Woman looking at Bach Flower remedies
are dilutions of
flower material developed by
Edward Bach, an English physician and
homeopath, in the 1930s. The remedies are intended primarily for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to
depression,
anxiety,
insomnia and
stress.
The remedies contain a very small amount of flower material in a 50:50 solution of water and
brandy. Because the remedies are extremely dilute they do not have a characteristic scent or taste of the plant. Vendors claim that the remedies contain "
energetic" nature of the flower and that this can be transmitted to the user. Although Bach flower remedies often are associated with homeopathy, the remedies differ from homeopathy in that they do not follow fundamental homeopathic precepts such as the
law of similars or the assumption that curative powers are enhanced by diluting and shaking ("succussion").
Two systematic reviews of clinical trials of Bach flower remedies found no support for effects beyond a
placebo.
Use
Each remedy is used alone or in conjunction with other remedies, and each flower is believed by advocates to impart specific qualities to the remedy. Bach flower remedies are also used on
pets and domestic animals. Remedies are usually taken orally.
Remedies may be recommended by a
naturopath or by a trained Bach flower practitioner after an interview. An individual may also choose the combination they feel best suits their situation. Some vendors recommend
dowsing to select a remedy.
The best known flower remedy is the
Rescue Remedy combination,
which contains an equal amount each of
Rock rose,
Impatiens,
Clematis,
Star of Bethlehem and
Cherry Plum remedies. The product is aimed at treating stress, anxiety, and
panic attacks, especially in emergencies. Rescue Remedy is a trade mark and other companies produce the same formula under other names, such as Five Flower Remedy.
Rescue Cream contains the same remedies in a cream form, with the addition of
Crab Apple, the only one of Bach's remedies meant to work directly on the physical body as well as with the emotions. It is applied externally in response to minor skin problems such as itches, cuts, stings, pimples and burns.
Research on the effects of a particular remedy is done by case reporting with consensus review by other users. Results found in this manner are susceptible to
confirmation bias, a tendency to search for or interpret new information in a way that confirms preconceptions and avoid information and interpretations which contradict prior beliefs.
Discovery
Bach thought of illness as the result of "a contradiction between the purposes of the soul and the personality's point of view." This internal war, according to Bach, leads to negative moods and energy blocking, which causes a lack of "harmony," thus leading to physical diseases.
Rather than being based on research using the
scientific method, Bach's flower remedies were
intuitively derived and based on his perceived
psychic connections to the plants.
If Bach felt a negative emotion, he would hold his hand over different plants, and if one alleviated the emotion, he would ascribe the power to heal that emotional problem to that plant. He believed that early morning sunlight passing through dew-drops on flower petals transferred the healing power of the flower onto the water,
so he would collect the dew drops from the plants and preserve the dew with an equal amount of
brandy to produce a
mother tincture which would be further diluted before use. Later, he found that the amount of dew he could collect was not sufficient, so he would suspend flowers in
spring water and allow the sun's rays to pass through them.
Bach advertised his remedies in two daily newspapers, but since his practices did not follow any scientific protocol, and his methods and claims were unproven, the
General Medical Council disapproved of his advertising. For example, in his treatise
Heal Thyself he wrote:
Production
Edward Bach thought that dew collected from the flowers of plants contains some of the properties of the plant, and that it was more potent on flowers grown in the sun. As it was impractical to collect dew in quantity, he decided to pick flowers and steep them in a bowl of water under sunlight. If this was impractical due to lack of sunlight or other reasons, he decided the flowers may be boiled.
The result of this process Bach termed the "mother tincture", which is then further diluted before sale or use.
Bach was satisfied with the method, because of its simplicity, and because it involved a process of combination of the
four elements:
Bach flower remedies are not dependent on the theory of
successive dilutions, and are not based on the Law of Similars of
Homeopathy. The Bach remedies, unlike homeopathic remedies, are all derived from non-toxic substances, with the idea that a "positive energy" can redirect or neutralize "negative energy."
Manufacturer information
Bach flower remedies are produced by several companies around the world. The British Association of Flower Essence Producers (BAFEP) list at least six companies located on the United Kingdom. It also lists several other essence producers.
Nelsons is a major producer of Bach flower remedies and manufactures and holds the trademark to Rescue Remedy, which is the best known example of Bach Flower Remedies
. They are licensed by the
Bach Centre, whose bottling and distribution business was acquired in 1993 by Nelsons.
[The Bach Centre page about Nelsons http://www.bachcentre.com/other/nelsons.htm][. ]
. The Bach Centre today is an independent foundation that produces flower tinctures for Nelsons.
Nelsons distribute both Rescue Remedy and Bach Original Flower Remedies to more than 60 countries around the world.
Another producer in the UK is Healing Herbs Ltd. In the late 1990s, Nelsons and Healing Herbs' Julian Barnard faced a legal dispute concerning the 'Bach flower remedies' and 'Bach' trademarks. In 1998, the High Court in London decided that 'Bach' and 'Bach flower remedies' are generics and cannot be used in the UK as registered trademarks. This decision was upheld in 1999 by the Court of Appeals, in 2000 in the House of Lords and in Europe by the
Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market in 2008.
. However, they remain registered trademarks in other European territories.
Effectiveness
A recent database review of randomized trials concluded:
The hypothesis that flower remedies are associated with effects beyond a placebo response is not supported by data from rigorous clinical trials.
All randomized double-blind studies, whether finding for or against the remedies, have suffered from small
cohort sizes but the studies using the best methodology were the ones that found no effect over
placebo.
The most likely means of action for flower remedies is as
placebos, enhanced by
introspection on the patient's emotional state, or simply being listened to by the practitioner. The act of selecting and taking a remedy may act as a calming
ritual.
See also
