Miraculous healing?
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2019-04-01, Volume 43, Pages 289-294
Case Report of gastroparesis healing: 16 years of a chronic syndrome resolved after proximal intercessory prayer Clarissa Romez (a), David Zaritzky (a) and Joshua W. Brown (a,b)
a Global Medical Research Institute, United States
b Indiana University, Bloomington IN, United States
Abstract
A male infant at two weeks of age was hospitalized vomiting forcefully. He had a pyloromyotomy. He did not improve with medical therapy. The diagnosis of gastroparesis was made after a nuclear medicine gastric emptying study and intestinal manometry. He required a gastrostomy tube (g-tube) and a jejunostomy tube (j-tube) for feeding. At 11 months of age, the j-tube was converted into a feeding jejunostomy with Roux-en-Y limb. For 16 years he was completely dependent on j-tube feeding. In November 2011, he experienced proximal-intercessory-prayer (PIP) at a church and felt an electric shock starting from his shoulder and going through his stomach. After the prayer experience, he was unexpectedly able to tolerate oral feedings. The g- and j-tube were removed four months later and he did not require any further special treatments for his condition as all symptoms had resolved. Over seven years later, he has been free from symptoms. This article investigates a case of PIP as an alternative intervention for resolving severe idiopathic gastroparesis when maximal medical management is not effective.
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229918313116Excerpts:
"The present case of sudden, lasting recovery from severe, refractory, and lifelong gastroparesis is unique in the literature. Gastroparesis is defined as a chronic syndrome of objectively delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction...Cardinal symptoms include early satiety, postprandial fullness, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and upper abdominal pain, in addition to gastroesophageal reflux and chest pain...Idiopathic gastroparesis refers to asymptomatic patient with no detectable primary underlying abnormality causing the delayed gastric emptying...in most cases, especially of idiopathic gastroparesis, standard medical therapy is not effective to completely resolve symptoms of severe gastroparesis and despite some relatively symptom-free intervals, it remains a chronic, lifelong condition."
"One of the most effective surgical interventions for refractory cases involves gastrostomy tube insertion, which can include the insertion of a jejunal feeding tube."
"This case report examines proximal intercessory prayer (PIP) as an intervention to resolve symptoms related to gastroparesis when maximal medical management was administered but not effective. PIP, as described by Brown and colleagues refers to direct-contact prayer typically less than 15 min, frequently involving touch, by placing hands on the recipient and sometimes embracing them in a hug, keeping the intercessor’s eyes open to observe results. The prayer is typically done in 'soft tones'. The intercessor may 'petition God to heal, invite the Holy Spirit’s anointing, and/or command the healing and departure of any evil spirits in Jesus’ name.' The observed effects of prayer vary widely, from no apparent effect to remarkable improvement in conditions that are not medically expected to improve, such as longstanding blindness or deafness."
"The gastroparesis could have been caused by unintentional injury to the vagus nerve following the Nissen fundoplication or may have been congenital...He was diagnosed with severe gastroparesis of unclear etiology...and the condition appeared to be idiopathic."
"Over the course of the next seven years, the pediatric gastroenterologist tried numerous medications...as well as different formulas and minerals. He had multiple visits to the pediatric gastroenterology clinic documenting the persistent need to aspirate the g-tube and inability to tolerate oral feedings."
"The prognosis for recovery of function was poor. Apart from congenital gastroparesis or vagal nerve injury, a differential diagnosis of viral vs. idiopathic gastroparesis might have been considered. Still, viral gastroparesis is unlikely because it generally resolves gradually after two years. In this case, the symptoms remained severe and refractory, with no improvement for sixteen years."
"Prior to the healing, he and his family were cessationists (i.e., believing that miracles happened in Biblical times, but not in the present day). At the time of the healing, they attended a non-denominational cessationist Christian church. On November 6, 2011, at age 16, the patient and his family went to a service at a Pentecostal church (that believed healing miracles occurred in Biblical times and also occur today) led by a healing evangelist.
"In the message, the speaker reported his own story of having his life spared when his intestines were severed in a serious accident after a 22,000 kg truck fell on his abdomen. While hearing this account, the teenager felt a pulsating sensation in his abdominal region. He reports that 'It felt as if God was preparing me […]'. While continuing to listen, he prayed to God 'that if He heals my stomach that I would not keep quiet about the subject [sic] [healing]. I told Him that I would share the good news of Jesus and my healing with everyone […]'.
"After the sermon, the evangelist talked to the boy and they 'compared battle-scars', as both went through several surgeries, developing an instant comradery. He asked the whole family to gather, and he led a time of PIP (laying hands upon the boy’s shoulders). The patient doesn’t recall how long the PIP intervention took but mentions that he was prayed for only once...Halfway through the prayer the boy recalls a shock starting from his right shoulder going down in a diagonal angle across his abdomen and described it as a pulsating and electrical sensation...Despite the discomfort, they continued to pray a while longer. The experience is consistent with prior accounts, from scholarly practitioners, who have noted that 'About 50 percent of people who are healed feel something […] - heat, electricity, tingling, coolness, pain going away'. This phenomenon is described by charismatics as manifestations of the Holy Spirit...That night after prayer, he ate a meal for the first time without any complications."
