The role of supernatural forces, evil spirits and demons have been strongly implicated in the aetiology of ill health since the advent of written history. This has declined in the economically developed world with the emergence of allopathic medicine since the early 18th century (National Federation of Spiritual Healers, 2006).Working in an acute stroke unit in Tower Hamlets the authors are attempting to influence secondary cardiovascular risk modifications in a population with diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.This article presents a case which has alerted the authors to the need for routinely enquiring about 'alternative and spiritual' aspects of the past medical history.
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