Homoeo Info

Kolkata: A team from Columbia University visited city-based Prasanta Banerji Homeopathy Research Foundation (PBHRF) for a possible research collaboration and exchange of medical expertise in the field of paediatric oncology.
A five-member team from the university's Integrative Therapies Programme for Children with Cancer visited the PBHRF Saturday, and studied the entire therapeutic method, Banerji Protocol, a new method of treatment under which specific medicines are prescribed for specific diseases after being diagnosed by modern methods of homeopathic treatment, unlike classical homeopathy.
'They have come to see our work and how we treat patients. They have spent their entire day at the PBHRF and met over 30 patients of paediatric oncology. We are planning for research collaboration with the paediatric division of Columbia University's Integrative Therapies Programme for Children with Cancer in the days to come,' co-founder and deputy managing trustee of PBHRF Pratip Banerji told IANS.
The US team was led by Elena Ladas and Kara Kelly, the university's medical director of the Integrative Therapies Programme for Children with Cancer.
IANS/ Earthtimes, UK, Nov 3, 2007

Labels: India, USA

Mangalore: Dr Batra's Positive Health Clinic Private Limited announced the opening its first clinic in Mangalore and the 53rd in the country on Friday November 2 evening. Dr Batras' Positive Health Clinic, located on the second floor of Manasa Towers in the city, was inaugurated by Dr BM Hegde, former vice-chancellor, Manipal University .
Dr Akshay Batra, DMD, DBPHCPL said, “Numerous people across the globe are becoming aware about the adverse effects of chemical drugs and treatments. People have realised the importance of safe medication and homeopathy is moving towards being a preferred choice of treatment. Today, homeopathy industry in India is around Rs 630 crore and is steadily growing at a rate of 20-25% each year.”
Totally 275 highly qualified doctors have been working for Dr Batras' Positive Health Clinic Private Limited. Doctors have additional training programmes where they can enhance skills to serve patients better. There is also a strong data storage system in order to maintain follow-ups of patients. Dr Batras' Positive Health Clinic Private Limited also has cyber clinic (www.drbatras.com) facility mainly to offer online consultations across the globe, he added.
Daijiworld, India, Nov 02, 2007

Major U.S. medical schools don’t usually offer a stage for the long-running debate over homeopathy and its place in modern medicine.
But at the UConn Health Center on Oct. 25, six internationally renowned experts took part in a forum on homeopathic medicine. Dozens listened in person in the Low Learning Center, and several hundred people around the world listened via webcast.
Homeopathy is an alternative form of health care based on the concept “like cures like.”
Treatments involve stimulating the body’s defense mechanisms by giving small doses of substances that theoretically would produce the same or similar symptoms of illness in healthy people if given in larger doses.
The homeopathic practitioner customizes treatments, not necessarily giving the same remedy to treat the same illness in different patients.
History has called into question the science behind homeopathy, said Dr. Nadav Davidovitch of Columbia University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in southern Israel.
Joining the forum from Tel Aviv, Davidovitch suggested that a person’s belief in homeopathy is derived from his or her willingness or refusal to be bound by the generally accepted rules of science based on molecular research.
Dr. Donald Marcus of Baylor University said, “There is no rigorous evidence to support the efficacy of homeopathy, and there are some potential adverse effects. I think there have been enough clinical trials that I don’t think federal funds should be used to support further clinical trials of homeopathy.”
Dr. Iris Bell of the University of Arizona agreed that it will take more research to satisfy classic scientific standards, but said other research can’t be ignored.
Chris DeFrancesco/UConn Advance, CT, US 2 Nov 2007

