This section contains old but still useful news items taken from the Front Page news section of the site.
21 September 2009
Individualised homeopathic treatment found at least as effective as fluoxetine in patients with depression
A
new study has found individualised homeopathic treatment to be at least
as effective as fluoxetine in the treatment of patients with moderate
to severe depression. Patients on fluoxetine suffered more
side-effects from their treatment than the homeopathy patients.
Ninety-one outpatients with moderate to severe depression were assigned to receive an individualized homeopathic medicine or fluoxetine in a prospective, randomized, double-blind double-dummy 8-week, single-centre trial. This study illustrates the feasibility of randomized controlled double-blind trials of homeopathy in depression and indicates the non-inferiority of individualized homeopathic Q-potencies as compared to fluoxetine in acute treatment of outpatients with moderate to severe depression.
Reference: Homeopathic Individualized Q-potencies versus Fluoxetine for Moderate
to Severe Depression: Double-blind, Randomized Non-inferiority Trial U.C Adler et al eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep114
For access to the abstract and full article:
http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nep114v1
20 August 2009
Patients with Chronic Sinusitis Benefit from Homeopathic Treatment
A recently published study shows that patients with chronic sinusitis benefit from homeopathic treatment.
The results come from a sub-group analysis of patients suffering
sinusitis that were part of a large prospective multicentre
observational study population carried out over an 8 year period.
Consecutive patients presenting for homeopathic treatment for chronic sinusitis were
followed-up for 2 years, complaint severity, health-related quality
of life (QoL), and medication use were regularly recorded. Patient-reported health status 8 years post initial
treatment was also recorded and patient's sinusitis symptoms showed sustained improvement after that period.
Reference
1 Witt CM, Ludtke R, Willich SN. Homeopathic treatment of patients with chronic sinusitis: A prospective observational study with 8 years follow-up. BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord. 2009 Jul 27;9(1):7. [Epub ahead of print]
22 June 2009
Swedish Laws on CAM Identified as Unhealthy For Children's Rights
Sweden
is the only country in Europe that has a law prohibiting children under
the age of 8 from being treated with Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM). It also prohibits the treatment of pregnant women and
women in labour with CAM.
In 2008 a petition was made to
the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by a Swedish
network called Heal the Children claiming that through this law Sweden
was in contravention of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
(http://www.unicef.org/crc/) The Convention is a legally binding
instrument for all countries that are signatories, including Sweden The
petitioners called for the UNCRC to enquire into this completely
anomalous situation.
In February of this year a delegation
from Heal The Children in Sweden was invited to Geneva to present their
case at a hearing of the UNCRC, a large committee with delegates from
all around the World.. The Swedish delegation included a lawyer, an
osteopath, an organisational consultant and Stephanie Arnberg Bengtsson
from the Swedish association member of ECCH - Svensk Akademin för
Klassisk Homeopati (SAKH).
After a hearing by the UNCRC, which
was also attended by the Swedish Ombudsman, a letter was sent to the
Swedish Government asking it to fully implement the Convention on
Children's Rights into Swedish legislation. Although Sweden has been a
signatory to the Convention it appears that in a number of areas it has
not fully implemented the contents of the internationally binding
convention into its domestic legislation. In addition the Committee
listed the matter of children's treatment with CAM as an issue for
consideration at a further meeting in Geneva on 27 May 2009.
Following
the meeting on 27 May the UNCRC published a report on 12 June on the
overall situation with regards to Sweden's compliance with the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child. Along with a number of
observations and recommendations the following two paragraphs were
included:
Health and health services
42.
The Committee notes that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
is a recognized field of medicine both in Europe and globally. To this
end, the Committee is concerned that the State party prohibits the use
of CAM for examination, treatment and care of children below eight
years of age as well as pregnant women and women in labour and it is
concerned that such a prohibition challenges the rights of all
individuals in the State party, including children, to choose a method
of treatment and that it might deprive them of their right to the
highest attainable standard of health.
43.
The Committee recommends that the State party consider reviewing and
amending existing legislation to ensure that all children, without
distinction of age, have access to CAM examination, treatment and care
and can enjoy their right to the highest attainable standard of health.
The
European Central Council of Homeopaths wholeheartedly welcomes this
recommendation from the UNCRC. We sincerely hope that the Swedish
Government will see fit to change this outdated and anomalous piece of
national legislation and at the same time amend the laws to permit the
treatment of pregnant women and women in labour with CAM. It is quite
wrong that people in such sensitive stages of their lives should be
legally prevented from having access to the safe, gentle and effective
options of CAM treatments when appropriate to their needs.
