Homoeo Info

Bone up on osteoporosis

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:03:00 +0000

Osteoporosis is a condition that results in loss of bone strength and density, causing bones to become more fragile and easily susceptible to fractures. It is often called a "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without any overt symptoms. Osteoporosis mostly affects women, as its victims are 80 percent female and 20 percent male. One quarter of all women above 60 years old are afflicted by the condition. In India, one out of two women over the age of 45 years is affected. It is caused by poor calcium and vitamin D intake and absorption, as well as being a side effect of hormone replacement therapy. The most serious health implication of osteoporosis is frequent fractures, which can be caused by even routine activities like bending to lift a bucket or even just coughing or sneezing. Repeated fractures can cause you to lose several inches in height as your posture becomes stooped.
Homeopathy is a safe and gentle way to tackle osteoporosis. It provides vital nutritional remedies that not only help to prevent the disease but also to minimise it. It works both to correct osteoporosis and prevent further nutritional deficiency of the bones, as well as enables the body to absorb natural vitamin D by synthesising the sun's rays. Choosing homeopathy for other ailments can also prevent you from developing osteoporosis as a side effect. A major clinical trial published in the journal of the American Medical Association showed that women on hormone replacement therapy for various ailments like menopause and PCOD were at a much higher risk for breast cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis than those using homeopathy.
Homeopathic remedies
* Calcarea Carb 30, five pills twice a day
* Calcarea Phos 6X, two tablets twice a day
Express Pharma, India - Feb 7, 2008

Govt may not provide five-yr data protection to traditional medicines

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:01:00 +0000

New Delhi: The government may take back its earlier plan to provide five-year data protection to traditional systems of medicine.
The change has been triggered by the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) taking the view that such a protection will lead to similar demands from the allopathic segment.
While the government has been supporting the move to introduce data protection for traditional medicines, it has been reluctant to offer similar protection to the pharmaceutical sector in general due to the concerns of the domestic drug industry.
Domestic manufacturers say 'data protection', which results in 'non-reliance' of data generated by the patent-holding company, will increase the cost of drug production and delay the entry of generic drugs into the domestic market.
Incidentally, it was the Department of AYUSH that initially proposed such a protection to encourage generation of data for scientific validation of traditional medicines.
The government's plans for data protection began after a high-level inter-ministerial committee, set up by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals in 2004, favoured such protection for traditional medicines and agro-chemicals.
Joe C Mathew/Business Standard, India - Feb 8, 2008

FMHMC Hosts All-India Homeopathy Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Mangalore: All-India Homeopathy Lecturers' Workshop, sponsored by the ministry of health and family welfare, was inaugurated at Fr Muller Homeopathic Medical College (FMHMC), Deralakatte here on Monday, February 4.
Dr P N Verma, renowned homeopathy surgeon and medical expert, speaking at the inaugural ceremony urged the lecturers to make optimum use of the workshop which will provide them with an opportunity to interact with experts and clarify doubts in order to teach effectively.
Fr Patrick Rodrigues, director of Fr Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI) expressed that these workshops should be held frequently to keep abreast with the latest innovations in the field. He assured every assistance on the part of FMCI in this regard.
Daijiworld.com, India - Feb 6, 2008

Dr Batra’s plans overseas foray

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:19:00 +0000

Charting out expansion plans in domestic and overseas Markets, homoeopathic clinic chain Dr Batra’s on Monday said it will set up 50 clinics across the country in the next five years, besides opening its first international centre in London this year.
“We target to set up 10 clinics each year and it requires an investment of about Rs 50 lakh each. We will set up around 50 clinics in the next five years,” Dr Batra’s Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Batra told PTI.
On expanding overseas, he said the company has incorporated a subsidiary, Dr Batra’s International, in London and would open up the first clinic there in the next 3-6 months.
Dr Batra’s is also in the process of opening a chain of clinics in Oman, for which talk are going on.
“We are in discussion with a big company from Muscat and will open a chain of clinics in the country in two months. We are also thinking to start a centre in Dubai and other cities as well,” Batra said, but declined to divulge the name of the local partner.
The company is also exploring opportunities in 3-5 other countries, he said, but did not reveal any details.
Financial Express, India - Feb 4, 2008

Laconia Adult Ed offering herbal medicine, homeopathy class

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:15:00 +0000

Laconia: Laconia Adult Education will be offering a six-week course on Herbal Medicine and Homeopathy.
The class will start on Tuesday and meet from 7-8:30 p.m. at Laconia High School.
Many people are turning again to "new, alternative" remedies that grandmothers once grew in their gardens and knew as h4
This class will be taught by Dr. Kathryn Cranford.
In the homeopathic section of the class, students will learn what homeopathic remedies are, how they are made, how they work in the body and which remedies are safe to use at home for simple health issues.
Cranford is a licensed naturopathic doctor and midwife. Her practice focuses on family medicine with an emphasis on women's health and pediatrics. Years in an on-call midwifery and pediatrics practice have taught her what remedies are helpful for clients to have on hand at home for those 3AM phone calls.
Laconia Citizen, NH, USA - Feb 4, 2008

Alternative therapy: healing or hooey?

