Are you tired of using drugs that just don’t work? And even worse – each medication comes with a slew of detrimental side effects that are all kept hidden in the tiny fine print. So many folks forget that the human body is a miraculous machine. Our body is capable of great resilience and healing. Over-the-counter and prescribed medications suppress these abilities. This explains why using antibiotics and other drugs to “control” or “manage” symptoms of one illness leads to another more sobering illness,or a worsening of the first one.For example, ear infections frequently return after antibiotics are used.
So, if you are tired of these drugs, you are in good company. Other people throughout the United States andthroughout the worldare tired too, and they are turning to homeopathy. It is a centuries old method that empowers us. In fact, nearly 4 million American adults and about 900,000 children use homeopathic remedies each year.
Homeopathic remedies, unlike medications, do not carry side effects. And even though they are regulated be the FDA, you will not find that ominous small print and warnings of dangers. That’s because there aren’t any. If the remedies are used as directed, they act gently and politely. Moreover, though there are thousands of homeopathic remedies on the market, not one has ever been removed by the FDA for having detrimental side effects! This speaks loudly for homeopathy’s safety, particularly because these remedies have been regulated by the government since the FDA’s inception in the 1940’s.
How do these reputable homeopathic remedies work? Simply put,our body can come to balance (health) if given the correct stimulus. This is achieved by using a remedy that is chosen not for the disease, but instead for the person experiencing the illness. This means that the choice is specifically tailored to that person.
Let’s say 10 children who are in school together get a fever. Although it may seem that they have all gotten the same “bug”, the fever presents itself differently in each child. Each child would get a completely different homeopathic remedy that fits them uniquely. By stimulating the body’s ability to bring itself to health, each of these youngsters will not only resolve their fever within hours to a day or so, they will also be left in a better state than before the fever presented itself.
Why wouldn’t a parent want homeopathy in their house? What could be better than ridding a child of their fever, not by suppressing it and inviting the illness to return later, but by removing it gently and safely? Self sufficiency is a goal that many of us want to attain. Homeopathy is the ultimate road towards that goal. I invite you to join me and the millions of others who have eliminated the danger of superfluous drugs and have instead adopted safe and powerful homeopathic remedies.
Homeopathic medicine for migraine offer quick and permanent relief from recurrent headaches by using medicine like Belladonna, Glonoinum ,Spigelia and Iris Versicolor .
Homeopathic research
Belladonna –For Migraine with Pulsating or Throbbing Pain and fullness .Red face, high bp .
Glonoinum – Natural Remedy for Congestive Headache, pointing on eyes, sun exposure.
Sanguinaria Canadensis – Very effective homeopathy remedies for Migraine of Right Side.
Spigelia – ery effective homeopathy remedies for Migraine Left-sided .
Iris Versicolor – Very effective homeopathy remedies for Migraine with Nausea, Vomiting or Acidity
Sepia – Very effective homeopathy remedies for Migraine in Women around Menopause
Kali Phos – Very effective homeopathy remedies for Migraine due to mental Stress.
Sinus problems can be the result of an infection or repeated infections. They can also result from allergic reactions. Sometimes, the sinus problem can pass without any difficulty, other times, sinus issues can become chronic and last for a long time creating great discomfort. Here are some great homeopathic remedies to think about when sinus problems arise (of course, you should always seek the advice of a licensed Homeopath or other healthcare provider if your problem requires attention). 🌱
Kali bich: this is the most common remedy for sinus problems. The discharge is sticky and yellow and stringy and very difficult to expel. Sinuses feel obstructed and full. Post nasal drip. Better pressure on the head. 🌱 Puls: In this situation, the patient has a stuffed-up nose and tend to lose their sense of smell and taste. There is thick yellow/green discharge and the throat and mouth are dry. Head pain better pressure. Fresh air ameliorates. 🌱 Merc: Thick yellow/green acrid mucous is present. The face feels swollen and painful, often with tearing pains. There is a characteristic metallic taste in the mouth with bad breath. Sinuses feel raw and painful. Great thirst. 🌱 Phos: alternates between being stuffed up and fluid nasal discharges. Discharge may contain fresh blood. Pressure headache. Great thirst. 🌱 Sil: infection causes crusting on the nose. When you remove the crusts, there is bleeding and it’s sore. Nose feels dry yet there is white frothy mucus. 🌱 Hep-sulph: discharge with feeling that one needs to constantly blow the nose. Discharge is thick yellow/green and may smell bad. Nose itches. Worse cold. . . Article originally posted at homeopathy_school_in_toronto . .
Homoeopathy follows the principle of ‘similia similibus curentur’. According to homoeopathy, a drug which can produce a set of symptoms also has the capacity/ power to cure those symptoms. And this science does not just depend upon subjective symptoms (symptoms expressed by the patient in his/her words), but also on the objective symptoms (symptoms observed by the physician/bystander) which makes it possible to be used for our pets as well.
Some of the common problems that affect dogs are skin issues, fleas, injuries, insect bites, worms etc. Here are some of the problems with indicated remedies:
Insect bites and stings:
Apis mellifica: For wasp or bee stings. Skin looks hot, red and swollen
Cantharis: Local irritation with much rubbing, licking and/or scratching.
Urtica urens:Itchy, blotchy skin reaction with much rubbing, scratching or licking.
Sprains and strains:
Arnica montana: For bruising and pain.
Apis mellifica: If the skin is stretched tightly over the swelling.
Rhus toxicodendron: Joint pains or strains that tend to ease or improve little with slight and gentle movement. This remedy may be indicated and follow initial treatment with Arnica Montana.
Ruta graviolens: Bruising of the bones surrounding the joint. Better for warmth and movement. Worse in the cold and damp. This remedy may be indicated and follow after initial treatment with Arnica montana.
Symphytum: Useful in aiding the repair of fractures, but it can also be helpful in cases of severe strain involving the attachment of tendons and ligaments to bones. It may follow initial treatment with Arnica Montana.
Wounds:
Hypericum: If the graze is sore or sensitive, especially for crushed toes and tail.
Hepar sulph: If infection and pus are present and there is swelling tenderness and redness under the fur. Continual licking, biting or gnawing at the wound and loss of appetite, or restlessness also may indicate infection.