"After receiving PIP, his intolerance to oral feedings was completely resolved. He was able to tolerate oral feedings and was completely taken off of the j-tube feedings one month after the PIP experience. The patient’s pediatric gastroenterologist...verified that the symptoms had resolved and recommended removing the g- and j-tubes contingent upon three months of toleration to oral feedings...The patient was able to eat normally during the four months prior to his appointment with the surgeon. The surgeon removed the g- and j-tubes...To date, six years later, the patient has had no need to see the pediatric gastroenterologist or surgeon, take any medication, nor has he had any health problems."
"The recovery following the PIP experience is remarkable. The patient had a relatively severe case of gastroparesis...He lived with this condition for 16 years...We have found no precedents in the literature for such a sudden resolution of all symptoms after sixteen years of gastroparesis (since infancy).
"While gastric motility is not under voluntary control, the sudden resolution of the symptoms of gastroparesis can be evaluated as a potential placebo effect...For example, randomized placebo-controlled trials on drug treatments have found placebos can marginally improve overall gastroparesis-related symptom scores, but placebo effects did not improve gastric emptying. In the end, there is insufficient evidence that placebo effects can account for the observed resolution of symptoms. Apart from the question of placebo effects, the mechanisms by which PIP may have contributed to the resolution of symptoms remains unclear."
"This outcome is consistent with another case of an individual who had an implanted GES removed one year after a religious experience...Expert gastroenterologists and pediatric surgeons who reviewed the case proposed the healing might have occurred because PIP activated the autonomic nervous system...The ANS response to meditation, prayer, and mantras include the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)..."
"In recent years, research on the effects of prayer for various conditions has been controversial. For example, DIP, administered through specific types of intercessors, was associated with lower coronary care unit (CCU) scores suggesting that prayer may be an effective adjunct to standard medical care. A noteworthy observation is that studies showing positive effects of prayer have typically involved intercessors who either professed either 1) being 'born again' Christians (with a commitment to daily devotional prayer and active fellowship with their local church) or 2) faith in healing. Another study that evaluated the effects of prayer on rheumatoid arthritis found positive results in response to PIP, however no benefits from DIP. Yet another study on DIP for uncomplicated recovery after coronary artery bypass graft surgery showed no effects, but certainty of receiving DIP was associated with a higher incidence of complications. However, that particular study design may lack construct validity as the intercessors, who prayed for the patients, were not recruited based upon their belief/faith that healing through prayer is effective. The discrepancies suggest that construct validity is a concern, and prayer administered by particular types of intercessors might not be efficacious for certain conditions. In contrast, studies involving ministries and intercessors whose research previously showed positive effects of PIP have been able to replicate comparable findings.
"While the PIP intervention here involved close contact, it is also possible that the intervention could have been effective at a distance...Some have suggested that distant effects of healing intentions may be pervasive. Compassionate, empathetic healing intentions and prayer have been reported to exert measurable effects in fMRI brain scans on a distant recipient although problems with the statistical methods used in that study have been pointed out more recently and may call into question the replicability. It’s not clear whether the intercessor’s healing intentions ceased when the patient was out of sensory contact, and there is a possibility of a remaining distant effect. Overall, as noted above, the results of studies of distant healing effects through prayer remain mixed.
"While the authors and physicians consulted regarding this case consider it a remarkable finding that the medical community should be aware of, there are several limitations regarding the conclusions that can be drawn. First, although the context suggests an effect of PIP on the resolution of symptoms, it is unclear whether or how important it is that the teenager had an existing particular religious background, in this case, Christian. That is, prayers from his past and/or exposure to faith-based activity/practices may have prepared and made him more responsive to the prayer experience, thus enhancing the effects of PIP, but we cannot presently disentangle the relative importance of these factors.
"Second, while the placebo effect cannot be completely ruled out, if there was a placebo effect, it is unclear how the symptoms were resolved..."
"Further study is warranted to ascertain whether and how PIP experiences may play a role in the apparent spontaneous resolution of lifelong conditions through PIP, having otherwise no prospect of recovery. Investigation of the effects of PIP experiences on the ANS...merit additional research to understand the underlying biological mechanisms sensitive to PIP practices."
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Comment: the first author is affiliated with Global Medical Research Institute, "Bridging the gap between Science and Faith. Applying rigorous methods of evidence-based medicine to study Christian Spiritual Healing practices." The paper being discussed here is featured prominently on the main page:
https://www.globalmri.org/"How We Work. We review evidenced-based testimonies from various ministries applying rigorous methods of research to show the effects of proximal intercessory prayer in the resolution of conditions that would typically have a poor prognosis otherwise. We are also developing randomized and controlled clinical trials of healing prayer effects. Learn about our research protocol, our why and how you can get involved."
https://www.globalmri.org/about/
