Do Alternative Therapies Work for Epilepsy?
As you might guess, there's no easy answer to this question. As with other types of epilepsy treatment, individual needs and responses vary enormously. The range of alternative therapies is also enormous. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) lists five categories of therapies:
Alternative medical systems: These are complete systems of theory and practice. Some, like traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, developed in non-Western cultures. Others, like homeopathy and naturopathy, developed in Europe or the United States.
Mind-body interventions: These therapies involve techniques intended to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms. Examples include EEG biofeedback, meditation, prayer, and art therapy. Some of these techniques (like cognitive-behavioral therapy) have become mainstream.
Biologically based therapies: These therapies rely on substances found in nature, such as herbs, vitamins, and certain foods. Some of these therapies (such as the ketogenic diet) become part of conventional medicine when they are scientifically proven.
Manipulative and body-based methods: These methods rely on manipulating or moving parts of the body. Chiropractic and massage are examples of this type of therapy.
Energy therapies: These therapies use energy fields. Biofield therapies (such as Reiki and Therapeutic Touch) involve energy fields of the human body, which have not yet been scientifically proven to exist. Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies (such as magnetic stimulation) use things like magnets or electrical current.
Very few of these therapies have been tested by large, well-designed scientific studies, and research into their use in epilepsy is even more rare. A few small studies and reports of individual cases suggest that some may be helpful. If you are interested in exploring an alternative therapy to try to improve your quality of life, discuss it with your doctor to make sure that you stay safe and don't waste your money and time on something that will offer no benefit.
Studies have shown that no more than one-third of epilepsy patients who use alternative therapies tell their neurologist. Not telling your neurologist is a mistake, even if you are not using the alternative therapy to treat your epilepsy. Inform your neurologist about any alternative therapies that you are using or plan to use. The neurologist can tell you whether the new therapy is likely to affect your epilepsy or interact with your seizure medicine. The neurologist also needs to know about the alternative therapy so he or she can correctly figure out the cause of any changes in your condition.