Ledum palustre: It is the remedy of choice for puncture wounds.
Silicea: If a splinter or similar is possibly still trapped in the wound.
Arthritis:
Ledum palustre: Pain shifting rapidly from joint to joint. The limbs feel cold and the joint is hot and swollen but not red.
Bryonia alba: Joint is hot, red, swollen and very stiff. Worse from the least movement, touch or jarring.
Rhus toxicodendron: Hot, swollen, painful joints. Improved slightly by gradual, slow movement and changing position.
Ring worm:
Circular, reddish patches of skin appear as the hair becomes damaged and falls out. These areas start as small circles, like a cigarette burn and gradually enlarge as the condition progresses, becoming large circular areas that resemble ‘fairy rings’, with a dry, dull centre and an active inflammatory perimeter. The condition is marked by intense irritation causing much scratching, licking and rubbing.
Bacillinum: It is the principal remedy for ringworms
Sepia: If Bacillinum has not helped.
Tellurium met: Offensive odour from infected areas, much irritation. Patches are particularly noticeable on the head and the back of the ears.
Skin conditions:
Wet eczema:
Graphites: Useful when wet eczema tends to recur. The skin may be thickened with cracks in it, which ooze a sticky, honey-colored discharge. Seen particularly in older, over-weight animals.
Croton tiglium: For wet eczema of the ear flap or in the groin or genital region. Much irritation.
Dry eczema:
Arsenicum album: Eruptions are dry, rough and scaly. Worse for the cold, better for warmth. Restless and condition worsens when scratched. Affected area may be swollen and inflamed.
Sulphur: Indicated if the skin is hot to touch, but dry with much redness and irritation. Worse for warmth, better for the cold. Usually a strong unpleasant smell from the skin.
Urtica urens: Acute allergic-type eczema. Nettle-rash with violent itching and rubbing, which is almost continuous. Worse from touch and scratching.
Conclusion: Although homoeopathic treatment works effectively, a veterinarian’s opinion should always be taken for properly diagnosing a condition and for discussing the best treatment for our pets.
Varshney J. Clinical management of idiopathic epilepsy in dogs with homeopathic Belladonna 200C: a case series. Homeopathy. 2007;96(1):46-48.
Sunila ES, Kuttan G, Preethi KC, Kuttan R. Effect of homeopathic medicines on transplanted tumors in mice. Asian pacific journal of cancer prevention. 2007 Jul 1;8(3):390.
Hunter F. Everyday homeopathy for animals. Beaconsfield: Beaconsfield Publishers; 2004.
Written by Dr. Mulakaluri Harsha Priya MD Part 1Batch 2018-19, Department of Repertory, Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital,Mangalore,Karnataka
Human overuse of antibiotics leads to the destruction of the gut micro biome, leading to a host of chronic conditions.
Minimum dose concept in homeopathy
The concept of “less is more” in homeopathic medicine is two-fold. Homeopathic medicines are a subset of ultra-high dilutions. Homeopathic medicines are manufactured in a specific way and chosen to stimulate the body’s own healing response.5 In homeopathic treatment, the frequency of taking a dose of a homeopathic medicine is minimized, allowing the body’s healing response to be as efficient as possible. When practitioners individually match the homeopathic medicine to the person based on the Law of Similars (as homeopathy was developed), we see the best results. “Minimum dose” is a key principle of homeopathy, and actually maximizes efficacy.
Scientific studies on homeopathy in reduction of antibiotics
There are many conditions for which homeopathy makes sense to integrate as an effective therapeutic intervention of lesser risk. With specific regard to reduction in antibiotics overuse, there is quite a bit of scientific validation that homeopathy can be as effective or better than antibiotics in resolution of minor infections in humans and animals.
Otitis media
In addition to contributing to the crisis of antibiotic resistant microbes, antibiotics overuse has led to compromised immune systems in part because of micro biome disruption.6 This can be particularly problematic for children, whose immune system and micro biomes are still developing.
A trial of 230 children showed that individually chosen homeopathic remedies resulted in rapid resolution of pain from otitis media in the majority of children within 12 hours.7 The improvement from homeopathic treatment was 2.4 times faster than in children prescribed a placebo, utilizing data from an earlier meta-analyses for placebo time compared with conventional medical treatment. The cost of the homeopathic medicine was 14% less than antibiotic treatment.
An earlier preliminary study of children with acute otitis media showed homeopathy compared to placebo resulted in fewer treatment failures over 5 days, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks, with differences of 11.4, 18.4, and 19.9%, respectively, but these differences were not statistically significant. Diary scores showed a significant decrease in symptoms at 24 and 64 hours after treatment in favor of homeopathy (P<0.05).8
Upper respiratory infection
One of the main causes for overuse of antibiotics is upper respiratory tract infections.
