Palliative Care

Matthias Girke

Last update: 04.04.2019

Palliative care is understood by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be the active, holistic treatment of patients with advanced diseases and limited life expectancies, where the highest priority is given to the control of pain and associated health complaints, and to dealing with psychological, social and spiritual questions (1, 2, 3). In this sense, Anthroposophic Palliative Care works with a spiritual-scientific understanding of the human being that places the concept of development at the foundation of patient care. In addition to addressing clinical symptoms, Anthroposophic Medicine incorporates therapeutic measures to support the patient’s life organization, as well as the needs of soul and spirit. The patient’s spiritual questions require special attention, which can lead to suggestions for meditative work or prayer.

When a patient experiences forward-looking therapeutic orientation and ongoing therapeutic commitment even in the palliative phase of his illness, this fortifies his strength and motivation to proceed on his own way. Studies have been known, already for quite some time, which suggest that palliative care improves prognosis (4). This means that palliative care can no longer be understood to be a phase of exclusively treating symptoms; it has its own therapeutic significance. The decisive aspect of Anthroposophic Palliative Care is that its approach to therapy is based on development: it is not about accompanying the “final” days of the patient, it is rather a time of preparation and development, which can already bear fruit during palliative treatment and which prepares for the patient’s future destiny. It is from this conviction that our therapeutic relationship to the patient develops, which especially in palliative care allows for growing closeness and a sense of connectedness to destiny.

Fig.: Receptive music therapy in palliative care. © Laura Piffaretti

Bibliography

  1. World Health Organization definition 2002, available at https://www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/ (14.3.2019)
  2. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e. V., Deutscher Hospiz- und Palliativverband e. V., Bundesärztekammer (ed.) Charta zur Betreuung schwerstkranker und sterbender Menschen in Deutschland. 2010.
  3. Müller-Busch HC. Was bedeutet bio-psycho-sozial in Onkologie und Palliativmedizin. Behandlungsansätze in der anthroposophischen Medizin. Jahrbuch der Psychoonkologie der ÖGPO. Wien: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Psychoonkologie; 2004.
  4. Temel JS, Greer JA, Muzikansky A, Gallagher ER, Admane S, Jackson VA, Dahlin CM, Blinderman CD, Jacobsen J, Pirl WF, Billings JA, Lynch TJ. Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 2010;363(8):733-742.[Crossref]

Research news

Phase IV trial: Kalium phosphoricum comp. versus placebo in irritability and nervousness 
In a new clinical study, Kalium phosphoricum comp. (KPC) versus placebo was tested in 77 patients per group. In a post-hoc analysis of intra-individual differences after 6 weeks treatment, a significant advantage of KPC vs. placebo was shown for characteristic symptoms of nervous exhaustion and nervousness (p = 0.020, p = 0.045 respectively). In both groups six adverse events (AE) were assessed as causally related to treatment (severity mild or moderate). No AE resulted in discontinuation in treatment. KPC could therefore be a beneficial treatment option for symptomatic relief of neurasthenia. The study has been published open access in Current Medical Research and Opinion
https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2023.2291169.


Further information on Anthroposophic Medicine