Reference: A Full copy of the report CRC/C/SWE/CO/4
can be downloaded from the Swedish section on the UN Committee on the
Rights of the Child web-site page at :
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/crcs51.htm
10 May 2009
Homeopathic pathogenetic trials (provings) produce specific symptoms different from placebo
Forsch Komplementmed. 2009 Apr; 16(2): 105-110 Mollinger H,
Schneider R, Walach H
Introduction: Homeopathy uses information gathered
from healthy volunteers taking homeopathic substances (pathogenetic
trials/provings) for clinical treatment. It is controversial whether such
studies produce symptoms different from those produced by placebo.
Objective: To test whether homeopathic preparations produce different
symptoms than placebo in healthy volunteers.
Methods: Three armed,
double-blind, placebo controlled randomised experimental pathogenetic
study in 25 healthy volunteers who took either one of two homeopathic
remedies, Natrum muriaticum and Arsenicum album in 30CH or identical
placebo. Main outcome parameter was the number of remedy-specific
symptoms per group.
Results: On average, 6 symptoms typical for
Arsenicum album were experienced by participants taking arsenicum
album, 5 symptoms typical for Natrum muriaticum by those taking natrum
muriaticum, and 11 non-specific symptoms by those in the placebo group.
Differences were significant overall (Kruskall Wallis test, p =
0.0002,) and significantly different from placebo (Mann-Whitney test, p
= 0.001).
Conclusion: Homeopathic remedies produce different symptoms
than placebo.
http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowAbstract&ArtikelNr=209386&Ausgabe=247634&ProduktNr=224242
ECCH Publishes a 2nd Edition of its Guidelines for Homeopathic Provings
After
a process of revision ECCH has published a 2nd edition of its
guidelines on carrying out homeopathic provings. It should be stressed
that these are guidelines and that anyone intending to carrry out a
full proving should read the references given in the document before
doing so. A copy of the guidelines can be downloaded here:
ecch guidelines for provings.pdf
10 April 2009
World Homeopathy Awareness Week 2009
On
the birthday of homeopathy's discoverer and founder, Samuel Hahnemann,
WHAW 2009 kicked off for a week of events in countries around the World
celebrating the growing place of homeopathy in the health care of
people everywhere. This year's theme was that of 'Allergies' a growing
health problem that conventional medicine has limited means to deal
with and which homeopathic treatment can not only manage the symptoms
of but potentially treat so that the underlying problem can actually
disappear.
For more information on WHAW 2009 go to:
http://www.worldhomeopathy.org/
30 March
Homeopathy for a healthier Europe – The Second EU Homeopathy Day Thursday, 2 April 2009 at 13:30 Venue: European Parliament, ASP 3G3, Rue Wiertz 60, 1047 Brussels, Belgium On
2 April the European associations of patients, doctors, practitioners
and manufacturers in the field of homeopathy and anthroposophic
medicine celebrated the Second EU Homeopathy Day with a seminar at the European Parliament in Brussels, hosted by Marian Harkin MEP.
9 March
New Study Shows Homeopathy Successfully Treats Patients with Psoriasis
A
study of 82 patients suffering psoriasis treated with homeopathy in
primary care over a period of two years shows significant improvement
in their quality of life and reduction in their psoriasis symptoms.
Many of the patients had suffered psoriasis for as long as 15 years and
had previously unsuccessfully tried conventional treatments. The
abstract and full paper of the study is published in the Journal of the
European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and is available at:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121675687/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
5 January 2009
Homeopathic Treatment is Safe
ECCH
today published a detailed report that concludes that homeopathic
treatment is safe. The report is based on research into the three areas
of the safety of homeopathic medicines, of homeopathic treatment by
practitioners and of self-treatment with over-the- counter homeopathic
medicines by individuals. The overall conclusion on the basis of
existing evidence is that homeopathic medicines and homeopathic
treatment by educated and regulated homeopathic practitioners is safe.
A note of warning is sounded about members of the public continuing to
treat themselves with homeopathic medicines for anything other than
simple self-limiting complaints without seeking the help of a qualified
homeopath or other health professional.