A multinational comparative effectiveness study for acute respiratory problems resulted in 82.6% response for homeopathy compared to 68% for conventional treatment after 14 days. A replication of this study included 1,577 patients, of whom 857 received homeopathic and 720 conventional treatment:improvement was significantly faster with homeopathy.9,10
A nationwide study in France, the EP13 study, included 6,379 patients from 804 medical practices comparing treatment outcomes for patients attending conventional, homeopathic, and mixed practice family physicians. Chief complaints were musculoskeletal conditions, upper respiratory tract infection, sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression. Patients in the homeopathic group had longer times between recurrence of their chief complaint.Patients who consulted family physicians certified in homeopathy used significantly less antibiotics (and antipyretic/anti-inflammatory drugs) for upper respiratory tract infections than those who attended conventional physicians with similar outcomes.11
Sinusitis and rhinitis
A double-blind placebo controlled study of a homeopathic combination formula in the treatment of acute rhinosinusitis. In the homeopathy patients, a reduction in sinusitis symptoms after 7 days (0 – 20 scale) from 12.1 +/- 1.6 to 5.9 +/-2.0 points after 7 days.In the placebo group it decreased from 11.7+/-1.6 to 11.0+/-2.9 points (p<0.0001) Over the 21 day study, the homeopathic group had freedom from sinus symptoms in 90.3% of the patients, and reduction in another 8.3%. The placebo group over the same time had symptoms remaining unchanged or worse for 88.9% of patients.12
Another study, a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase III clinical trial of the same combination formula was conducted over 22 days with an 8 week post-treatment observational phase. The homeopathic formula caused a significant reduction in the Sinus Severity Score compared with placebo on day 7 (5.8 +/- 2.3 [6.0] points vs. 2.3 +/- 1.8 [2.0] points; P < .0001). On day 21, 39 (68.4%) patients on homeopathic medication had a complete remission of symptoms compared with five (8.9%) placebo patients.13
In an uncontrolled clinical trial of 119 patients suffering from clinical signs of acute sinusitis were treated using a homeopathic combination formula. Typical sinusitis symptoms, such as headache, pressure pain, and cough, were reduced after a mean of 4.1 days of treatment. Ninety-nine received only a homeopathic medication, 20 patients were able to discontinue concomitant medication at the first visit, and only one patient needed antibiotics. Average duration of treatment was 2 weeks. At the end of treatment 81.5 % described themselves as symptom-free or significantly improved.14
A multi-centric observational study of 628 patients suffering from chronic sinusitis (CS) was conducted in India at its Institutes and Units of the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy using individualized homeopathic remedies (selected from a pre-selected 17). There was a statistically significant reduction in Chronic Sinusitis Assessment Score (CSAS) (P = 0.0001) after 3 and 6 months of treatment, as well as improvement in radiological scan.15
Another comparison of homeopathic and conventional family physician’s outcomes in chronic health issues including sinusitis, headache, low back pain, depression, insomnia, atopic dermatitis and rhinitis found that patients who sought homeopathic treatment had better outcomes at similar cost to conventional care.16
Other kinds of infection
Homeopathy can be useful in most kinds of infection.
There are high quality trials confirming homeopathy can be utilized complementarily to lessen recurrent tonsillitis and to reduce the need for antibiotics for acute throat infections.17 Integrating homeopathy with conventional care under University of Vienna hospital physician supervision was shown to greatly improve survival rates of severe sepsis compared to placebo.18In most of the clinical trials conducted, homeopathic medicines show promise in reducing the need for antimicrobial treatment of cow herds.19, 20
Homeopathy is a treatment system of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that persists despite serious and often erroneous critiques of its theories and application. Throughout the nineteenth century, it was popular in the United States and was supported by many prominent individuals, including: major leaders of industry; political figures, two U.S. presidents, and distinguished scientists and physicians.1,2
The training of homeopaths along with ongoing research continues, outside the conventional medical healthcare system, adding to hundreds of double-blind placebo-controlled studies and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.3 There is an immense amount of information available on homeopathy, with thousands of publications, in many languages, spanning more than two centuries.
Today, a substantial number of health professionals practice homeopathy and millions of users around the world find it both beneficial and cost effective. Homeopathy has grown 500% between 1996 and 2003, while sales of homeopathic medicines has increased 39.5% between 2003 and 2005.4
One of the uses of homeopathy, and a reason for its increased popularity, is in the treatment of emotional and psychiatric conditions. Many patients and practitioners are concerned about both the short- and long-term side effects of conventional psychotropic medications and find homeopathy to be a viable approach.
As in many other Complementary/Alternative Medicine (CAM) modalities, there are no standard homeopathic treatment protocols for any given diagnosis, such as specific homeopathic medicines for anxiety and depression. The indicated medicines need to be individualized according to the uniqueness of the individual patient’s symptoms. This makes homeopathic research an even greater challenge to perform and interpret.
Research Studies in Homeopathy
Though detractors of homeopathy deny it, there exists a significant library of evidence supporting its use, even though a significant amount falls short of the highest criteria of evidence-based standards. According to NICE criteria,5 the highest degree of acceptable scientific evidence includes systematic reviews and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and RTCs. Other data, such as non-randomized interventions, cohort studies, and non-experimental studies, including case reports, provide meaningful, significant and reliableevidence, because they meet other criteria (even if it is not of the highest order). Such data can be interpreted, as pilot studies, in the design and formation of protocols leading to higher levels of evidence.6
Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, was a pioneer in the treatment of the mentally ill, advocating for a humane approach to those suffering.7 In the United States, the first homeopathic hospital for the mentally ill was founded in Middletown, New York, in May 1874, and many of the cases and reports were published in various journals from that time.
Charles Frederick Menninger, founder of the notable Menninger Clinic, a prominent physician in his time, used homeopathy to treat mental illness. Menninger was an active member of the American Institute of Homeopathy, the oldest, extant, national medical association in the U.S., and remarked: “Homeopathy is wholly capable of satisfying the therapeutic demands of this age better than any other system or school of medicine… it is imperative that we exhaust the homeopathic healing art before resorting to any other mode of treatment, if we wish to accomplish the greatest success possible.”8
There are few studies published on the use of homeopathy in mental health that follow current standards of scientific methodology, though some meta-analyses of such studies suggest an overall positive effect that warrants further investigation. In one of those reviews, 8 of 10 studies demonstrate positive effects with homeopathic treatment, with reasonably high-quality methodology, as applied to the treatment of mental and psychological problems, including:depression, insomnia, nervous tension, agitation, aphasia, and behavior problems in youngsters. These studies suggest a potential value and the need for further research of homeopathic treatments along with the replication of these studies.9,10
Other worthwhile published studies suggest that homeopathy could be useful in the treatment of some patients with anxiety and/or depression as an adjunctive or stand-alone treatment. One trial reported 12 cases of depression and/or anxiety where patients specifically requested it; six of these patients were already taking conventional medicines for these complaints. Clinical response was determined through standardized validated tests, and improvement found to be significant along with a 50% reduction in either measure, a typical criteria in studies of this type.11
It is reasonable to consider whether homeopathy could help medical conditions with no known effective conventional treatment. One such example is persistent mild traumatic brain injury(MTBI), a condition that imparts an inestimable financial burden on patients, families, providers, social services and health insurance providers. An estimated 10 million U.S. citizens are affected by MTBI.12
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of sixty patients with persistent mild traumatic brain injury determined that homeopathy, alone or used concurrently with conventional pharmacological and rehabilitation therapies, significantly improves symptoms of MTBI. Patients with post-trauma symptoms for a minimum of 2 years (mean 2.93) were recruited for this study. Treatment efficacy was measured through assessment of statistically significant improvement in ten of the most common MTBI symptoms of social and cognitive dysfunctions (i.e: reading, writing, scheduling, shopping, socializing).13
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is another condition that benefits from homeopathic treatment. Forty-three children with ADHD were treated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, study demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in the homeopathy group compared with the placebo group. Improvement was measured by a change in a 5-point scale measuring hyperactivity, according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, observed bythe children’s caretakers.14
In another study of ADHD, one-hundred-and-fifteen children in Switzerland demonstrated positive results after a course of homeopathic treatment over a period of 3 months. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study individualizing medicine selection based on each particular patient’s symptoms.15
The same research group later performed a “crossover” phase of the study and stopped the homeopathic medicines for a pre-determined period of time. They found that those children who had improved with homeopathy, regressed symptomatically when the placebo was substituted, during the second phase, and improved again when the medicine was restarted, highlighting the effect of homeopathic treatment.16
If many children were treated homeopathically, they could be spared of years of conventional medication, along with the well-known side effects from these drugs.