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:42:00 +0000

Biostatistician R. Barker Bausell tried acupuncture once, for a chronic backache. The needle pricks and the warmth from the heat lamp aimed at his sore back felt good at the time, he recalls. They didn't do a thing for his underlying pain.
But when the acupuncturist asked if the treatment had helped, Bausell said yes. "What could I say? I worked with the guy all the time," says the scientist, who was then director of research at a center for complementary medicine at the University of Maryland.
Today, Bausell is saying plenty about his five years in the world of complementary and alternative medicine (also known as CAM). He has written a book called Snake Oil Science: The Truth About Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Oxford University Press).
In it, he uses a broad brush to paint doubt over therapies that include acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, chiropractic treatment, hypnosis and energy healing, among others. An obvious criticism is that he lumps together very different approaches.
But he argues that the differences aren't as important as what they share: an ability to make people feel better — if patients believe they will. In short, Bausell writes: "CAM recipients feel better because of the placebo effect."
Can that be universally true? If it is, then the National Institutes of Health is spending $121 million a year to study the placebo effect at its National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. And many leading medical centers are offering alternative treatments too, thanks, in part, to that federal research money — and huge patient demand.
That demand is stoked by groaning shelves of books promoting CAM. Bausell offers a different perspective, one not shared by all scientists. But whether his broad condemnation is fair, his description of factors that might underlie and augment the placebo effect (the ability of sham treatments to relieve symptoms) is thought-provoking.
Kim Painter, USA Today Feb 04, 2008

Why it pays to check out the alternatives

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:37:00 +0000

Britons spend £130 million a year on complementary therapists, and the figure is set to reach £200 million over the next four years, as we grow ever more dissatisfied with conventional medicine.
The cost of sessions depends on the type of therapy, your location and also the practitioner, but it can run into hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds for regular customers. The first session is usually the most expensive because it involves a consultation.
If you are lucky, you might find a therapist who is not in the industry purely to make money, but more because he or she wants to help people. These magnanimous souls can charge as little as £20 an hour, rarely impose cancellation fees and will even let you pay less if you are hard-up.
Whether you pay £25 or £125, you are entitled to expect treatment from a trained and qualified therapist. The problem is that not all are.
There are plans for a new voluntary code for complementary therapists, which will act as a quality guarantee for the public. Some alternative therapies, such as homoeopathy and osteopathy, are already regulated.
However, in the absence of full regulation, anyone considering a visit should always check that the therapist belongs to a governing association and is listed as a practising therapist with relevant qualifications.
Times Online, UK - Feb 1, 2008

Winter sickness bug boost for homeopathic treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:36:00 +0000

AS doctors urge suffers of the "winter vomiting virus" to stay away from surgeries and hospitals - homeopaths in Islington have seen an increase in calls for help.
An estimated 100,000 people a week across Britain are catching the norovirus and many Islington residents are turning to alternative medicine for a solution.
Islington homeopath, Alex Christie, is based at the Barnsbury Clinic in Belitha Villas, Islington.
She said: "The effects of the bug, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting, with some people also suffering from fever and flu-like pains, can be eased with homeopathic remedies and the process of recovery speeded up.
"In homeopathic medicine, the symptoms as they are experienced by the individual are taken into account to help find the best remedy. How the patient feels in themselves is also taken into account."
Because remedies are non-toxic, they are suitable for use by people of all ages, including babies and pregnant women.
Homeopathy is patient-centred and remedies are prescribed to suit the particular individual and their set of symptoms.
Islington Gazette, UK - Jan 30, 2008

Fifth of NHS trusts turn away from homeopathy

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:33:00 +0000

Over a fifth of NHS hospital trusts have cancelled or reduced funding of homeopathy in the past two years, after a campaign by leading scientists to remove the alternative therapy from the NHS.
In two open letters to primary healthcare trust managers in May last year, the scientists lambasted homeopathic remedies because they lack a robust scientific basis: "We must consider the cultural and social damage of maintaining as a matter of principle expenditure on practices which are unsupported by evidence."
Homeopathy remedies involve diluting active substances so that there is not a single molecule of the original chemical left. Practitioners refer to a "memory" left in the water. But the signatories - which included a Nobel prize winner and six fellows of the Royal Society - say there is no convincing evidence that homeopathy works any better than a placebo. A survey by Pulse magazine has found that 22% of PCTs have reduced or cancelled spending on homeopathy in the last two years. The Royal London Homeopathic hospital is facing difficulties after eight trusts cancelled contracts over the past year and a further six reduced referrals.
Michael Baum, emeritus professor of surgery at University College London, who signed one of last year's letters, described homeopathy as "cheap and nasty medicine" and a "cruel deception". James Randerson, science correspondent/Guardian Unlimited, UK , Jan 30, 2008