The report is published
at a time when Patient Safety is high on the political agenda of the
European Union with the European Commission publishing figures showing
one in ten patients entering hospital will suffer an adverse event due
to conventional treatment, that one in ten patients in hospital risks
acquiring a 'superbug' infection and that some 197,000 patients die
annually from such events across Europe. http://ec.europa.eu/health/index_en.htm
It
is ECCH's clear understanding that homeopathy and homeopaths have a
significant future role to play in helping reduce such worrying
figures.
A copy of ECCH's report is available here: the safety of homeopathy 2009.pdf
November 2008
WHO Director Calls for Integration of TCAM Into Primary Care
At
the recent World Congress on Traditional Medicine held in Beijing in
November, Dr Chan, the Director General of WHO called for greater
integration of
Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine into primary
healthcare systems around the World in order to make primary care more
responsive to patients' whole health needs. At the end of her speech
she
said "The time has never been better, and the reasons never greater, for
giving traditional medicine its proper place in addressing the many
ills that face all our modern – and our traditional – societies."
Her complete speech to the congress can be read here:
http://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2008/20081107/en/
18 November
EU Antibiotic Awareness Day - 18 November 2008 - ECCH Responds
In
spite of numerous actions the problem of antibiotic resistance and
resultant superbugs like MRSA and Clostridium Difficile is growing. The
ability of the pharmaceutical industry to create new antibiotics and to
deal with the problem of resistance is severely challenged. The time
has come for the European Commission and national healthcare
authorities to seriously consider alternatives. More funding should be
provided for research into alternatives such as homeopathy for the
treatment of patients with infectious illnesses of viral origin.
For
example: In a study on upper respiratory tract infection, children who
were treated with homeopathy experienced significantly fewer infections
than a control group. Over 70 percent of children suffering from
recurring ear infections in another study did not have another episode
in one year after receiving homeopathic treatment. Very few needed
antibiotics. These results confirm homeopaths' clinical experience and
support the place of homeopathy in the front line of patient care.
ECCH
calls on the EU Commission to invest significantly in research into the
benefits of complementary medicine and particularly into homeopathy, so
as to treat patients effectively without risk of increasing the problem
of antibiotic resistance AND to protect the potency of antibiotics for
when they are really needed - in severe infectious conditions of
bacterial nature.
References:
Steinsbekk
A, Fønnebø V, Lewith G, Bentzen N. Homeopathic care for the prevention
of upper respiratory tract infections in children: A pragmatic,
randomised, controlled trial comparing individualised homeopathic care
and waiting-list controls. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2005,
13, 231–238.
Friese
K-H, Kruse S, Ludtke R, Moeller H. Homeopathic treatment of otitis
media in children: comparisons with conventional therapy. Int J Clin
Pharmacol Ther 1997; 35: 296–301.
The European Union Antibiotic Awareness Day: the paediatric perspective
Spyridis and Sharland Arch Dis Child.2008; 93: 909-910
Council of Europe, A European approach to non-conventional medicines, Resolution 1206 (1999).
8 October
Study
shows patient satisfaction is higher and side effects are lower from
homeopathic treatment when compared with conventional treatment.
This study is part of a nationwide evaluation of complementary
medicine in Switzerland (Programme Evaluation of Complementary Medicine
PEK) and was funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. The
main objective of this study is to investigate patient satisfaction and
perception of side effects in homeopathy compared with conventional
care in a primary care setting. The results show overall patient satisfaction was significantly higher in homeopathic
than in conventional care. Homeopathic treatments were perceived as a
low-risk therapy with two to three times fewer side effects than
conventional care. Full details are available free from:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/8/52/abstract
15 August
New trial shows provers react more to medicinal source materials than to placebos
ABSTRACT:
Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 22, No. 5, 543-552 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0269881108091259
Homeopathic
pathogenetic trials produce more specific than non-specific symptoms:
results from two double-blind placebo controlled trials
H. Walach
School
of Social Sciences and European Office of the Samueli Institute for
Information Biology, University of Northampton, Northampton, UK,
harald.walach@northampton.ac.uk, Academic Section on the Evaluation of
Complementary Medicine, Institute for Environmental Medicine and
Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
H. Möllinger
Health Center Socrates, Güttingen, Switzerland
J. Sherr
Malvern, Worcester, UK
R. Schneider
Department of Human Sciences, University Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
We
conducted two parallel, blinded homeopathic pathogenetic trials
conducted at two different sites to determine whether symptoms reported
by healthy volunteers were significantly different for homeopathic
remedies than for placebos. Study 1 used a two-armed design, testing
ozone against placebo. Study 2 used a three-armed design, testing ozone
and iridium against placebo. We found significantly more
remedy-specific symptoms in provers taking ozone or iridium than in
provers taking placebo in the three-armed trial and in both trials
pooled for ozone and placebo. We, therefore, conclude that homeopathic
remedies produce more symptoms typical for a remedy than non-typical
symptoms. The results furthermore suggest a somewhat non-classical
pattern because symptoms of one remedy appear to be mimicked in the
other trial arm. This might be indicative of entanglement in
homeopathic systems.
