Do Bach Flower Remedies work?

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Jared L	No it's just homeopathy. old cat lady: more anecdotes? What a surprise.... EDIT: Meta-analysis of all 6 clinical trials of Bach's flower remedies "Those studies that controlled for placebo-effects and minimised selection bias through randomisation failed to demonstrate effects beyond a placebo response. CONCLUSION: The hypothesis that flower remedies are associated with effects beyond a placebo response is not supported by data from rigorous clinical trials." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12635462?dopt=Abstract Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Opus	It's ridiculous. Placebo effect only. Would not waste my money on this crap. Here's why: "Flower remedies": a systematic review of the clinical evidence. Ernst E. Institute of Health & Social Care Research, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, 25 Victoria Park Road, Exeter, EX2 4NT, U.K. Edzard.Ernst@pms.ac.uk BACKGROUND: Flower remedies (also called "Bach" flower remedies) are used by an increasing number of individuals, and many health claims have been made for them. No systematic review of flower remedies has so far been published. AIM: The aim of this systematic review is to summarise and critically analyse the data from all available controlled clinical trials of flower remedies. METHODS: Six databases were searched to identify all controlled clinical trials of flower remedies in humans for any medical condition. No language restrictions were applied. Key data were validated and extracted into table format according to pre-defined criteria. Statistical pooling was not possible, and results were evaluated in narrative form. RESULTS: Four studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Two trials suggested a positive outcome. Those studies that controlled for placebo-effects and minimised selection bias through randomisation failed to demonstrate effects beyond a placebo response. CONCLUSION: The hypothesis that flower remedies are associated with effects beyond a placebo response is not supported by data from rigorous clinical trials. Efficacy of Bach-flower remedies in test anxiety: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial with partial crossover. Walach H, Rilling C, Engelke U. Institut für Umweltmedizin und Krankenhaushygiene, Universitätsklinikum, Freiburg, Germany. walach@ukl.uni-freiburg.de Bach-flower remedies are a type of alternative medication used increasingly for over-the-counter self-help purposes. We studied the efficacy of a combination of Bach-flower remedies in subjects with test anxiety in a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded parallel group design, with crossing over the placebo group to remedies after the first phase. Anxiety was measured by a standardized, validated test anxiety questionnaire (the German version of the Test Anxiety Inventory, TAI-G). Fifty-five of 61 subjects with self-reported test anxiety gave valid data. There was no significant difference between the groups, but a significant decrease of test anxiety in all groups was present. We conclude that Bach-flower remedies are an effective placebo for test anxiety and do not have a specific effect. 4 weeks ago Source(s): Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2002 Dec 30;114(23-24):963-6. J Anxiety Disord. 2001 Jul-Aug;15(4):359-66 Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Moonstone	Yes they do but dont expect them to work immediately like chemical drugs from your doctor. Remember they treat the cause of your condition not the symptoms. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

old know all	They have their uses. Like all homoeopathic remedies, they work by encouraging the immune system. The results can be very slow - it largely depends on the individual. Try them and see if they work for you. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

tigerlite	well ive tried some and they seem to work for me Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

retox	I have used it to calm myself with anxiety and for me it works. I always have a little canister in my handbag - just in case. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

ALAN R	no way! just water! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Dr-cute-hlth	Hi There haven't been any full clinical trials on the actions of the remedies. There was a study done in California as part of a doctoral thesis, but the methodology followed was questionable both in scientific terms and in terms of the assumptions made about the remedies, so we would not produce this study as 'evidence' even though it claimed to show that the remedies work. And there have been other, small-scale studies in different parts of the world, but again nothing that would convince a determined sceptic.... We don't see it as our role to 'prove' that the remedies work - instead we simply demonstrate how to use them and let people prove the effect on themselves. feel free to ask if any querry thanks Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

old cat lady	Just as a matter of general information Bach flower essences are not in any way homeopatic. Edward Bach was a practising English physician in the late 19th and early 20th century. Samuel Hahnemann was a practising physician in Germany in the late 18th and early 19th century. Dr. Bach developed his flower essences in response to the need he say for helping his patients deal with emotional issues surrounding their illnesses - certainly the first well-known physician to make the connection with the importance of the mental state of his patients dealing with physical illness. Though the "mentals" are important in repertorizing homeopathic remedies Dr. Hahnemann's work had a definite slant toward healing the physical problems per se. Dr. Bach's approach was more to help patients achieve emotional balance so that the body's healing forces (now termed immune system) could concentrate the energies toward promoting healing and general health. Both physicians were seeking to follow the Hippocratic principle of "nolo nocere" - first do no harm - in treating their patients as they saw the harm (frequently death was the outcome) of the harsh, aggressive treatments of their time (blood letting, high doses of poisons, etc.). People certainly have gone beyond Bach developing flower essences in using plants from the Rocky Mountain and Australian Bush. Ian White has developed the Australian Bush essences which he uses for healing of physical problems as much as emotional and spiritual ones. I have much more experience using them (the flower essences) with animals than personally. I certainly have found them effective. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

shlomit t	Yes they do. For the disbelievers- continue to drug yourself with Prozac. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

happyearthmother	I discovered them about 10 years ago and was very sceptical but they worked! They led me to homeopathy which also works. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

ChocLover	My mum swears by the rescue remedy, I have tried it a couple of times but don't rate it as much as she does. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

sunflora	I find that the Rescue Remedy works for me... Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No