Andy Porter and his cure for schizophrenia

The chap below is Andy Porter. Contrary to first appearances, he's not a Judo champion demonstrating his death-throttle on that poor woman, but a psychic surgeon, and one of the last of a dying breed.

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Porter along with his chums Nina Knowland and Gary Mannion are the only psychic surgeons still openly soliciting customers. The others are all in hiding, supposedly not because of the threat of a prison sentence, but because of the things those nasty sceptics are saying.

"Yes the reason most Psychic Surgeons in the UK don't make themselves very well known is that you will be the target of ridicule and in some cases quite vicious behaviour from those that are skeptical [sic]." (Forum post by Andy Porter)

Porter's claims for his psychic surgery lack the dramatic flair of his colleagues, but many of them - including claims of a cure for schizophrenia - must be challenged. ASA complaint follows!

"The website makes a number of health claims which I suspect are misleading.

1. ( http://www.andy-porter.co.uk/ )

"The spirit surgeon detects those parts of the body in which disease is developing,"

I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate his claim to be able to "detect those parts of the body in which disease is developing".

2.

"and performs spiritual surgery in a different dimension removing disease in the same way an orthodox surgeon would with his scalpel."

I challenge whether this comparison is misleading, and whether the advertiser can substantiate his claim to "[remove] disease] with psychic surgery.

3.

"Perhaps in the future science will provide the answers we are looking for, but for now we cannot validate the healing procedure in a conventional way."

I challenge whether this claim is misleading, because published medical research has already investigated the claims of faith healing (eg Rosa et al 1998, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9533499), and "conventional" testing protocols most certainly do exist.

4.

"What conditions can Psychic Surgery treat?

Psychic surgery is able to treat all conditions"

I challenge whether this claim is misleading, and can be substantiated.

5. ( http://www.andy-porter.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=34:ps&id=61:psychic-surgery-page-2 )

"What if I feel pain

The benefit from psychic surgery is that there is no real pain, if there is the patient only need to let me know and I will communicate this to the spiritual surgeons who will immediately administer pain relief."

I challenge whether the claim that pain relief can be delivered "immediately" by "spiritual surgeons" is misleading.

6.

"What can go wrong? Nothing... at worst the psychic surgery will not be successful, please bear in mind as with all alternative therapies there are no guarantees."

I challenge whether the phrase "at worst the psychic surgery will not be successful" is likely to mislead consumers into imagining that psychic surgery has been shown to be successful, at least some of the time.

7.

"For those who are suffering, have tried the western medical offerings in the form of drugs many of which are toxic to the human body, and require help, what is there to lose?"

I challenge whether the phrase "have tried the western medical offerings in the form of drugs many of which are toxic to the human body" is misleading and whether it is likely to discourage essential treatment.

8.

"What conditions can be treated?

The work is performed by spirit surgeons working through my hands, and they are happy to treat all conditions and diseases."

I challenge whether the claim to "treat all conditions and diseases" can be substantiated.

9.

"How many treatments will I need?

Good question, this I cannot answer, some patients will need more than one visit depending upon the severity of the condition being treated, normally one visit resolves most problems."

I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate the claim that psychic surgery can treat "severe" medical conditions.

10.

"Cancer Act (1939)

As a member of UUPS (Unity of UK psychic surgeons)... the only advice we can give regarding cancer is to read our testimonials and make an informed choice regarding psychic surgery."

I challenge whether the advertiser is a member of the Unity of UK Psychic Surgeons, which I understand no longer exists. I also challenge whether the description of anecdotal evidence as being sufficient for a consumer to make an "informed choice" is misleading.

11. ( http://www.andy-porter.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44&Itemid=70 )

"I felt a general sense of well being after the treatment which lasted for a few days, the problem I had gone with seems to have been rectified which I had confirmed and checked at hospital."

I challenge whether testimonial claim for a cure of an unnamed medical condition can be substantiated with documentary evidence.

12.

"Hi Andy,
Thanks for everything yesterday, I would like to know if we should continue giving MXXXXX his anti psychotic medicine, I checked with him this morning re the voices, he does not hear them any more.
Regards P"

I challenge whether this testimonial claim is irresponsible and is likely to discourage essential treatment.

I've made some screenshots of the relevant pages, which are available at:
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=qUs0OVlvVY
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=Ps9FM5jdW5
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=WxKQWS391m
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=whtQmO5j6f

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the alternative medicine industry in general."

Nina Knowland, Healer of Broken Bones

Sceptics often challenge "healers" - with a barely-concealed snigger - to demonstrate their powers by "healing" a broken bone.

Today I found someone who actually claims to perform this service. Meet Nina Knowland!

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Nina claims to be a psychic surgeon, a medical discipline closely related to faith healing. She describes herself as a

"Successful Specialised Healer and Lightworker, specializing in operable, inoperable and post operative [sic] trauma conditions... I have helped many clients who were waiting for an operation and some where an operation would not have been successful as the Surgeons today (not through their fault) do not have the knowledge or equipment..."

Nina is well-known is sceptical circles, mainly for her former friendship with Gary Mannion, another fraudulent healer. Mannion was lucky to avoid a free holiday at Her Majesty's Pleasure for his cancer cure claims, a criminal racket which was being emulated by Knowland until a few years ago.

Nina is still breaking the law, however. Just look at this list of conditions she claims to alleviate: nearly every one constitutes an offence under the 2008 Consumer Protection regulations.