Key Words: non-specific symptoms • pathogenetic trial • placebo
The article can be accessed at:
http://jop.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/22/5/543
28 June
The Evidence Base for Homeopathy: accumulating evidence
The
British Medical Journal of Clinical Evidence recently summarised the
state of evidence for 2500 commonly used treatments used daily in the
UK National Health Service in the following way 'Of
around 2500 treatments covered 13% are rated as beneficial, 23% likely
to be beneficial, 8% as trade off between benefits and harms, 6%
unlikely to be beneficial, 4% likely to be ineffective or harmful, and
46%, the largest proportion, as unknown effectiveness'
Ref: http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/about/knowledge.jsp
In
contrast with this a recent paper published in the open access
publication the International Journal for High Dilution Research
presents an overview of the evidence base for homeopathy. The paper
reveals high levels of evidence for the clinical effectiveness of
homeopathy and increasingly high levels of evidence for the fact that
high dilutions have an effect such that the evidence base for
homeopathy compares extremely well with conventional treatments. The
author concludes that homeopathy should be included as a viable patient
care option within medical practice and as part of national health care
provision.
Reference: Scientific framework of homeopathy: Evidence-based Homeopathy
Author: Dr Michel Van Wassenhoven
Abstract: This
paper aims at considering all important aspects of the scientific
framework of homeopathic practice, looking at the levels of scientific
evidence of each aspect in an objective way, through an extensive
review of literature. Levels of evidence considered are: I) existence
of meta-analyses and/or systematic positive reviews of literature; IIa)
multiple positive randomized controlled trials (RCTs); IIb) some
positive RCTs; IIIa) positive multiple cohorts studies; IIIb) positive
studies with some cohorts; IV) opinion of experts (clinical and daily
practice cases). The conclusions are clear: homeopathy must stay within
the framework of medical practice, and it is even a necessity for
public health.
Reference: http://www.feg.unesp.br/~ojs/index.php/ijhdr/article/view/286
6 May
Homeopathy found to be 'as effective' as standard care for ezcema
Homeopathy
is as effective as conventional therapy in children with eczema,
concludes the first prospective cohort study to compare the treatments.
The German study in 118 children with eczema found conventional
treatment by GPs was equally as effective as homeopathic treatment in
relieving symptoms and improving quality of life.
To view a copy of the paper on this study and to download a copy of it go to:
Eczema Trial
26 April
UK Campaign Against Homeopathy Continues Unabated
Led
by the erstwhile Professor Ernst of the Peninsula Medical School in
Exeter 'the UK's first professor of complementary medicine' (less we
need reminding!) the attacks on homeopathy in the UK go on unabated.
For 200 years homeopathy has suffered the slings and arrows of the
conventional medical establishment and Professor Ernst and his sceptic
colleagues are keeping up the tradition.His
most recent attack comes within the context of a book he has
co-authored with another sceptic Dr (PhD) Simon Singh called 'Trick or
Treatment'. A clever title but even cleverer has been their well
orchestrated publicity campaign to sell the book which has seen a
plethora of articles in most UK papers, an interview in the New
Scientist, appearances on radio and television etc. And their best
trick is that they have dedicated the book to the Prince of Wales and
headlined their publicity campaign with a call for two publications on
CAM from the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health' to be
withdrawn. No better way to get attention than to go for the Prince of
Wales! One thing that is clear about Prof. Ernst - he loves publicity
and has perfected the art of getting it.While
directly accusing homeopaths and other CAM practitioners of being liars
in his New Scientist interview he actually tells a few lies himself.