Labels: USA

New York: On yesterday's Oprah, themed "What the Stylemakers Can't Live Without," super-model and super-mom Cindy Crawford revealed that homeopathic medicine is a must-have in her life.
"So I am the doctor of our family and I'm a big fan of homeopathy," she said. "If I have the kids, for sure I always take this with me," she explained, holding up a plastic kit containing small vials of homeopathic medicines. Cindy carries these medicines in case of bee stings, mosquito bites, and bruises. "You need like 5 of those little pellets. They taste sweet so the kids will take them."
According to Nathalie Stern, MD, a Manhattan-based pediatrician and mother of two, homeopathy really works. "Arnica and Arnicare Gel by Boiron are the homeopathic products I recommend across the board. They are perfect for parents to include in their first aid kit, especially when kids are on the go in the playground or the sports field. They work especially well for bruises and strains, which are inevitable when kids are active," she says.
Millions of parents across the country are now using homeopathic medicines from Boiron, the leading homeopathic company in the world. "Homeopathy is the #1 alternative medicine in Europe, and has been popular there for over 200 years," says Dana Ullman, MPH, author of The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy (North Atlantic Books, October 16).
PRNewswire/Earthtimes, UK - 1 Nov 2007

Labels: USA

New Delhi: India will promote homeopathy for bettering mother and child health in areas like anaemia, asthma and diarrhoea, a senior health ministry official said Tuesday.
'Homeopathy is used by many people in India but the usage is very patchy. Through a concerted campaign, we are going to promote homeopathy across the country, especially for mother and child health promotion,' joint secretary health V. Samuels said.
Under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the government has decided to promote this form of medicine at the national, state and district level.
'All the hospitals and homeopathy practitioners will be brought under a network to facilitate the success of the programme,' Samuels said at a function.
Giving details about the initiative, Chaturbhuja Nayak, director of the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH), said the effort would address the 'unsatisfactory health status of women and children in the country and also the high morbidity and mortality of infants and young children'.
Currently, the infant mortality rate is 58 for every 1,000 childbirths, while maternal mortality is 301 for every 100,000 deliveries.
He said problems like anaemia, deficient secretion of milk, urinary tract infections, skin disorders, asthma, diarrhoea, chikungunya, respiratory problems, sleep disorder and many such health problems could be addressed effectively through homeopathy and with less expenditure.
Indo-Asian News Service/Earthtimes, UK - 30 Oct 2007

Labels: India

Many Yemenis are making use of various unconventional therapies in order to restore well-being. However most of them, especially people living in rural areas, depend on traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of different diseases, according to a new Sana’a University study.
The study, entitled Alternative Medicine in Yemen, was conducted by researchers in the Faculty of Medicine and Health science on 2,000 people in seven Yemeni governorates to evaluate the knowledge, trends, and uses of alternative medicine in Yemen.
Herbal medicine, also called homeopathic medicine or phytomedicine, uses plant seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes.
Conventional medicine is medicine as practiced by holders of medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, psychologists, and nurses. Many mainstream and conventional physicians are skeptical of alternative medicine—and some still consider it to be of no medical value.
Long practiced alongside conventional medicine, homeopathy is becoming more mainstream as up-to-date analysis and research show its value in the treatment and prevention of disease. The use of plants for healing purposes predates modern human history and forms the origin of much of modern medicine.
Scientists around the world depend on natural herbs in developing more potent medication. Herbal-derived substances remain the basis for a large proportion of the commercial medicines used today for the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, and other illnesses.
Recently, the World Health Organization estimated that 80 percent of people worldwide rely on herbal medicines for some aspect of their primary healthcare. According to the World Health Organization, 74 percent of 119 modern plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines are used in ways that are similar to their traditional uses.
This study found that 93 percent of the participants had a good knowledge of alternative therapies, since most of them, about 98 percent, are university students.
Approximately 70 percent (75 percent of females and 66 percent of males) strongly believe that herbs are completely effective in treating the different diseases.
Thuria Ghaleb/Yemen Observer, Yemen - 30 Oct 2007 Oct 30, 2007

