Health includes vacuum therapy, light therapy and aromatherapy in its list of pseudotherapies

It does recognize the advantages of tai chi, although it clarifies that "the benefit is linked to performing physical activity"

MADRID, 11 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Ministry of Health, following the reports developed by the Spanish Network of Health Technology Agencies and Benefits of the National Health System (RedETS), has concluded that vacuum therapy, light therapy for mental health problems, conscious breathing, chi- kung/qigong, zerobalancing, aromatherapy and relaxation techniques based on the induction of bodily sensations should be considered pseudotherapies.

On the other hand, Health does recognize the advantages of tai chi, although it clarifies that "the benefit is linked to performing physical activity." "From a physiological point of view, it would be a type of exercise with which all the muscles of the body can be worked, enhancing strength, flexibility and balance and with fewer problems of muscle overload and risk of injuries associated with other sports disciplines," they highlight. .

Thus, the report concludes that this practice, as a physical activity carried out in various pathologies, especially those of the musculoskeletal area, is "beneficial" with respect to perceived well-being and various functions such as pain reduction.

However, in the remaining seven activities, the main reason alleged for their inclusion in the field of pseudotherapies is the lack of scientific evidence, which rules out their use in the clinical setting.

These eight therapies evaluated are part of the 16 that, as reported by the Ministry of Health last February, were ready to publish. Therefore, there are still eight more to know.

Vacuotherapy ('cupping' or cupping therapy) in musculoskeletal pathology, which consists of the application of glass or plastic cups, heated on the skin or through other cupping techniques, at different points of the body, "cannot be considered a safe therapy," according to the report.

This is due to the inherent risks of applying the technique to the human body, mostly in wet vacuum therapy. "The benefit they could show is based on low-quality studies that do not support their effectiveness, so their use in this indication would not be recommended," the document details.

Light therapy for mental health problems, for its part, is based on the use of light for therapeutic purposes. It is commonly applied with the use of a light box placed approximately one meter away at a height within the field of view; however, application is possible with a portable overhead light source, ceiling-mounted light fixtures; or 'naturalistic' light therapy, known as dawn-dusk simulation, which mimics twilight transitions outdoors.

Due to various methodological limitations of the included studies, it is not possible to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of light therapy in mental health problems. Furthermore, the report notes that "there is insufficient evidence" to support its use in mental health.

As for conscious breathing, which consists of being fully present at the moment when breathing is performed and feeling its effects on the body, the report highlights that they must be interpreted "with caution." The cause is the lack of guarantee that its efficacy results can be extrapolated to clinical practice.

The same goes for chi-kung/qigong, breathing and movement exercises with some possible health benefits. With it, you can work all the muscles of the body, enhancing strength, flexibility and balance.

Health concludes that it could have the benefit of low-impact physical activity on people with musculoskeletal diseases and in those where it can contribute to reducing stress levels and improving quality of life with a low risk of adverse effects. However, he warns that "the evidence supporting this claim is of low quality."

Zerobalancing, for its part, is a technique or modality of physical and manual mind/body work that, according to its founder, Fritz Frederick Smith, involves 'energy' and 'structure', achieving balance in the individual. From the document it is extracted that, with the information available at the time, there is no evidence on the safety and effectiveness of the technique in any clinical condition.

The low quality of the studies carried out is also the reason for the classification of aromatherapy as pseudotherapy. It is a branch of phytotherapy that uses essential oils (extracted from plants) with the aim of improving well-being, reducing anxiety, stress and other clinical symptoms, both emotional and physical.

Although aromatherapy can be a complementary resource of some value for the treatment of physical and psychological symptoms in cardiovascular diseases and dysmenorrhea, Health clarifies that "essential oils are natural, but not harmless." In fact, a series of mild adverse events associated with its use have been identified.

Finally, among the relaxation techniques based on the induction of bodily sensations, autogenic relaxation training (or autogenic training) stands out, which consists of reaching a state of deep relaxation through mental representations of physical sensations (heat, cold, heaviness) in different parts of the body.

The report notes that autogenic training could be beneficial in improving psychological and physical symptoms in different health conditions, but the conclusions cannot be "definitive" due to the low number of studies for each health condition and their high risk of bias. or uncertain. "It is necessary to continue evaluating the safety of these techniques," the document concludes.

To date, 13 evaluation reports have been published, which add to the 73 therapies classified from the beginning as pseudotherapies as they do not have scientific evidence of any kind.

These 73 pseudotherapies are: somatoemotional analysis, transactional analysis, angels of Atlantis, harmonics, arolo tifar, ataraxia, aura soma, biocybernetics, breema, energy surgery, transformational coaching, systematic constellations, quartz crystals, chromopuncture, quartz bowls, Tibetan bowls , diaphreotherapy, tuning forks, acupressure, marine essences, spinology, fasciotherapy, feng shui, flowers of the dawn, fruit therapy, gemotherapy, geobiology, geochromotherapy, geotherapy, graphotherapy, colon hydrotherapy, ericksonian hypnosis, homeosynthesis, iridology, lama-fera, babandi massage , Californian massage, chakra energy massage, metamorphic massage, Tibetan massage, anthroposophic medicine, Mapuche medicine, orthomolecular medicine, metallotherapy, Kidoc body orientation method, Grinberg method, numerology, oligotherapy, urine therapy, biocatalytic oxygenation, stones hot, vastu pyramid, sea plasma, posturology, pranotherapy, psychohomeopathy, psychic healing, quintan, radioesthesia, rebirthing, core synchronization, sophronization, sotai, tantra, phosphenic technique, metamorphic technique, nimmo massage technique, bioenergetic therapy, biomagnetic therapy, therapy cellular memory renewal (cmrt), california flower therapy, orchid flower therapy, and regressive therapy.

The last nine reports, published in August 2022, analyzed the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture, pilates, yoga, flower therapy, reflexology, music therapy, tumor therapy, meditation and deep structural massage.