PROGRAM OF BIOLOGICAL TREATMENTS FOR ARTHRITIS

Dr. Essen makes some important exceptions to some of the fundamental principles adopted by other major clinics in Sweden, as follows:

1. Dr. Essen has a general impression, based on practical experience and existing case histories, that prolonged fasting is undesirable in the case of rheumatoid arthritis. The same is true concerning the raw, uncooked diet Although it is general observation, including his own personal experience, that fasting and raw food diets result in an immediate and striking improvement in the condition of the patient, it is all too common that prolonged, continuous treatment of this kind will very often result in a change for the worse. The reason for this is that raw vegetable juices and raw vegetables, as well as fasting, dissolve the accumulated toxins too fast and thus activate biochemical changes in the joints to such an extent that the pathologically affected joints cannot tolerate it nor can eliminative organs handle the heavy load of wastes thus thrown into the bloodstream. This invariably leads to deterioration and worsening of the condition. Raw food therapy and fast therapy, as healing measures, are very powerful curative therapies and should be employed with great caution.

Consequently, Dr. Essen recommends repeated short fasts from three to five days followed by the cleansing diet for the same length of time. The intermediate diet should consist of a mixed raw and cooked vegetable diet, well balanced and individually planned in every case to prevent detoxification from occurring too rapidly.

2. The administration of certain biological preparations (organic medicines) is of very great importance in Dr. Essen’s treatments. The biologically oriented physician in Europe has access to a growing line of new biological medicines made from organic and inorganic substances found in nature and prepared in accordance with biological principles. They are never synthetic and never toxic. Several companies in Europe specialize in the production of such remedies. The preparations most used by Dr. Essen are the well-known remedies from Weleda and Wala in Switzerland. These preparations are administered both orally and as subcutaneous injections.

Dr. Essen says, “The therapeutic effect of these kinds of medications lies in the fact that they direct the life-force in the desired direction, stimulate the glands and other vital organs of the body, and accelerate the healing process. They do not alter nor interfere with normal metabolic processes, only support and activate them.”

Aside from these two exceptions, Dr. Essen’s program is in general similar to what we have described in the previous chapter: lactovegetarian diet, preferably of organically (without sprays and chemical fertilizers) grown products, fasting, enemas, therapeutic baths, physiotherapy, relaxation massage, etc.

In his practice all synthetic and chemical drugs are taboo. He warns, however, that cortisone should not be cut off abruptly. The doses should be reduced gradually until the body has time to adjust to the new situation. He replaces cortisone with biological medicines that stimulate the adrenals, hypophysis, and other endocrine glands.

In addition, he uses large doses of vitamins, particularly vitamin B-121 and large doses of vitamin E (300 milligrams a day), because of its anticollagenotic effect.2 Furthermore, he uses vitamin C (up to 1,000 milligrams orally or intravenously), also B-complex and C combination. The other remedies to note are pollen preparations, organic mineral supplements, medicinal herbs, biologically prepared elixirs, and Luvos Heilerde, a clay preparation which is very effective in absorption and elimination of toxins from the intestinal tract. To the same end he uses various preparations of lactoacid bacteria: L. acidophilus, L. thermophilus, L. bulgaris.