In a retrospective analysis of these studies, the investigators described the difficulties encountered while performing this research due to the unique need to identify each individualized medicine, and to design appropriate placebos while blinding both physicians and patients. Consequently, determining the clinical efficacy of one, or several, homeopathic medicines becomes a more complex task.17
Complexities make the homeopathic treatment more difficult, and its research in traditional double-blind, placebo controlled, studies, extremely challenging, though not impossible. The evidence of observational, clinically homogeneous, cohort studies, that are more concordant with real life practice should also be considered evidentiary, even they are not of the highest tier of evidence.
Clinical Data
Homeopathic medicine is efficacious in the treatment of many functional somatic syndromes including fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It may also be helpful in relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression but because these conditions typically have a high placebo response rates, and often show spontaneous recovery, it is difficult to determine if this is a homeopathic effect.18
Homeopathic medicines show no significant adverse effects when compared with placebo and, lower drop-out rates when compared with conventional studies. Many studies suggest that homeopathic medicine is not only comparable to conventional antidepressants, but is also superior to placebo. In one particular trial (n=50) with moderate to severe depression utilizing a conventional antidepressant (fluoxetine) the side effects markedly interfered with participant performance and led to high rates of treatment interruption. The data proved that homeopathy was not inferior to the antidepressant.19
The treatment of moderate to severe depression in one hundred and thirty-three perimenopausaland menopausal women was randomized between individualized homeopathic treatment, fluoxetine and placebo and followed for six weeks. The patients in the homeopathic groupreceived a single medicine which could be changed on follow up if deemed necessary. The studyconcluded that the efficacy of the homeopathic treatment was similar to fluoxetine with respectto depression, but greater than fluoxetine with respect to resolution of menopausal symptoms. Both groups were superior to placebo.20
Considering the serious issues of substance use and abuse in the general population and the risk that many conventional medications utilized for psychiatric conditions may exacerbate these issues, the use of homeopathic medicines in the treatment of mental conditions is particularly imperative. A study looking at three hundred and forty-six patients who consulted either a homeopathic general practitioner, a conventional medical general practitioner, or general practitioners who used both conventional and homeopathic medicines, for sleeping disorders, demonstrated that patients who chose homeopathy were less likely to use psychotropic drugs through the twelve months of this study. These results are more significant considering that the patients treated with homeopathy were suffering almost twice as much as the patients treated conventionally.21
In an innovative pragmatic trial design, a cohort, multiple randomized controlled trial, was developed to permit the assessment of a homeopathic intervention in a “real world” setting. Patients who sought care for depression or anxiety were randomized into two groups who either received treatment as usual, or added homeopathy in addition to the usual care. The trial included one hundred and sixty-two patients who ranged from 18 to 85 years of age. Severity of depression and anxiety ranged between moderate to severe. Seventy percent of the patients had suffered from these conditions for more than five years. Those who supplemented conventional treatment with homeopathic medicine demonstrated significant moderate reduction of depression and anxiety scores that was not noted in the control group.22
Another cohort study (n=110) of patients suffering from depression and anxiety, compared those who consulted either a conventional medicine general practitioner or a homeopathic general medicine practitioner. After one year, the patients who consulted homeopaths had greater clinical improvement and reported less psychotropic and benzodiazepine medication use.23
Thousands of case reports have been published in homeopathic medical journals since the nineteenth century including patients afflicted with various mental disorders who received beneficial homeopathic treatment. Although case reports do not represent the highest standard of investigational inquiry within conventional biomedicine, they are valid representations of successful individualized therapeutic homeopathic interventions. Reports of this calibre are particularly relevant and necessary in CAM modalities, like homeopathy, where “one-size” does not “fit-all.”
Many of these collected case descriptions and outcomes have a high level of reliability since they represent conditions with good treatment responses, often where effective conventional medical solutions were not available or had already failed.24 These detailed case reports in the homeopathic literature are important and relevant to establishing an evidence-base in the treatment of various conditions including: depression with suicidal ideation, chronic pain, sleep disorders, premenstrual syndrome, anxiety disorders, arthritis of the spine and hips, migraines, and menopausal symptoms,25 phobias, neurosis, stroke sequelae, cerebral dysfunction, Menniere’s disease,26 acute psychosis,27 manic-depressive disorder, obsessions,28 dissociative disorders, character pathology, posttraumatic stress disorder,29 alcoholism,30 alcohol withdrawal, delirium tremens (DT), binge drinking,31 special needs children with various cognitive handicaps, traumatic brain injury, irritability, anger, restlessness, sleep disorders, enuresis, encopresis,autistic behaviors, mental retardation, apathy, tantrums, hypersexual behaviour,32 autism spectrum disorder (ASD),33 mental retardation, seizure disorder, temper tantrums, phobias, crying spells, obsessive-compulsive behavior, malicious aggression, self-injury, biting, sleeplessness, mood swings, slow cognitive function, extreme sensory sensitivity, gross and fine motor disturbances, extreme oral sensitivity, aversion to multiple foods, sleeplessness, continuous self-talk,34 and behavioral problems.35
Conclusion
Homeopathy was once a highly favored system of medicine in the U.S., but it fell into decline around the turn of the 20th century. Since the 1970’s, due to the limitations of conventional allopathic medicine, particularly with respect to the treatment of chronic diseases, there has been a resurgence of homeopathy. All things considered, homeopathic principles are congruent with many established scientific theories and observed phenomena.36
Interest in homeopathy is on the ascendance among clinicians and patients worldwide, in part because of the wide breadth of the many positive anecdotal accounts of its efficacy. The available homeopathic literature is vast, spanning more than 200 years and thousands of publications, with impressive case presentation scattered throughout. It is a challenge to clearly determine treatment efficacy using homeopathy for mental illness, but current evidence is strongly suggestive of its benefits over a wide range of conditions. It is a safe, viable and cost-effective form of medicine, but much more research is certainly warranted. There arecompelling reasons to support the allocation of funds to promote this research.37
About the Author:
Bernardo A Merizalde, MD, DHt, ABIHM, is Assistant Clinical Professor of the Departments of Psychiatry and Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, Diplomate of the American Board of Holistic and Integrative Medicine, the American Board of Homeotherapeutics, and Board Certified in Psychiatry. Past president of the American Institute of Homeopathy, and an officer in the Executive Committee for the International Homeopathic Medical League.