Official Decision Needed On Homeopathy Services

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:32:00 +0000

NHS-funded homeopathic services are on the decline in the UK, it was reported today.
They have been hit hard by the government’s plans to increase the cost-effectiveness of NHS resources and many trusts are cutting their funding.
Only 37 per cent of 132 primary care trusts now have contracts for homeopathic services, an investigation by the journal Pulse found.
Homeopathy remains popular in general practice, being the second most used complementary treatment after acupuncture in a survey last year.
Nevertheless, the controversial treatment has been stopped or reduced in more than a quarter of trusts in the past two years.
Homeopathy suffered a blow in May 2006 when a group of experts told directors of commissioning that the treatment caused "cultural and social damage" and was "unsupported by evidence".
But there is also a danger that patients denied homeopathic treatments on the NHS might take risks by consulting non-medical homeopathic practitioners, warns Dr Tim Robinson, a GP who provides a local homeopathic service in Dorset.
The deputy editor of Pulse, Richard Hoey, commented: "Homeopathy is a highly controversial treatment with all sorts of doubts over its evidence base, but it is popular with patients and has traditionally always had a place in general practice.
StaffNurse.com, UK - Jan 30, 2008

Does homeopathy have any place in general practice?

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:35:00 +0000

There is definitely a place for homeopathy in general practice. Not only that, but I hope in future there will be increased opportunity for its provision.
I have been offering homeopathy at my own GP practice for 12 years, with great effect.
I audited my homeopathic consultations over a 12-month period and scored and analysed the outcomes. My study showed a wide variety of conditions were treated homeopathically and three-quarters of patients had a positive clinical response.
In order to defend homeopathy I want to start by sharing just three of the many cases I have treated successfully using it.
In one case, a nine-year-old girl presented with a three-year history of nightmares, causing her to wake four out of seven nights each week.
Three doses of one homeopathic medicine brought relief lasting about three weeks. After a further three doses she was almost completely free of nightmares – as she was when reviewed three months later.
My second case involves a 41-year-old man with a two-year history of alopecia since his mother’s death.
I treated him with two homeopathic medicines and reviewed him two months later. His alopecia was clearing – one patch had disappeared and the other was shrinking significantly.
In the third case, a 33-year-old woman came to the surgery with a four-year history of persistent diarrhoea, rectal bleeding and IBS, following Giardia infection.
She had been extensively investigated by a gastroenterologist, diagnosed with post-infectious IBS and prescribed antispasmodics that were ineffective.
I prescribed a series of homeopathic medicines and reviewed her three times. She was delighted to find that her bleeding settled and her bowels returned to normal.
Dr Tim Tobinson, a GP in Beaminster, Dorset, and lecturer at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital/Pulse, UK - Jan 29, 2008

Nature's cures for animals

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:25:00 +0000

Nothing is too good for my golden retriever, Brandy, who gets premium kibble, at least three walks a day and her own spot on the couch. So when she started having seizures and my regular vet suggested she might have to start taking a heavy-duty drug to control them, I wanted a second opinion.
Dr. Susan Krakauer, who calls herself "The Roving Vet," brought it right to my door. Krakauer -- who will be part of the Wellness Show this weekend at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre -- specializes in homeopathic veterinary care, and she visits four-legged patients in their own homes.
Krakauer says she became interested in homeopathy even before she attended veterinary school. After graduation, she worked at the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic, "where you see conventional medicine at its best, treating trauma and shock," she says.
But she also saw dogs and cats with chronic illnesses who would be brought to the clinic when their symptoms worsened. Conventional drug treatment sometimes stabilized them, she says, but they would often end up coming back when the disease flared up again.
"With conventional medicine, there are so many dead ends," Krakauer says. "You often find you are kind of managing symptoms, but you are never really making the animal better. So I just felt intuitively that there must be other forms of medicine that actually get to the root of these problems."
Homeopathy, which dates back to the 1700s, focuses on treating the whole person or animal rather than a specific ailment. It's based on the theory that small doses of natural substances can stimulate the body's ability to heal itself.
Joanne Blain, Vancouver Sun/Vancouver Sun, Canada - Jan 28, 2008

