FAITH HEALING AND THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE

During  my practice as a neurosurgeon, I have experienced various types of reactions from patient’s relatives, lay public and doctors as well. People who diagnose, advise investigations and treat neurological diseases are not necessarily experts in this field: they could be relatives, neighbors, colleagues, or just well-wishers! The confidence with which lay people diagnose others’ diseases, and give advice never ceases to amaze me. Each one of us has an opinion about many things, but they need not necessarily be the best advice for a patient.

Then why do patients listen to non-expert advice? The answer lies in the fact that neurologic diseases make them so vulnerable and helpless, that they are likely to try any form of treatment.
Each one of us tends to get disturbed by even small diseases that affect our body. And when either the brain or spinal cord is affected, it is not surprising that we tend to lose our confidence.

What helps us to face our enemy better is knowledge. Fear of the disease is based on an ignorance of it.

For example, if a patient is told by his doctor that he has a ‘Slipped Disc’, what would his reaction likely to be?
1.    ”I need to talk to someone about this. Let me ask my neighbor who I should go to: he/his relative had a similar problem”.
2.    “Oh! My God. If I go to a surgeon, he would definitely advise surgery. It would probably be better to visit an ‘Alternative Medicine Doctor’ who might give me relief by other means”.
3.    “Let me see if there’s any information available in any of the medical books for the public, or on the internet. Then let me visit the appropriate specialist Doctor”.

Of all these possible reactions, the third one occurs least in India, even among the ‘socially advanced’ class.
Also, books written for the public in a simple language that they can understand is lacking.
I have attempted to develop a website that aims at educating the public about common diseases of the nervous system, various diagnostic investigations, non-surgical treatment, surgical options, newer techniques etc.
This is not aimed to be a comprehensive encyclopedia of neurosurgery. I have tried to make things as simplistic as possible. So, while browsing the various sections of the site, people may either think that the surgeries are either very simple or too complex. The reader is requested to just utilize this information and discuss further with their doctors.

Faith-healing has been a sort of tradition in Indian culture. The belief and trust that patients have in sadhus/sadhvis/ saints is sometimes taken to the extreme- ‘one just has to tell them our problems, and they will take care of the rest’!As far as the spine is concerned, our society as a whole has many beliefs. These misbeliefs are based on ignorance, and there are many people willing to take advantage of it. ‘I will make you better by making you walk in water’, I will treat you with laser’. ‘My massages will treat you’ etc. are the many false promises that I have heard of (there are more!). Some even go to the extent of proclaiming “Surgery is not necessary” or “surgery is all humbug”!

This radical placing of faith by patients even extends to doctors. Quite often, even in urban medical practice, we find that patients expect the doctor ‘to do the needful’. While this is very heartening, people must understand that doctors cannot play God and that they must take educated and responsible decisions.
Patients must have faith in their doctors, but with eyes wide open. The patients and their relatives should be aware of the pros and cons of medical and surgical treatments, and that diseases have their own natural course, despite interventions. Faith in their treating doctors should be based on a scientific knowledge and outlook. The patients need to be involved in acquiring knowledge of the disease and various treatment options, processing it, and making a combined decision with the treating doctors.

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