*The information in this article is intended for informational purposes only. Please remember, if you have any of the conditions mentioned in this article, it is advisable to seek the advice of a licensed practitioner for treatment options.
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35 Cortina J. Enuresis and its homeopathic treatment: Study of 20 cases treated with ilex paraguenses. British Homeopathic Journal 1994;83(4):220–222.
36 Merizalde B. Fundamentals of Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine, Marc S. Micozzi MD PhD (Author), Saunders, 6th. Edition, 2018.
Homeopathy is a treatment system of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that persists despite serious and often erroneous critiques of its theories and application. Throughout the nineteenth century, it was popular in the United States and was supported by many prominent individuals, including: major leaders of industry; political figures, two U.S. presidents, and distinguished scientists and physicians.1,2
The training of homeopaths along with ongoing research continues, outside the conventional medical healthcare system, adding to hundreds of double-blind placebo-controlled studies and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.3 There is an immense amount of information available on homeopathy, with thousands of publications, in many languages, spanning more than two centuries.
Today, a substantial number of health professionals practice homeopathy and millions of users around the world find it both beneficial and cost effective. Homeopathy has grown 500% between 1996 and 2003, while sales of homeopathic medicines has increased 39.5% between 2003 and 2005.4
One of the uses of homeopathy, and a reason for its increased popularity, is in the treatment of emotional and psychiatric conditions. Many patients and practitioners are concerned about both the short- and long-term side effects of conventional psychotropic medications and find homeopathy to be a viable approach.
As in many other Complementary/Alternative Medicine (CAM) modalities, there are no standard homeopathic treatment protocols for any given diagnosis, such as specific homeopathic medicines for anxiety and depression. The indicated medicines need to be individualized according to the uniqueness of the individual patient’s symptoms. This makes homeopathic research an even greater challenge to perform and interpret.
Research Studies in Homeopathy
Though detractors of homeopathy deny it, there exists a significant library of evidence supporting its use, even though a significant amount falls short of the highest criteria of evidence-based standards. According to NICE criteria,5 the highest degree of acceptable scientific evidence includes systematic reviews and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and RTCs. Other data, such as non-randomized interventions, cohort studies, and non-experimental studies, including case reports, provide meaningful, significant and reliableevidence, because they meet other criteria (even if it is not of the highest order). Such data can be interpreted, as pilot studies, in the design and formation of protocols leading to higher levels of evidence.6
Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, was a pioneer in the treatment of the mentally ill, advocating for a humane approach to those suffering.7 In the United States, the first homeopathic hospital for the mentally ill was founded in Middletown, New York, in May 1874, and many of the cases and reports were published in various journals from that time.
Charles Frederick Menninger, founder of the notable Menninger Clinic, a prominent physician in his time, used homeopathy to treat mental illness. Menninger was an active member of the American Institute of Homeopathy, the oldest, extant, national medical association in the U.S., and remarked: “Homeopathy is wholly capable of satisfying the therapeutic demands of this age better than any other system or school of medicine… it is imperative that we exhaust the homeopathic healing art before resorting to any other mode of treatment, if we wish to accomplish the greatest success possible.”8
There are few studies published on the use of homeopathy in mental health that follow current standards of scientific methodology, though some meta-analyses of such studies suggest an overall positive effect that warrants further investigation. In one of those reviews, 8 of 10 studies demonstrate positive effects with homeopathic treatment, with reasonably high-quality methodology, as applied to the treatment of mental and psychological problems, including:depression, insomnia, nervous tension, agitation, aphasia, and behavior problems in youngsters. These studies suggest a potential value and the need for further research of homeopathic treatments along with the replication of these studies.9,10
Other worthwhile published studies suggest that homeopathy could be useful in the treatment of some patients with anxiety and/or depression as an adjunctive or stand-alone treatment. One trial reported 12 cases of depression and/or anxiety where patients specifically requested it; six of these patients were already taking conventional medicines for these complaints. Clinical response was determined through standardized validated tests, and improvement found to be significant along with a 50% reduction in either measure, a typical criteria in studies of this type.11
It is reasonable to consider whether homeopathy could help medical conditions with no known effective conventional treatment. One such example is persistent mild traumatic brain injury(MTBI), a condition that imparts an inestimable financial burden on patients, families, providers, social services and health insurance providers. An estimated 10 million U.S. citizens are affected by MTBI.12
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of sixty patients with persistent mild traumatic brain injury determined that homeopathy, alone or used concurrently with conventional pharmacological and rehabilitation therapies, significantly improves symptoms of MTBI. Patients with post-trauma symptoms for a minimum of 2 years (mean 2.93) were recruited for this study. Treatment efficacy was measured through assessment of statistically significant improvement in ten of the most common MTBI symptoms of social and cognitive dysfunctions (i.e: reading, writing, scheduling, shopping, socializing).13
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is another condition that benefits from homeopathic treatment. Forty-three children with ADHD were treated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, study demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in the homeopathy group compared with the placebo group. Improvement was measured by a change in a 5-point scale measuring hyperactivity, according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, observed bythe children’s caretakers.14
In another study of ADHD, one-hundred-and-fifteen children in Switzerland demonstrated positive results after a course of homeopathic treatment over a period of 3 months. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study individualizing medicine selection based on each particular patient’s symptoms.15
The same research group later performed a “crossover” phase of the study and stopped the homeopathic medicines for a pre-determined period of time. They found that those children who had improved with homeopathy, regressed symptomatically when the placebo was substituted, during the second phase, and improved again when the medicine was restarted, highlighting the effect of homeopathic treatment.16
If many children were treated homeopathically, they could be spared of years of conventional medication, along with the well-known side effects from these drugs.