Labels: Yemen

Homeopathy is one of the most hotly debated areas of alternative medicine. Yet its supporters point out that the numbers of those turning to homeopathic remedies is growing by around 20 per cent a year and last year 22 per cent of people in the UK bought remedies for a wide range of ailments.
It's estimated that around 30 million people in Europe visit homeopaths and here the therapy has had many high-profile supporters including the Queen, Sir Paul McCartney, Jude Law and David Beckham.
Homeopathic remedies differ from conventional drug-related treatments by using raw extracts from plants or animals, or powders of minerals and salts made into a `tincture' and mixed with alcohol.
Patients are given tiny diluted doses of something that causes symptoms similar to those they are already experiencing.
The theory is that a minute quantity will stimulate the body's own healing powers without side-effects.
But among the medical profession and scientists there are those who believe this theory flies in the face of science which follows the principle that the stronger the medicine - or the more concentrated a dissolved substance - the more powerful it becomes.
Homeopathy's outspoken critics include Prof Michael Baum, Professor Emeritus of Surgery at University College, London.
"There's a complete lack of clinical evidence to support alternative remedies," he says.
"Medicine is based on evidence. If a drug or surgical treatment does not pass stringent surgical trials, it is abandoned.
"The results of clinical trials are published whether they are favourable or not. Yet when it comes to homeopathy, the standards of evidence are highly questionable."
But Andy Kirk, chair of The Society of Homeopaths which is the largest body of professional homeopaths in Europe, points to its general acceptance within the National Health Service as it has been available since its inception in 1948.
He says: "Around 70 per cent of GPs feel complementary medicine should be freely available.
"Also, substantial savings could be made by introducing homeopathy into general practice."
There are around 3,900 registered homeopaths practising in the UK and five NHS-funded homeopathic hospitals.
Gabrielle Fagan/Manchester Evening News, UK - Oct 29, 2007

Labels: UK

Homeopathy can help treat stone formation in the salivary gland, says Dr S. Chidambaranathan.
Calculus is medically meant for any abnormal concretion of mineral salts formed inside the body. 'Sial' refers to salivary gland and 'Sialolith' refers to salivary gland calculus. Tendency to salivary calculus or formation of salivary calculus is termed as 'Sialolithiasis'. Stone formation can obstruct the pathway and cause infection and pain in the glands. The obstruction can be complete or partial.
Three pairs of salivary glands produce saliva persistently and dispense them into the mouth through ducts almost continuously, i.e., even at night time (during sleep) to keep the mouth moist. Saliva constitutes mainly water, salts, electrolytes, waste products of body (urea, uric acids, acetone, etc.) and epithelial cells. It is the first digestive juice of the digestive tract which helps to breakdown the food particles to get dissolved and digested easily. It also makes the food bolus to swallow easily. Salivary calculus is a type of salivary gland disorder where normal saliva flow is interrupted (partially or totally) to cause dryness of mouth, pain in salivary gland with or without altered taste in the mouth.
Chennai Online, India, Oct 29, 2007

Labels: India

Imphal: Manipur has the potential to get India the individual Olympic gold that has eluded it so far, but sportspeople from the state need to be mentally strong and well informed not to fall into the drug trap and get busted, a sports medicine expert has said.
“This is where an alternative therapy can help. Homoeopathy treats not only the body but also the mind,” homoeopathy practitioner Jatin N. Valia said on the inaugural day of a six-day workshop on holistic medicines and sports psychology for coaches of the National Sports Academy and youth affairs and sports department. Herbs are abundant in the country and there is no risk to the health of sportspersons, Valia said.
He said that in almost all major games, sportpersons from the state are representing the country in many international events and bringing back laurels.
Valia presented slideshows on different aspects of injuries, ailments and their treatment. Nitesh Dubey, another homeopathic practitioner from Mumbai, will deliver a lecture during the workshop.
Calcutta Telegraph, India, October 29, 2007

Labels: India

New Delhi: The Centre will launch a national campaign to promote homoeopathy for mother and child care. The proposed campaign aims at sensitising policy makers and modern medicine health professionals about the strengths of homoeopathy.
There are a large number of homoeopathic medical colleges and institutionally qualified physicians in the country whose services are underutilised in the various national health programmes, according to the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) under the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, and the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy.
Since there is a limited awareness about homeopathy’s potential for improving the health status of women and children, the national campaign is expected to provide the necessary co-ordination for the utilisation of homoeopathic practitioners and institutions for the provision of health services in this sector.
Homoeopathic medicines can be safely administered for various ailments throughout pregnancy without any adverse reaction, can be used during childbirth to contain problems associated with labour, and are effective for post-delivery and lactational complaints and the pills are sweet and, thus, child-friendly.
Hindu, India, Oct 28, 2007

