Husemann, Friedrich, The Anthroposophic Approach to Medicine ISBN 0-88010-031-1.
- Wolff, Otto, Home Remedies: Herbal and Homeopathic Treatments for Use at Home ISBN 0-88010-362-0
- Zieve, Robert, Healthy Medicine ISBN 0-88010-560-7
- Zur Linden, Wilhelm, A Child is Born ISBN 1-85584-192-4
Lectures by Rudolf Steiner
- Broken Vessels : The Spiritual Structure of Human Frailty, Michael Lipson (ed.). ISBN 0-88010-503-8.
- Fundamentals of Anthroposophical Medicine, ISBN 0-936132-80-9.
- Geographic medicine: The secret of the double. ISBN 0-936132-06-X
- The Healing Process : Spirit, Nature & Our Bodies, Catherine E. Creeger (ed.). ISBN 0-88010-474-0
- Introducing Anthroposophical Medicine (Foundations of Anthroposophical Medicine, v. 1). ISBN 0-88010-463-5
- Medicine: An Introductory Reader, Andrew Maendl (ed.). ISBN 1-85584-133-9
- Occult Physiology ISBN 1-85584-141-X
- Pastoral Medicine: The Collegial Working of Doctors and Priests. ISBN 0-88010-253-5
External links
- Medical Section at the Rudolf Steiner Archive, An Online Library
- Anthroposophic Medical Library, An Online Resource
- International Federation of Anthroposophical Medical Associations
- Physician's Association for Anthroposophical Medicine (North America)
- European Federation of Patients' Associations for Anthroposophic Medicine
- Anthroposophical Health and Social Care (Great Britain and Ireland)