In a retrospective analysis of these studies, the investigators described the difficulties encountered while performing this research due to the unique need to identify each individualized medicine, and to design appropriate placebos while blinding both physicians and patients. Consequently, determining the clinical efficacy of one, or several, homeopathic medicines becomes a more complex task.17
Complexities make the homeopathic treatment more difficult, and its research in traditional double-blind, placebo controlled, studies, extremely challenging, though not impossible. The evidence of observational, clinically homogeneous, cohort studies, that are more concordant with real life practice should also be considered evidentiary, even they are not of the highest tier of evidence.
Clinical Data
Homeopathic medicine is efficacious in the treatment of many functional somatic syndromes including fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It may also be helpful in relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression but because these conditions typically have a high placebo response rates, and often show spontaneous recovery, it is difficult to determine if this is a homeopathic effect.18
Homeopathic medicines show no significant adverse effects when compared with placebo and, lower drop-out rates when compared with conventional studies. Many studies suggest that homeopathic medicine is not only comparable to conventional antidepressants, but is also superior to placebo. In one particular trial (n=50) with moderate to severe depression utilizing a conventional antidepressant (fluoxetine) the side effects markedly interfered with participant performance and led to high rates of treatment interruption. The data proved that homeopathy was not inferior to the antidepressant.19
The treatment of moderate to severe depression in one hundred and thirty-three perimenopausaland menopausal women was randomized between individualized homeopathic treatment, fluoxetine and placebo and followed for six weeks. The patients in the homeopathic groupreceived a single medicine which could be changed on follow up if deemed necessary. The studyconcluded that the efficacy of the homeopathic treatment was similar to fluoxetine with respectto depression, but greater than fluoxetine with respect to resolution of menopausal symptoms. Both groups were superior to placebo.20
Considering the serious issues of substance use and abuse in the general population and the risk that many conventional medications utilized for psychiatric conditions may exacerbate these issues, the use of homeopathic medicines in the treatment of mental conditions is particularly imperative. A study looking at three hundred and forty-six patients who consulted either a homeopathic general practitioner, a conventional medical general practitioner, or general practitioners who used both conventional and homeopathic medicines, for sleeping disorders, demonstrated that patients who chose homeopathy were less likely to use psychotropic drugs through the twelve months of this study. These results are more significant considering that the patients treated with homeopathy were suffering almost twice as much as the patients treated conventionally.21
In an innovative pragmatic trial design, a cohort, multiple randomized controlled trial, was developed to permit the assessment of a homeopathic intervention in a “real world” setting. Patients who sought care for depression or anxiety were randomized into two groups who either received treatment as usual, or added homeopathy in addition to the usual care. The trial included one hundred and sixty-two patients who ranged from 18 to 85 years of age. Severity of depression and anxiety ranged between moderate to severe. Seventy percent of the patients had suffered from these conditions for more than five years. Those who supplemented conventional treatment with homeopathic medicine demonstrated significant moderate reduction of depression and anxiety scores that was not noted in the control group.22
Another cohort study (n=110) of patients suffering from depression and anxiety, compared those who consulted either a conventional medicine general practitioner or a homeopathic general medicine practitioner. After one year, the patients who consulted homeopaths had greater clinical improvement and reported less psychotropic and benzodiazepine medication use.23
Thousands of case reports have been published in homeopathic medical journals since the nineteenth century including patients afflicted with various mental disorders who received beneficial homeopathic treatment. Although case reports do not represent the highest standard of investigational inquiry within conventional biomedicine, they are valid representations of successful individualized therapeutic homeopathic interventions. Reports of this calibre are particularly relevant and necessary in CAM modalities, like homeopathy, where “one-size” does not “fit-all.”
Many of these collected case descriptions and outcomes have a high level of reliability since they represent conditions with good treatment responses, often where effective conventional medical solutions were not available or had already failed.24 These detailed case reports in the homeopathic literature are important and relevant to establishing an evidence-base in the treatment of various conditions including: depression with suicidal ideation, chronic pain, sleep disorders, premenstrual syndrome, anxiety disorders, arthritis of the spine and hips, migraines, and menopausal symptoms,25 phobias, neurosis, stroke sequelae, cerebral dysfunction, Menniere’s disease,26 acute psychosis,27 manic-depressive disorder, obsessions,28 dissociative disorders, character pathology, posttraumatic stress disorder,29 alcoholism,30 alcohol withdrawal, delirium tremens (DT), binge drinking,31 special needs children with various cognitive handicaps, traumatic brain injury, irritability, anger, restlessness, sleep disorders, enuresis, encopresis,autistic behaviors, mental retardation, apathy, tantrums, hypersexual behaviour,32 autism spectrum disorder (ASD),33 mental retardation, seizure disorder, temper tantrums, phobias, crying spells, obsessive-compulsive behavior, malicious aggression, self-injury, biting, sleeplessness, mood swings, slow cognitive function, extreme sensory sensitivity, gross and fine motor disturbances, extreme oral sensitivity, aversion to multiple foods, sleeplessness, continuous self-talk,34 and behavioral problems.35
Conclusion
Homeopathy was once a highly favored system of medicine in the U.S., but it fell into decline around the turn of the 20th century. Since the 1970’s, due to the limitations of conventional allopathic medicine, particularly with respect to the treatment of chronic diseases, there has been a resurgence of homeopathy. All things considered, homeopathic principles are congruent with many established scientific theories and observed phenomena.36
Interest in homeopathy is on the ascendance among clinicians and patients worldwide, in part because of the wide breadth of the many positive anecdotal accounts of its efficacy. The available homeopathic literature is vast, spanning more than 200 years and thousands of publications, with impressive case presentation scattered throughout. It is a challenge to clearly determine treatment efficacy using homeopathy for mental illness, but current evidence is strongly suggestive of its benefits over a wide range of conditions. It is a safe, viable and cost-effective form of medicine, but much more research is certainly warranted. There arecompelling reasons to support the allocation of funds to promote this research.37
About the Author:
Bernardo A Merizalde, MD, DHt, ABIHM, is Assistant Clinical Professor of the Departments of Psychiatry and Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, Diplomate of the American Board of Holistic and Integrative Medicine, the American Board of Homeotherapeutics, and Board Certified in Psychiatry. Past president of the American Institute of Homeopathy, and an officer in the Executive Committee for the International Homeopathic Medical League.