One example is his assertion over the evidence base for homeopathy. The
author of some fairly low quality trials himself (he stopped doing
trials some years ago, far easier to sit back and criticise other
people's) he maintains that the overall trial quality in the evidence
base of homeopathy is low, but then nonetheless goes on to use it to
mount his assertion that there is no evidence for homeopathy's
effectiveness. This assertion is simply untrue. There are many trials
showing evidence for its effectiveness together with others which do
not. It is common in research that some trials yield postive results
and others negative. This is why meta-analyses and literature reviews
are carried out. Eight out of nine meta-analyses and literature reviews
have shown homeopathy to have an effect. (A paper listing the positive
trials can be found at the end of this article.)Of
course more higher methodological quality research is needed. One
reason the 'UK's first professor of CAM' has been such a disappointment
to CAM researchers is that he has offered nothing in the way of
constructive advice to researchers on improving methodology, surely
something such a professorial chair should have done, but has just
taken the lazy way out of criticising others' work.Ernst
and his sceptic friends are stuck in the bio-chemical model of
understanding how living beings function. Homeopathy is clearly NOT
functioning according to that model but at an overall organisational
level acting through the bio-energetic field which surrounds and
permeates each living being. When the organising life-force leaves the
human body at death the structural chemical body of the dead person
immediately begins to decline into chaos and decay. Conventional
medicine attempts to manage the chemical body with drugs and correct
the faults in the structural body with surgery. Homeopathy attempts to
regulate and restore balance to the living system at the energetic
organisational level. For two hundred years homeopathy has been
successfully treating people at this level. Fortunately other branches
of science are now catching up with homeopathy and the mechansism of
action of potentised medicines will soon be explained, hopefully within
Professor Ernst's lifetime.
positive homeopathy research and surveys march 2007.pdf
28 February
Cracks in the Glass House
Over
the past year homeopathy has come under a sustained attack from a small
coterie of conventional medical sceptics in the UK. Implicit in their
writings is that all is well with conventional medicine and that all
treatments currently being used are evidence based and effective. Now
the publishing of a meta-analysis on anti-depressants in the respected
Public Library of Science- Medicine journal (1) reveals a large crack
in their supposition. The paper reveals some telling facts about the
ineffective role of antidepressants in treating depression and about
the behaviour of the industry that produces and promotes these
products.
The
anti-depressants covered were fluoxetine, venlafaxine, nefazodone,
paroxetine, sertraline, and citalopram, the six most widely prescribed
antidepressants and represent all but one of the selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The meta-analysis included not just
published trials but also unpublished trials submitted to the Federal
Drug Agency of the USA, which, under the Freedom of Information Act,
was obliged to make the information available. While meta-analysis of
the published trials showed a benefits that are statistically
significant, but of marginal clinical significance, when data-sets
including unpublished trials were included the analysis revealed
smaller effects that fall well below recommended criteria for clinical
effectiveness.
In the paper the authors write: 'Conventional meta-analyses are often limited to published data.
In the case of antidepressant medication, this limitation has been
found to result in considerable reporting bias characterized by
multiple publication, selective publication, and selective reporting in
studies sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.'
The Editor of the PLOS Journal concludes "Given these results, the researchers conclude that there is little
reason to prescribe new-generation antidepressant medications to any
but the most severely depressed patients unless alternative treatments
have been ineffective. In addition, the finding that extremely
depressed patients are less responsive to placebo than less severely
depressed patients but have similar responses to antidepressants is a
potentially important insight into how patients with depression respond
to antidepressants and placebos that should be investigated further.'
What
this study does not go in to is the side effects of SSRIs which are
many among them being gastro-intestinal effects, cardiovascular effects
and depressive tendencies including an increased risk of suicidal
thoughts and suicidal acts.
Homeopathic
treatment provides an holistic alternative to conventional
anti-depressants for the treatment of depression combining as it is
does a long exploratory case-taking with each patient which will have
some measure of placebo effect, lifestyle
advice from the practitioner to help the patient manage and improve
their depression and the prescription of homeopathic medicines which
assist in restoring the patient to health, not just aiming,
ineffectively, at chemically controlling their depression.
It
will be interesting to see what homeopathy's UK sceptics Messrs Baum,
Ernst, Goldacre and Colquhoun will make of this new research. Given
SSRIs' lack of clinical effectiveness over placebo will they be calling
for the NHS to stop spending hundreds of millions of pounds in
providing them for patients? We doubt it, but the glass house from
within which they throw their stones has one more large crack running
through it.