Government may absorb BEHMS, BEMS degree holders: Mangat Ram

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:05:00 +0000

Jammu: Minister for Health & Medical Education, Ladakh Affairs Mangat Ram Sharma while replying the resolution moved by Nassrullah regarding recognition of Electro-Homeopathy as 5th Medical Science in the state said “there are scores of local traditions of medicines and streams of alternative medicines in the country but most of these have not yet acquired the status of system of medicine even though these are practicing in different parts of the country for treatment and cure of human illness and diseases. The government of India recognizes only six of these systems of medicines viz Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy, which at Central level are known as AYUSH.
It is reported that some private institutions in some states are conducting degree courses in Electropathy and Electro-Homeopathy. Their qualifications under the name of Bachelor of Electropathic Medicine and Surgery (BEMS) are neither recognized by the Centre nor by the state government. Youths of various states including from J&K have been undergoing these courses at various institutions. One such institute under the name of PN Medical Institute of Electropathy Jammu and Pathankote was operating near Jammu which no longer exists in Jammu. It is reported that it has been shifted to Punjab.
These degree holders had been agitating at national and state level for recognition of their degrees and system of medicines for last 10 to 15 years. They had filed writ petitions in different courts. The High Court of Delhi in CWP No. 4015/96 and O.M./ No. 8468/97 dated November 18, 1998 had directed inter-alia central and state government to consider legislation to grant of license to existing and new institutes to control and regulating various un-recognized streams of alternative medicines.
The feasibility of making legislation, the committee considered all new streams of medicines but did not recommend any other alternative medicines except already recognized systems of medicines viz Ayurveda, Sidha, Unani, Homeopathy, Yoga and Naturopathy, which alone were found to fulfill the norms for recognition as system of medicines.
However, the state government initiated process to explore possibilities of absorbing BEMS & BHEMS degree holders health department based on their recognized qualification of 10+2, as we cannot take cognizance of their qualification, which is not recognized.
The government is fully conscious of the fact that these youths are suffering as they have no avenues to earn their livelihood on the basis of their unrecognized degrees. In order to channelize their potential, the state government is considering their case sympathetically and formulating a proposal after seeking approval of Chief Minister to offer to them job of para-medical staff.
GreaterKashmir.com , India - Jan 24, 2008

Sweet solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:53:00 +0000

Diabetes in the initial stages, can be treated by Homoeopathy. If the condition has existed for long, the role of Homoeopathy becomes supportive in preventing further deterioration and minimising the complications of the disease.
In Homoeopathy, the symptoms of an illness are viewed as a direct result of the body's attempt to heal itself. In doing so, Homoeopathy attempts to stimulate the body's own natural healing capacity with medicines acting as a trigger for the body's own healing forces. In this manner there has been a good response in treating diabetes in the initial stages. If the condition has existed for long, the role of Homoeopathy becomes supportive in preventing further deterioration and minimising the complications of diabetes. Constitutional medicines after a detailed evaluation and understanding the case are given. Secale Cor is used in wounds and ulcers, or sores in diabetics, enabling to dry rapidly, and heal. Uranium nitrate is another remedy, which gives universally good results. It lessens the sugar and quantity of the urine. The other medicines, which have given good results, are Arsenicum album, Natrum Muraticum, Acid Phos, Phosphorus. These Homeopathic remedies address the problem in a complete way. From nature the plants like Syzigium Jambulanum, Cephalandra Indica, Gymnema Sylvestra prepared in a Homoeopathic way helps in preventing as well as maintaining the blood sugar levels. A patient suffering from diabetes goes through treatment like other diseases and much depends on how far tissue change has taken place at the beginning of treatment. Advanced cases may never cease treatment altogether but may live as long as other people.
Homoeopathy, used for chronic illness from an early life, very rarely develops any complications. It’s power in prevention is marvellous.
Dr Sudha/Deccan Herald, India - Jan 18, 2008

FDA to Declare Cold Medicines Too Risky, Homeopathy Offers a Safe Alternative

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:51:00 +0000

Berkeley Springs: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will declare that cough and cold medicine is too risky for babies and toddlers on Thursday according to recent reports on CNN.com. FDA is issuing a public health advisory to warn parents of the serious and
potentially life threatening side effects of cold and cough medicine when
used to treat children under 6.
"We still have a concern," said Dr. Charles Ganley, FDA's nonprescription drugs chief, "It falls out of people's consciousness. We're still in the middle of cold season."
In 2007, the centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 1500 babies and toddlers were taken to emergency rooms for treatment of cold medicine side effects over a two-year period.
There is good news -- homeopathic medicine offers concerned parents a safe alternative free of side effects, allergic reactions, drug interactions, and unintentional overdose for less than the average co-pay for a doctor's visit.
Homeopathy is the second most widely used medicinal system in the world and it has been used safely and effectively for over 200 years. Unlike allopathic medicines, which suppress symptoms rather than curing, homeopathy supports the natural curative mechanisms within the body.
PR Newswire (press release), NY, US - Jan 17, 2008