*The information in this article is intended for informational purposes only. Please remember, if you have any of the conditions mentioned in this article, it is advisable to seek the advice of a licensed practitioner for treatment options.
Sources:
1 Ullman, D . The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy. North Atlantic Books. 2007 Berkeley, CA. https://tinyurl.com/TheHomeopathicRevolution
2 Davidson, J A Century of Homeopaths: Their Influence on Medicine and Health. Springer Publishing Company, 2014 NY.
3 Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis, (2016) Scientific Framework Homeopathy – Evidenced Based Homeopathy 2016 http://www.lmhi.org/Article/Detail/42
8 Menninger C. Some reflections relative to the symptomatology and materia medica of typhoid fever. Transactions of American Institute of Homeopathy, 1897, 430.
10 Linde K, Clausius N, Ramirez G, et al. Are the clinical effects of homeopathy placebo effects? A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials. Lancet 1997; 359(9081):834-43. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9310601
11 Davidson J, Morrison R, Shore J, et al. Homeopathic treatment of depression and anxiety. Alternative Therapies 1997; 3(1), 46–49. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8997804
12 Humphreys I, Wood RL, Phillips, et al. The Costs of Traumatic Brain Injury: a literature review. ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research 2013; 3:5: 281-287. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23836998
13 Chapman EH, Weintraub RJ, Milburn MA, et al. Homeopathic treatment of mild traumatic brain injury: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial. J Head Trauma Rehabil 1999; 14(6): 521–542. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10671699
16 Frei H, Everts R, von Ammon K, et al. Homeopathic treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled crossover trial. European J Pediatrics (2005; 164: 758–767. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16047154
17 Frei H, Everts R, Von Ammon K, et_al. Ransomised Controlled Trials of Homeopathy in Hyperactive Children: Treatment Procedure Leads to an Unconventional Study Design. Homeopathy 2007; 96: 35-41. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17227746
18 Davidson J, Crawford C, Ives J, et al. Homeopathic Treatments in Psychiatry: A Systematic Review of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Studies. J Clin Psychiatry 2011;72(6): 795-805. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21733480
19 Adler UC, Paiva NMP, Cesar AT, et al. Homeopathic Individualized Q-Potencies versus Fluoxetine for Moderate to Severe Depression: Double-Blind, Randomized Non-Inferiority Trial. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011; 2011, Article ID 520182, 7 pgs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136538/
20 Macias-Cortes EC, Llanes-Gonzalez L, Aguilar-Faisal L et al. Individualized Homeopathic Treatment and Fluoxetine for Moderate to Severe Depression in Peri- and Postmenopausal Women (HOMDEP-MENOP Study): A Randomized, Double-Dummy, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial. Plos One 2015; DOI: 10.1371/journal.poe.0118440 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25768800
21 Grimaldi-Bensouda L, Abenhaim L, Massol J, Guillemot D, et al. Utilization of psychotropic drugs by patients consulting for sleeping disorders in homeopathic and conventional primary care settings: the EPI3 cohort study. Homeopathy 2015;104 (3): 170-175. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26143449
23 Danno K, Duru G & Vetel JM. Management of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Patients ≥ 65 Years of Age by Homeopath General Practitioners versus Conventional General Practitioners, with Overview of the EPI3-LASER Study Results. Homeopathy 2018;107(2): 81-89. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29558779
26 Bodman F. Insights into homeopathy. Beaconsfield Press, England: Davies and Pinsent Editors.1990.
27 Boltz O. Some original investigations on the treatment of schizophrenia and associated symptoms due to a functional disturbance of integration in the diencephalon using the principle of Similia Similibus Curantur. J Amer Instit Homeopathy 1968;61(4): 219–234.
28 Saine A. Psychiatric Patients: Back to the Roots: Steps in case taking. Pg. 261-268. Eindhoven, Netherlands: Lutra Services. 1997.
29 Shevin W. Case presentations. J Amer Inst Homeopathy 1989;77(2):59–66.
30 Gallavardin J. Psychism and homeopathy. Pgs. 47-49.New Delhi, India: B. Jain Publishers. 1960/90.
31 Grazyna M, Trzebiatowska-Trzeciak O. Homeopathic treatment of alcohol withdrawal. British Homeopathic Journal with Simile 1993;82(4):249–251.
32 Haidvogl M, Lehner E, Resch D. Homeopathic treatment of handicapped children. British Homeopathic Journal 1993;82(4): 227–236.
33 Lansky A. Impossible Cure-The Promise of Homeopathy. R.L. Ranch Press, Portola Beach, CA. 2003.
34 Rajalakshmi MA. Homeopathic Treatment as Adjunct to Neuropsychological Therapies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Int J Public Mental Health and Neurosciences 2015;2(3):13-18.
35 Cortina J. Enuresis and its homeopathic treatment: Study of 20 cases treated with ilex paraguenses. British Homeopathic Journal 1994;83(4):220–222.
36 Merizalde B. Fundamentals of Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine, Marc S. Micozzi MD PhD (Author), Saunders, 6th. Edition, 2018.
The New England Journal of Homeopathy Spring/Summer 1998, Vol.7 No.1
The following is an extract of the chapter on the influenza epidemic of 1918 from Julian Winston’s upcoming history of homeopathy book-which does not yet have a title. Watch these pages for a review when it does come out. ed
It was called “the Great White Plague.” It is hard to imagine the devastation caused by the Flu Epidemic of 1918-19. People who lived through it reported that some one who was up and well in the morning could be dead by evening.
