The Dorn Method Centre promote bogus treatments

Unless you have spent time living in Germany, you probably won't have heard of the Dorn Method.

Still, you'll probably be familiar with the idea that misalignments in the spine are responsible for all sorts of nasty medical problems - chiropractors have been spreading the same misleading claims for over a hundred years.

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The Dorn Method Centre have produced a handy leaflet (available here and here) introducing their therapy, which they describe as "safe and very effective" and "a very effective treatment with a proven record of success".

The leaflet begins plausibly enough with a description of gentle massage and movement exercises as a way to combat back pain and bad posture.

When we reach the final page, though, the Dorn Method is exposed as high quackery in all its shameless glory.

For, you see, "Spinal Misalignments" are not just connected with lower back pain, headaches and sciatica, but also:

"Headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, dizziness, paralysis due to irregular circulation in [the] brain, chronic tiredness, sinus problems, eye trouble, ear pain, deafness, neuralgia, pain in facial nerves, spots, acne, tinnitus, toothache, bad teeth, plaque, bleeding gums, constant colds, loss of hearing, chapped lips, adenoids, catarrh, laryngitis, hoarseness, sore throat, colds, tonsillitis, stiff neck, upper arm pain, whooping cough, croup, goiter, diseases of the thyroid gland, colds, bursitis in the shoulder or elbow, depression, fear, shoulder pain, neck cramp, lower arm/hand pain, ligament inflammation, furry feelings in fingers, heart trouble, disruption in rhythm, fear, chest pains, bronchitis, influenza, pneumonia, pleurisy, coughing, breathing difficulties, asthma, gallbladder problems, gall stones, jaundice, one sided [sic] headaches (from gallbladder meridian), liver disruption, low blood pressure, anemia [sic], fatigue, shingles, circulatory weakness, arthritis, stomach and digestive problems, heartburn, diabetes, duodenal ulcers, stomach complaints, hiccups, possible vitamin deficiency, feeling weak, spleen problems, weak immune system, allergies, nettle rash, kidney problems, salt can not escape, chalked-up arteries, chronic tiredness, skin disease incl[uding] acne, spots, eczema, boils, raw skin, psoriasis, problems with the small intestine, wind, rheumatism, disruption in growth, infertility, erectile dysfunction, disruption in circulation within intestine, constipation, diarrhea [sic], appendix problems, stomach cramp, hyper acidity, varicose vains, pregnancy problems, menstruation pain, menopause problems, bladder pain, knee aches - often together with the bladder, impotence, bed-wetting, sciatica, lumbago, prostrate trouble, painful or too frequent urination, circulation problems in leg and feet, cold feet, cramps in the calves, swelling of feet and legs, sciatica, abdominal problems, chronic constipation, pain in legs and feet, hemorrhoids [sic], itching of the anus, pain on sitting..."

It would be easy to accuse the Dorn Method Centre of happily promoting bogus treatments for which there is not a jot of evidence.

So, I will.

The Dorn Method Centre are happily promoting bogus treatments for which there is not a jot of evidence (except possibly for tinnitus, for which a single clinical study exists - I haven't been able to read the study in full yet).

While I await a libel writ, here's my ASA complaint!

"I write to complain about a leaflet I picked up at the CamExpo exhibition in London on 24th October this year.

The leaflet, for The Dorn Method Centre, promotes a spinal adjustment therapy. I can provide the original leaflet by post, if necessary.

1. The "Dorn Method" is a therapy developed in the 1970s by Dieter Dorn. The leaflet describes it the therapy thus:

"What is The Dorn Method? Dorn is a gentle, safe and very effective treatment designed to help alleviate the cause of Back and Joint Pain in people of all ages. It is used to correct misalignments of the spine and other joints, treating many common health problems including - Back pain - Neck pain - Headaches and migraines - Joint problems such as Hip, Knee, Shoulder, Elbow, Ankle, Jaw - Leg length difference - Sciatica..."

2. The leaflet continues:

"Dorn has its origins in South Germany and has been used very successfully now for more than 35 years. It consists of a range of well proven exercises and techniques which help joints and vertebrae slip back into their natural positions without 'clicking' or 'crunching'... An imbalance in the hip caused for example by a difference in leg length, can force the spine to sit twisted on an uneven foundation. In this situation forces acting on the body... can pull vertebrae more easily out of place... This can lead not only to Back pain, but also problems elsewhere such as headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and even psychological problems such as eating disorders..."

3. The leaflet summarises the "Benefits of The Dorn Method" as "A very effective treatment with a proven record of success - Helps alleviate the cause of Back and Joint Pain and many other common health problems..."

4. (i) Despite the leaflet's protestations, only one clinical study appears to have ever been conducted on the Dorn Method [1]. It examined the effects of the therapy on tinnitus.

(ii) I was not able to find a copy of the complete study, but from its abstract, there is no indication that the study was randomised, double-blinded or even controlled.

(iii) Despite these possible shortcomings, the study's abstract concludes:

"These results suggest that Dorn therapy must be an integral part of any tinnitus therapy."

5. Under Section 12.1 of the CAP Code, I challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate their assertion that the Dorn Method is a "very effective treatment with a proven record of success" in "many... common health problems" such as "[lower] back pain", "sciatica", "headaches" and "eating disorders".

6. Under Section 3.1, I challenge whether the advertiser's claim that "Headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, dizziness, paralysis due to irregular circulation in [the] brain, chronic tiredness, sinus problems, eye trouble, ear pain, deafness, neuralgia, pain in facial nerves, spots, acne, tinnitus, toothache, bad teeth, plaque, bleeding gums, constant colds, loss of hearing, chapped lips, adenoids, catarrh, laryngitis, hoarseness, sore throat, colds, tonsillitis, stiff neck, upper arm pain, whooping cough, croup, goiter, diseases of the thyroid gland, colds, bursitis in the shoulder or elbow, depression, fear, shoulder pain, neck cramp, lower arm/hand pain, ligament inflammation, furry feelings in fingers, heart trouble, disruption in rhythm, fear, chest pains, bronchitis, influenza, pneumonia, pleurisy, coughing, breathing difficulties, asthma, gallbladder problems, gall stones, jaundice, one sided [sic] headaches (from gallbladder meridian), liver disruption, low blood pressure, anemia [sic], fatigue, shingles, circulatory weakness, arthritis, stomach and digestive problems, heartburn, diabetes, duodenal ulcers, stomach complaints, hiccups, possible vitamin deficiency, feeling weak, spleen problems, weak immune system, allergies, nettle rash, kidney problems, salt can not escape, chalked-up arteries, chronic tiredness, skin disease incl[uding] acne, spots, eczema, boils, raw skin, psoriasis, problems with the small intestine, wind, rheumatism, disruption in growth, infertility, erectile dysfunction, disruption in circulation within intestine, constipation, diarrhea [sic], appendix problems, stomach cramp, hyper acidity, varicose vains, pregnancy problems, menstruation pain, menopause problems, bladder pain, knee aches - often together with the bladder, impotence, bed-wetting, sciatica, lumbago, prostrate trouble, painful or too frequent urination, circulation problems in leg and feet, cold feet, cramps in the calves, swelling of feet and legs, sciatica, abdominal problems, chronic constipation, pain in legs and feet, hemorrhoids [sic], itching of the anus, pain on sitting" are connected with "spinal misalignments" is misleading.

7. I confirm I have no connections with the advertiser. I confirm I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser.

Footnotes:

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15106291?dopt=AbstractPlus
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