Healthcare Business Launched by Branson will Include Homeopathy

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:49:00 +0000

Berkeley Springs: Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group launched a groundbreaking concept to the National Health Service (NHS), England's publicly funded healthcare system, with a call to family doctors to join them in establishing a network of clinics according to Financial Times Limited 2008
Mark Adams, Virgin Healthcare chief executive, said that while general practitioners would retain their existing contracts, "It would change the delivery model from something designed in 1946 to something that better serves today's world."
Virgin Healthcare clinics would offer a "one-stop-shop" approach to healthcare including services from homeopathy to therapy alongside typical general practitioner services. Virgin would offer a range of additional NHS and private services to visiting patients, including dentistry, screening, a pharmacy, "And a range of conventional and complementary therapies," said Adams.
Homeopathy is the second most widely used medicinal system in the world and it has been used safely and effectively for over 200 years. Unlike allopathic medicines, which suppress symptoms rather than curing, homeopathy supports the natural curative mechanisms within the body. In the United States over 90% of homeopathic medicines are available over the counter with costs less than the average co-pay for a pharmaceutical drug, less than $10!
"The low cost of the medications and the rarity of adverse reactions make it (homeopathy) preferable, in most cases, to modern drugs. Furthermore, because the medicines are inexpensive, safe, and easy to use, individuals can learn to handle many common illnesses for which people regularly seek medical help," says William Shevin MD.
PR Newswire (press release), NY, USA- Jan 15, 2007

When like treats like

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:45:00 +0000

When patients visit Ann Arough at the Little Rock Wellness Center, she listens carefully and mulls over their conversation before suggesting a remedy. Some of the things Arough, a naturopath, might suggest are herbal supplements, diet or lifestyle change, a visit to a medical doctor or with her husband, Mark, who specializes in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Or she might suggest that they try a homeopathic remedy. “Homeopathy is one tool in a naturopath’s toolbox,” says Arough. “And it’s the most complicated tool in the toolbox.” The theory behind homeopathy is contained in its law of similars, that “like treats like.” Homeopathic remedies are diluted doses of substances that are known to cause symptoms similar to the ones being treated. It is akin to the idea behind vaccinations, in that minute amounts of something harmful will incite the immune system to fight back.
Today, one need look no further than the shelves of most drug and grocery stores to see Zicam, Cold-Eeze and other homeopathic products on shelves alongside other medications.
Homeopathy began in the 1770 s, a movement led by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann as an alternative to the medical practices of the day — purging, bloodletting and blistering. Today homeopathy is a multimillion dollar industry.
Neither homeopaths nor naturopaths, people who practice natural therapies, are licensed in Arkansas, but they are not prohibited from practicing. However, doing anything that constitutes practicing medicine could put them crossways with the law, according to Bill Trice, attorney for the Arkansas State Medical Board. The medical board does not regulate homeopaths; that oversight falls to the state Board of Acupuncture and Related Techniques.
KIMBERLY DISHONGH /Arkansas Democrat Gazette- Jan 15, 2008

Herbal Medicines For Mouth and Throat Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:42:00 +0000

Sore Throat: The main symptom of a sore throat is harsh raw pain on swallowing; this may be accompanied by fever. Sore throat and pharyngitis are essentially the same thing. Most cases (70 percent) are caused by viral infections, the rest by the streptococcus. Viral infections are I accompanied by other symptoms such as a runny nose and a cough, while streptoccocal infection tends to be more severe in form.
Treatment: A homeopath may prescribe Heprol 30c for a very painful sore throat.
Laryngitis
Laryngitis manifests as hoarseness, throat pain, cough, and excessive mucus, caused by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the larynx (voice box).
A homeopath may prescribe Belladonna for a sore throat, hoarseness, and pain, or Causticum for a raw feeling in the chest and throat, with Spongia fori dry cough (all 30c).
Pharyngitis
This is a sore throat caused by inflammation of the pharynx, which connects the back of the nose to the back of the throat. The inflammation is normally caused by acute or chronic infection, or is the result of smoking, alcohol, or overuse of the voice.
A homeopath may prescribe Lachesis to relieve a feeling of tightness around the throat, and Apis for an innamed throat and stinging pain.
Tonsillitis
Sore throat, pain on swallowing, fever, and sometimes a blocked nose are caused by an inflammation of the tonsils. The disorder is most common in childhood. Tonsillitis is normally the result of an acute infection, although susceptible individuals can have attacks when they become rundown or stressed. Recurrent bouts of tonsillitis may be related to food allergy.
Homeopathy Treatment would be constitutional if the problem is chronic, but specific remedies are suitable for attacks; they include Belladonna 30c, Hepar sulf. 6c, Mercurius 6c, Lycopodium 5c, Lachesis 6c, and Phytolacca 6c. The remedy chosen depends on the nature of the pain experienced in the throat and the nature of attendant symptoms.
Mike Hussey /American Chronicle, CA, USA - Jan 7, 2008