Dr. H. A. Roberts was a physician on a troop ship at the time. Another boat pulled alongside to get any spare coffins- it’s mortality rate was so high. On his return to port, the commander said to Roberts, “used all your coffins?” To which Roberts, who had been treating his ship with homeopathy, replied, “Yes, and lost not one man!”
The following is an extract from an article entitled “Homeopathy In Influenza- A Chorus Of Fifty In Harmony” by W. A. Dewey, MD that appeared in the Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1920.
Dean W. A. Pearson of Philadelphia collected 26,795 cases of influenza treated by homeopathic physicians with a mortality of 1.05%, while the average old school mortality is 30%.
Thirty physicians in Connecticut responded to my request for data. They reported 6,602 cases with 55 deaths, which is less than 1%. In the transport service I had 81 cases on the way over. All recovered and were landed. Every man received homeopathic treatment. One ship lost 31 on the way. H. A. Roberts, MD, Derby, Connecticut.
In a plant of 8,000 workers we had only one death. The patients were not drugged to death. Gelsemium was practically the only remedy used. We used no aspirin and no vaccines. -Frank Wieland, MD, Chicago.
I did not lose a single case of influenza; my death rate in the pneumonias was 2.1%. The salycilates, including aspirin and quinine, were almost the sole standbys of the old school and it was a common thing to hear them speaking of losing 60% of their pneumonias.-Dudley A. Williams, MD, Providence, Rhode Island.
Fifteen hundred cases were reported at the Homeopathic Medical Society of the District of Columbia with but fifteen deaths. Recoveries in the National Homeopathic Hospital were 100%.-E. F. Sappington, M. D., Philadelphia.
I have treated 1,000 cases of influenza. I have the records to show my work. I have no losses. Please give all credit to homeopathy and none to the Scotch-Irish-American! -T. A. McCann, MD, Dayton, Ohio.
One physician in a Pittsburgh hospital asked a nurse if she knew anything better than what he was doing, because he was losing many cases. “Yes, Doctor, stop aspirin and go down to a homeopathic pharmacy, and get homeopathic remedies.” The Doctor replied: “But that is homeopathy.” “I know it, but the homeopathic doctors for whom I have nursed have not lost a single case.” -W. F. Edmundson, MD, Pittsburgh.
There is one drug which directly or indirectly was the cause of the loss of more lives than was influenza itself. You all know that drug. It claims to be salicylic acid. Aspirin’s history has been printed. Today you don’t know what the sedative action of salicylic acid is. It did harm in two ways. It’s indirect action came through the fact that aspirin was taken until prostration resulted and the patient developed pneumonia. -Frank L. Newton, MD, Somerville, Massachusetts
Aspirin and the other coal tar products are condemned as causing great numbers of unnecessary deaths. The omnipresent aspirin is the most pernicious drug of all. It beguiles by its quick action of relief of pain, a relief which is but meretricious. In several cases aspirin weakened the heart, depressed the vital forces, increased the mortality in mild cases and made convalescence slower. In all cases it masks the symptoms and renders immeasurably more difficult the selection of the curative remedy. Apparently aspirin bears no curative relation to any disease and it ought to be prohibited. -Guy Beckly Stearns, MD, New York
Three hundred and fifty cases and lost one, a neglected pneumonia that came to me after she had taken one hundred grains of aspirin in twenty-four hours. -Cora Smith King, MD, Washington, DC
I had a package handed to me containing 1,000 aspirin tablets, which was 994 too many. I think I gave about a half dozen. I could find no place for it. My remedies were few. I almost invariably gave Gelsemium and Bryonia. I hardly ever lost a case if I got there first, unless the patient had been sent to a drug store and bought aspirin, in which event I was likely to have a case of pneumonia on my hands. -J. P. Huff, MD, Olive Branch, Kentucky.
In reading the accounts of the epidemic it seems that most of the deaths were caused by a virulent pneumonia that was especially devastating to those who depressed their system with analgesics-the most common being aspirin.
The Physician from whom I first learned homeopathy, Raymond Seidel, MD, HMD, said that he decided to be a homeopathic doctor during the flu epidemic when he was working as a delivery boy for a homeopath in New Jersey. Raymond Seidel told me that he decided to become a homeopathic doctor when he was a ten-year old delivery boy for a local homeopath. He said, “I saw that the people who were taking aspirin were dying, about half those who were drinking a lot were dying, and those that received homeopathic remedies were living.”*********
Author-Julian Winston lives in New Zealand where he maintains his renaissance man life in design work, playing pedal steel guitar and in continuing to guide homeopathy into the next millennia. He was the long time editor of the National Center of Homeopathy’s,
A great deal of homeopathic research has been completed to date and research in the field of homeopathy has continued to grow over the past decade.
Many of the world’s finest scientific minds have contributed to this research and continue to do so today. NCH maintains an extensive online library and bibliography of homeopathic research articles, as well as research articles from related fields, and, as new studies are completed, they are added to this collection.
If you’re new to homeopathy and interested in getting an overview of some of the research that’s been conducted in the field, we’ve selected a few articles that will introduce you to homeopathic research. These articles are organized into categories:
For a more comprehensive look at homeopathic research, the latest published studies, or a deeper exploration of homeopathic research practices, check out the following resources:
Research Article Bibliography: A list of over 800 research articles on homeopathy and related topics, organized two ways for your convenience. If you see something we’re missing, let us know!
Webinars: These NCH produced webinars review a variety of relevant homeopathic research topics currently being investigated by internationally renowned researchers.
Books: Deepen your understanding of homeopathic reserach with one or more of these books.
New Directions in Homeopathy Research (Claudia Witt)An overview of the research in homeopathy from a symposium held to define the state of the art. The authors, conference participants, and experienced researchers from various disciplines involved hope to improve the quality of research by identifying problems in and making recommendations for further research.
The Trials of Homeopathy:Origins, Structure, and Development(Michael Emmons Dean)This is a readable history of development of therapeutics and growth research in homeopathy beginning with the first observational trials in 1821 through 1953. It also reviews the design and methodology of homeopathy trials, including the early use of placebo and the shift to biomedical research perspective.