Labels: India

On 1 December, faith healers will meet at Roots & Shoots in south London to discuss how to treat Aids with magic pills. They won't call themselves faith healers, of course, or shamans or juju men. They will present themselves as 'homeopaths': serious men and women whose remedies are as good as conventional medicine.
According to the advance publicity, Hilary Fairclough, a homeopath endorsed by no less than Jeanette Winterson, will describe the 'impressive' results from her clinic in Botswana. Harry van der Zee, co-founder of the Amma Resonance Healing Foundation, will say that 'in just a few days or weeks' African Aids patients he treated became 'symptom-free and able to return to their jobs and schools or to look after their children again'. All in all, the Society of Homeopaths promises to provide 'fascinating insights' for World Aids Day.
It can do no such thing. Of all the pseudo-sciences on offer, homeopathy is the most obviously spurious. Devised by Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century, it holds that the smaller the dose of a mineral or herb the more potent it is. Thus, if you go into a chemist and buy a homeopathic sulphur remedy marked 30C, the proportion of sulphur to inert packaging in a pill is 1 to 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. A glass of water is more likely to cure you.
Yet dismissing homeopathy as quackery given by and for the feeble-minded is surprisingly hard. Anti-elitism dominates our society and many feel uncomfortable saying that the six million people who take alternative medicines are foolish - to put the case against them at its kindest. They sincerely believe in phoney remedies and sincerity trumps sense in modern culture.
In rich and privileged societies where good health is taken for granted, homeopathy feels somehow natural when set against cold, conventional medicine. Today's audiences have no difficulty believing doctors and drugs companies are more villainous than their alternative rivals. Scrabbling around for a new plot after the end of the Cold War, John le Carre came up with The Constant Gardener, a story about drug manufacturers murdering Africans. 'Big pharmaceuticals are right up there with the arms dealers,' declares one character, who couldn't tell the difference between an antibiotic and a cluster bomb. Far from being dismissed as shallow, The Constant Gardener was a hit as a novel and a film.
You might have thought that the medical establishment would make a stand for science. After all, the reputations of the chief medical officer, Department of Health civil servants and doctors depend on their being able to say that they have tested their remedies in double-blind trials and understand why and how they work. But they happily go along with fake treatments that don't stand up to the most cursory scrutiny.
GPs use homeopaths as a dumping ground for hypochondriacs and the state pays for five homeopathic 'hospitals'. With the flood of money to the NHS about to be stemmed, Whitehall ought to close them and concentrate scarce resources on medicine that works.
However, any minister bold enough to argue for the effective use of public funds would face strong opposition. About 100 MPs signed a Commons motion asserting that homeopathic hospitals were 'valuable national assets' that could magic away conditions from eczema to irritable bowel syndrome. Well-known loons were joined by otherwise intelligent politicians who were content to have constituents conned.
Maybe they believed the standard justification for the homeopathy that the 'placebo effect' is a real psychological phenomenon. Patients suffering from minor ailments can feel better after taking a sugared pill. I've never liked the argument because there would be no placebo effect if patients were told the truth. To endorse homeopathy on the NHS is to endorse state deception. In his forthcoming Counterknowledge, Damian Thompson of the Daily Telegraph goes further and makes a persuasive case that what we tend to dismiss as harmless fads for Cherie Blair and her kind cause immense suffering in the wider world.
The NHS's backing for public homeopathic hospitals legitimises private homeopaths. An investigation by Newsnight showed 10 of them putting patients' lives in danger by rejecting anti-malarial drugs for pills containing infinitesimal quantities of garlic and citronella oil. But you have to turn to the Africa le Carre couldn't see to understand how the bugbears of people we think of as eccentrics can turn lethal.
Nick Cohen/The Observer, UK, October 28, 2007

Labels: UK