"...acute pain, inoperable aneurysms, arthritis, asthma, back injuries, bilateral osteotomies, broken bones, bronchitis and other lung conditions, bladder problems, chest problems, persistent coughing, Crohn's disease, Deep Vein Thrombosis, detached retinas, damaged eyes, frozen neck, gall bladder conditions, gallstones, haemorrhoids, headaches, migraines, Hiatus Hernia, IBS, Lichen Sclerosis, kidney stones, macular degeneration, menstrual pains, MS, neck injuries, "extensive and irreparable" nerve damage, osteoporosis, sciatica, slipped discs, trapped nerves, whiplash..."

It's a rather long list and it would be easy to miss the "broken bones" gaff. Happily, Nina can support her claim with this, err, "evidence":

"I was off work with a painful cracked Rib [sic], I was on strong painkillers which had no affect [sic]. After Healing [sic] the pain from the cracked Rib [sic] had completely disappeared. My experience of my cracked Rib [sic] being Healed [sic] by Nina allows me to recommend her to anyone..."

"I suffered a broken tibia in my left arm. I had 2 operations and had my arm set in plaster twice. Xray's [sic] showed it calcified but had not fused together... I told Nina and she offered to try to help with healing... A month later I went back for another xray [sic] which showed the Tibia [sic] had fused together..."

An astute reader may wonder why all these "testimonials" are written in the same style, deftly employing the same punctuation errors. Due to space limitations, that query didn't find its way into my ASA complaint.

"I'm writing to complain about the health claims made on two sites operated by Nina Knowland of the "Odyssey Therapy Centre", who describes herself as a "psychic surgeon".

The sites are www.odysseytherapycentre.co.uk and www.ninaknowland.co.uk

1. Knowland describes her work as a "psychic surgeon" thus:

( http://www.ninaknowland.co.uk/#/psychic-surgery/4517505067 )

"Successful Specialised Healer and Lightworker, specializing in operable, inoperable and post operative [sic] trauma conditions..."

2. I'd like to challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate the following claims on the same webpage:

(i) Psychic surgery has "helped many clients who were waiting for an operation"
(ii) Psychic surgery is in some cases superior to (orthodox) surgery
(iii) Psychic surgery can "prevent disease and complications"
(iv) The advertiser has been "successful" in treating "operable, inoperable and post operative [sic] trauma conditions"
(v) "...there is nothing that cannot be cured by Spiritual [Psychic] Surgery"
(vi) "Most ailments are cleared in just one session, sometimes two"

3. The advertiser lists the conditions she imagines psychic surgery can treat ( http://www.ninaknowland.co.uk/#/conditions-alleviated/4523700306 ).

4. I'd like to challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate her claim that psychic surgery can "successfully alleviate" acute pain, inoperable aneurysms, arthritis, asthma, back injuries, bilateral osteotomies, broken bones, bronchitis and other lung conditions, bladder problems, chest problems, persistent coughing, Crohn's disease, Deep Vein Thrombosis, detached retinas, damaged eyes, frozen neck, gall bladder conditions, gallstones, haemorrhoids, headaches, migraines, Hiatus Hernia, IBS, Lichen Sclerosis, kidney stones, macular degeneration, menstrual pains, MS, neck injuries, "extensive and irreparable" nerve damage, osteoporosis, sciatica, slipped discs, trapped nerves and whiplash.

5. I'd also like to challenge her claim that psychic surgery can repair broken limbs and cracked ribs, unblock fallopian tubes, cause a "significant improvement in eyesight" and remove post-operative adhesions and scar tissue.

6. I'd like to challenge whether the claim, at the bottom of this page, that "No doctor will tell you ever tell you everyone can be cured... I can't do this either, I can say I have a high success rate" can be substantiated.

7. The advertiser supports the list of conditions she can "alleviate" with a page of "client testimonials" ( http://www.ninaknowland.co.uk/#/testimonials/4517599900 and http://www.odysseytherapycentre.co.uk/#/testimonials/4522356271 ). I'd like to challenge whether the testimonial claims that psychic surgery can cure inoperable detached retinas, macular degeneration, eczema, degenerative osteoporosis, cracked ribs, broken tibias, post-operative adhesions, pain so severe that morphine was prescribed, hiatus hernia, back pain, intestinal blockages requiring surgery, abscesses and inoperable aneurysms are misleading. I'd also like to challenge whether the claim on these pages, "My testimonials are the evidence of the work I do (in psychic surgery)" is likely to mislead consumers about the reliability of anecdotal evidence.

8. The advertiser's fees are contradictory. Is the fee #40 or #60? Does the advertiser charge for her time, or per condition cured?

(i) http://www.ninaknowland.co.uk/#/psychic-surgery/4517505067 states "#60 per condition...you can contact me through the Odyssey Therapy Centre"
(ii) http://www.odysseytherapycentre.co.uk/#/questionsanswers/4522363854 states "My main Clinic is held at Odyssey Therapy Clinic... the fee is #40"
(iii) http://www.odysseytherapycentre.co.uk/#/testimonials/4522356271 states "I do not charge a fee for my healing. As with all professions I charge for my time".

I've made some screenshots of the relevant pages, which are available at:
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=OR3KFyoDgv
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=ostbi2jx06
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=wvdwJsd249
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=WdzNZ2i22j
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=Pb5TOCAXHo
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=jU5K7cShoB
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=A17bCqgwBu
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=315klod5fD
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=oY1G0qT0Op
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=uG3tOknu3M
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=9divggA6Zp

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the alternative medicine industry in general."