Quackery and superstition - available soon on the NHS

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:41:00 +0000

Put not your trust in princes, especially not princes who talk to plants. But that's what the government has decided to do. The Department of Health has funded the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health to set up the Natural Healthcare Council to regulate 12 alternative therapies, such as aromatherapy, reflexology and homeopathy. Modelled on the General Medical Council, it has the power to strike therapists off for malpractice.
This is perplexing. How does a regulator decide what is good practice and what is charlatanry when none of it has peer-reviewed, scientific evidence that it works? The prince's foundation says the new council will only register those who have qualifications from their "professional" bodies. That will encourage the burgeoning number of degrees and diplomas in complementary therapies offered by universities, such as the Thames Valley, Westminster or the University of Wales. Normal academic standards have been set aside for attracting new students. Legitimate fears that this gave a phoney scientific aura to humbuggery of all kinds are now proved right.
Official state sponsorship for setting up this council, whose terms and conditions were drawn up by the distinguished Professor Dame Joan Higgins, gives non-science new authority. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has already changed its rules to allow homeopathic remedies to be sold for the first time with labels advertising the diseases they are supposed to cure. This was despite strong objections from the British Pharmacological Society, some of the Royal Colleges and the Royal Society itself. Professor Michael Baum protested that "this is like licensing a witches' brew as a medicine so long as the batwings are sterile".
Acupuncture, herbal medicine, osteopathy and chiropractic already come under existing laws as potentially more powerful and invasive treatments: needles can hurt or infect, and herbs can poison. But these next 12 therapies step further into fairy realms. Just to give you a flavour, the Natural Healthcare Council will register reiki. It means "universal life energy", claiming "when spiritual energy is channelled through a reiki practitioner, the patient's spirit is healed, which in turn heals the physical body". What is the exam?
They may not do much harm. Sniffing aromas never hurt anyone, nor did homeopathic medicines. What's more, these remedies help believers. The placebo effect is therapeutic, and big green sugar pills work better than small white ones. Double blind trials, where the homeopathic practitioner examined the patient and then prescribed remedies but had no idea which patients were given the real thing or a sugar pill, detected no difference. I defer to the reasoning by Dr Ben Goldacre in the Guardian of November 16. No one has yet claimed the $1m that US debunker James Randi offers anyone who can produce random control trial proof of the efficacy of homeopathic remedies.
Polly Toynbee/Guardian Unlimited, UK - 7 Jan 2008

Regulation plans for homeopathy

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 23:39:00 +0000

A range of complementary therapies such as homeopathy and aromatherapy are to be regulated by a new body.
The Natural HealthCare Council is due to begin work in April. Currently, anyone can offer a complementary medicine service.
The watchdog will set standards and have the power to strike off those deemed incompetent, although membership of the body will be voluntary.
The Patients Association said the move to regulate was "welcome and overdue".
A spokeswoman for the charity, which provides patients with a forum to share experiences of healthcare, said the fact that anyone can provide complementary medicines and treatment had been a "a source of concern".
"Patients will feel more secure as a result of this new body and they will know who to contact if they are unhappy with their treatment," she said.
A lack of regulation has prompted calls for a body to monitor conduct and standards among complementary health practitioners.
Britons spend around £130m a year on treatments like aromatherapy and reflexology.
Those who practice the therapies will be able to register with the new governing body which is being set up by the Prince of Wales's Foundation for Integrated Health.
Spokesman Ian Cambray Smith explained that regulation was necessary to provide "public confidence".
BBC News, UK - Jan 5, 2008

Alternative Medicine and the Laws of Physics

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:35:00 +0000

So-called "alternative" therapies, mostly derived from ancient healing traditions and superstitions, have a strong appeal for people who feel left behind by the explosive growth of scientific knowledge. Paradoxically, however, their nostalgia for a time when things seemed simpler and more natural is mixed with respect for the power of modern science (Toumey 1996). They want to believe that "natural" healing practices can be explained by science. Purveyors of alternative medicine have, therefore, been quick to invoke the language and symbols of science. Not surprisingly, the mechanisms proposed to account for the alleged efficacy of such methods as touch therapy, psychic healing, and homeopathy involve serious misrepresentations of modern physics.
Homeopathy, founded by a German physician, Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), is a relative newcomer. Homeopathy is based on the so-called "law of similars" (similia similibus curantur), which asserts that substances that produce a certain set of symptoms in a healthy person can cure those same symptoms in someone who is sick. Although there are related notions in Chinese medicine, Hahnemann seems to have arrived at the idea independently. Hahnemann spent much of his life testing natural substances to find out what symptoms they produced and prescribing them for people who exhibited the same symptoms. Although the purely anecdotal evidence on which he based his conclusions would not be taken seriously today, homeopathy as currently practiced still relies almost entirely on Hahnemann's listing of substances and their indications for use.
Natural substances, of course, are often acutely toxic. Troubled by the side effects that often accompanied his medications, Hahnemann experimented with diluting them. After each successive dilution, he subjected the solution to vigorous shaking, or "succussion." He made the remarkable discovery that although dilution eliminated the side effects, it did not diminish the effectiveness of the medications. This is rather grandly known as "the law of infinitesimals."
Hahnemann actually made a third "discovery," which his followers no longer mention. "The sole true and fundamental cause that produces all the countless forms of disease," he writes in his Organon, "is psora." Psora is more commonly known as "itch." This principle does not seem to involve any laws of physics and is in any case ignored by modern followers of Hahnemann.
By means of successive dilutions, extremely dilute solutions can be achieved rather easily. The dilution limit is reached when the volume of solvent is unlikely to contain a single molecule of the solute. Hahnemann could not have known that in his preparations he was, in fact, exceeding the dilution limit. Although he was contemporary with the physicist Amadeo Avogadro (1776-1856), Hahnemann's Organon der Rationellen Heilkunde was published in 1810, one year before Avogadro advanced his famous hypothesis, and many years before other physicists actually determined Avogadro's number. (Avogadro showed that there is a large but finite and specific number of atoms or molecules in a mole of substance, specifically 6.022 x 1023. A mole is the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams. Thus, a mole of water, H2O, molecular weight 2 + 16 = 18, is 18 grams. So there are 6.022 x 1023 water molecules in 18 grams of water.)
Modern day followers of Hahnemann, however, are perfectly aware of Avogadro's number. Nevertheless, they regularly exceed the dilution limit -- often to an astonishing extent. I recently examined the dilutions listed on the labels of dozens of standard homeopathic remedies sold over the counter in health stores, and increasingly in drug stores, as remedies for everything from nervousness to flu. These remedies are normally in the form of lactose tablets on which a single drop of the "diluted" medication has been placed. The "solvent" is usually a water/alcohol mixture. The lowest dilution I found listed on any of these bottles was 6X, but most of the dilutions were 30X or even, in the case of oscillococcinum, an astounding 200C. (Oscillococcinum, which is derived from duck liver, is the standard homeopathic remedy for flu. As we will see, however, its widespread use poses little threat to the duck population.)
What do these notations mean? The notation 6X means that the active substance is diluted 1:10 in a water-alcohol mixture and succussed. This procedure (diluting and succussing) is repeated sequentially six times. The concentration of the active substance is then one part in ten raised to the sixth power (106), or one part per million. An analysis of the pills would be expected to find numerous impurities at the parts-per-million level.
The notation 30X means the 1:10 dilution, followed by succussion, is repeated thirty times. That results in one part in 1030, or 1 followed by thirty zeroes. I don't know what the name for that number is, but let me put it this way: you would need to take some two billion pills, a total of about a thousand tons of lactose, to expect to get even one molecule of the medication. In other words, the pills contain nothing but lactose and the inevitable impurities. This is literally no-medicine medicine.
And what of 200C? That means the active substance is sequentially diluted 1:100 and succussed two hundred times. That would leave you with only one molecule of the active substance to every one hundred to the two hundredth power molecules of solvent, or 1 followed by four hundred zeroes (10400). But the total number of atoms in the entire universe is estimated to be about one googol, which is 1 followed by a mere one hundred zeroes.
This is the point at which we are all supposed to realize how ridiculous this is and share a good laugh. But homeopaths don't laugh. They've done the same calculation. And while they agree that not a single molecule of the active substance could remain, they contend it doesn't matter, the water/alcohol mixture somehow remembers that the substance was once there. The process of succussion is presumed to charge the entire volume of the liquid with the same memory. Is there any evidence for such a memory?
Skeptical Inquirer - Jan 4, 2008

The Mysterious Placebo

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:33:00 +0000

One of the most significant but widely misunderstood phenomena is the placebo effect. Research shows that the placebo effect can be greater and is far more ubiquitous than commonly thought.
If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't.
-Tweedledee, in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass
One of the questions that skeptics are asked most persistently is to explain how acupuncture, homeopathy, faith healing, Qigong, and other treatments work. Skeptics often use the placebo effect-a response to the act of being treated, not to the treatment itself-as an answer, but usually to no avail. I believe that's because most people, both logical and fuzzy thinkers, don't truly understand what the placebo effect is.
Spontaneous remission and the placebo effect, which are known as nonspecific effects, are significant phenomena that have great impact on consumers and health-care professionals. Recovery from illness, whether it follows self-medication, legitimate treatment, or avant-garde therapies, may lead one to conclude that the treatment received was the cause of the return to good health.
A common saying is that if you treat a cold it will last a week, but if you leave it alone it will be gone in seven days. Even serious diseases have periods of exacerbation and remission; arthritis and multiple sclerosis are prime examples. There are even cases of cancers inexplicably disappearing. The major logical error in plotting disease progress is: post hoc, ergo propter hoc ("after it, therefore, because of it"). This common fallacy credits improvement to a specific treatment just because the improvement followed the treatment.
H. K. Beecher's seminal paper "The Powerful Placebo" (Beecher 1955) is among the most frequently cited and was undoubtedly responsible for the double-blind study design having been adopted as the universal standard. Beecher reported on twenty-six studies and arrived at an average placebo response rate of 32.5 percent. From this figure comes the often cited statement that a fixed fraction (one-third) of the population responds to placebos. But this is a myth. A recent paper (Roberts et al. 1993) concluded that "under conditions of heightened expectations, the power of nonspecific effects (placebos) far exceeds that commonly reported in the literature."
John E. Dodes/Skeptical Inquirer - 4 Jan 2008

UK: New laws to govern alternative medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:31:00 +0000

Aromatherapy, homoeopathy and other popular complementary therapies are to be regulated for the first time under a government-backed scheme to be established this year.
The new Natural Healthcare Council – which is being backed by the Prince of Wales – will be able to strike off errant or incompetent practitioners. It will also set minimum standards for practitioners to ensure that therapists are properly qualified.
Patients will be able to complain to the council about practitioners and the new body will be modelled on the General Medical Council and other similar statutory bodies.
Millions of Britons currently spend £130 million a year on complementary treatments and it is estimated that this will reach £200 million over the next four years. Among the practices to be covered by the scheme would be aromatherapy, reflexology, massage, nutrition, shiatzu, reiki, naturopathy, yoga, homoeopathy, cranial osteopathy and the Alexander and Bowen techniques.
Research also shows that more than two thirds (68 per cent) of people in the UK believe that complementary medicine is as valid as conventional treatment.
However, there have been long-standing concerns over its regulation. At present anyone can set themselves up as an acupuncturist, homoeopath, herbalist, or other complementary therapist. However, a poll for The Times found that three quarters of people assumed that anyone practising complementary therapy is trained and registered by a professional body.
Nigel Hawkes/Times Online, UK - Jan 4, 2008

Why homoeopathy on the NHS is in sharp decline

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:39:00 +0000

According to the headlines this week, NHS homoeopathy is in sharp decline. Only 37 per cent of NHS trusts provide any sort of homoeopathic service, and more than a quarter have stopped or reduced funding over the past year. This threatens the survival of those homoeopathic clinics that remain.
If the NHS withdrew funding for all treatments that had no evidence base to support them, there would be some considerable holes in conventional medicine services. We should be clear that this debate is not about whether homoeopathy works or not. It is about resources.
The area of allergy exemplifies exactly why homoeopathy needs to take a back seat in the face of competing priorities. This week, the medical director of the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital justified NHS funding for homoeopathy on the basis that it produced “a fairly large improvement” in 50 per cent of children with eczema.
There are millions of people with allergies, but only a handful of specialist NHS clinics, and pitifully little training for GPs in this area. There has been a sevenfold rise in hospital admissions for life-threatening allergy attacks over the past decade, and these could be prevented by specialist assessment and treatment, which simply doesn’t exist owing to lack of investment.
The relative few that are helped by homoeopathy have to be balanced against the needs of a much larger group currently with little or no services, some of whom will die without them. There is no question in my mind what health planners should do in these circumstances.
Vivienne Parry/Times Online, UK - Feb 1, 2008

How Homeopathy Works

noreply@blogger.com (Av India) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:30:00 +0000

Homeopaths prescribe remedies for the "whole" person, and the practice of homeopathy is still based on the three principles established by Dr. Hahnemann. This is the "law of similars," the principle of the minimum dose and prescribing for the individual.
The law of similars states that a substance that can produce symptoms of illness in a well person can, in minute doses, cure similar symptoms of disease. The minimum dose states that by diluting a substance, its curative properties are enhanced and any side effects are eliminated.
Whole-person prescribing is probably the most important part of homeopathy, for the fundamental philosophy behind the practice is that each person is an individual and must be treated as such. A homeopath studies a person's temperament, personality, emotional and physical responses, even the food they like and dislike before prescribing.
Homeopaths believe that treatment works according to a set of rules known as the "Laws of Cure," and these state that:
a remedy begins to work from the top of the body downward it works from the inside out and from major to minor organs symptoms clear in reverse order of their appearance.
Homeopaths also believe that a person's constitution is made up of inherited and acquired physical, mental, and emotional characteristics and that these can be matched to a particular remedy that will improve their health, no matter what their illness.
Furthermore, people with similar characteristics and constitutions can be grouped under one of the constitutional remedy types, if they all share specific physical and emotional characteristics. Your constitutional type can change as your physique, health, and attitudes change, and some people can be a combination of constitutional types.
It is not clear exactly how homeopathy works, but studies have proved that it does. Hahnemann believed that remedies worked to balance the body so it was able to heal itself.
Ricky Hussey / American Chronicle, CA - Jan 3, 2008