(1) http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045
16 January 2008
Homeopathic
Treatment Seems to Offer a Viable Alternative to the Potential Risks of
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for the Treatment of Menopausal
ProblemsA
new study published this week adds to the growing body of evidence
showing homeopathic treatment to be potentially effective in the
treatment of the menopausal problems of women. Meanwhile there is
growing controversy surrounding the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy
(HRT) with recent research linking it with increased risk of certain
types of cancer, cardiovascular disease and strokes (1,2). The
latest volume of the journal 'Homeopathy' contains a study showing the
potential benefit of homeopathy in the treatment of hot flushes (3).
This study builds on earlier studies (4, 5, 6, 7) which also show
potential positive benefit of homeopathic treatment for menopausal
women. While the debate on how homeopathy may work continues, the
increasing research evidence that it is helpful in an area such as the
menopause where conventonal treatment would appear to hold some rsks
should make homeopathic treatment a first option for consideration by
women and their health professionals seeking help in this area. 1) BMJ 2007;335:239 (4 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.39266.425069.AD (published 11 July 2007) Research
Main morbidities recorded in the women's international study of long
duration oestrogen after menopause (WISDOM): a randomised controlled
trial of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women.
2) Christopher Li et al. Relationship between menopausal hormone therapy and risk of ductal, lobular, and ductal-lobular breast carcinomas Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, January 20083) MF
Bordet1, et al. Treating hot flushes in menopausal women with
homeopathic treatment–Results of an observational study Homeopathy
Volume 97, Issue 1, January 2008, Pages 10-15
Homeopathic treatment of hot flushes
4)
Relton C, Weatherley-Jones E. Homeopathy Service in a National Health
Service community menopause clinic: audit of clinical outcomes. Journal
of the British Menopause Society, Vol. 11, No. 2, June 2005.5)
Thomas KJ, Luff D, Strong P. Complementary Medicine Service in a
Community Clinic for Patients with Symptoms Associated with the
Menopause: Outcome and Service Evaluation. ScHARR, University of
Sheffield, 2001.6) Clover A, Ratsey D. Homeopathic treatment of hot flushes: a pilot study. Homeopathy 2002;91:75-9.7)
Thompson EA, Reilly D. The homeopathic approach to the treatment of
symptoms of oestrogen withdrawal in breast cancer patients. A
prospective observational study. Homeopathy. 2003 Jul;92(3):131-4.
December
ECCH's December Newsletter
ecch news december 2007.pdf
10 December
Britain's Retiring Chief Scientific Officer Should do a Literature Search
In
a wide ranging speech before stepping down from his post as Chief
Scientific Advisor to the Labour Government in the UK, Sir David King
took a rather bitter swipe at a number of issues that have clearly been
irritating him, including homeopathy. In his speech he said "There is
not one jot of evidence supporting the notion that homeopathic
medicines are of any assistance whatsoever".
If
Sir David had bothered to do a literature search he in fact would have
found that there is much more than 'a jot' of evidence for homeopathic
medicines' effectiveness. For his information we attach here a résumé
of many of the trials, outcome studies and meta-analyses that show
quite of lot of evidence that homeopathy medicines can be of assistance
in treating patients with a wide range of health problems. Perhaps
when he retires he will find the time to read them.
positive homeopathy research and surveys march 2007.pdf
30 October
ECCH welcomes HEAL's Policy Recommendations on Climate Change
ECCH
has been an active member of the Brussels based NGO network the Health
and Environment Alliance (HEAL) since its formation. Homeopaths are
educated to be aware just how much environmantal factors impact on each
person;s health and to offer advice and homeopathic treatment to help
mitigate the effects. HEAL is currently leading moves in Brussels to
raise awareness of how Climate Change will impact on human health. ECCH
representatives participated in the recent HEAL conference on the
subject and is pleased to welcome the publication soon after it of
their briefing document entitled '“Climate Change and Health: Protecting the most vulnerable”. Climate
Change is likely to give rise to a range of new health problems such as
epidemic and allergic disease which homeopathy is well equipped to deal
with. Most important of all however is for every individaul and each
organisation to play their part in reducing carbon emissions and
thereby preventing what may very well be a very serious scenario for
the health of all the World's citizens in the not too distant future.
The briefing document can be accessed at HEAL's web-site: http://www.env-health.org
24 October 2007
New Homeopathy Plant Medicine On-line Data-base Launched at the UK 's Natural History Museum
The
Natural History Museum in London has developed a searchable data-base
of plants  used as the sources of homeopathic medicines. Developed by
Dr Vilma Bharatan a research associate in the museum's botany
department, the data-base is an accessible permanent asset for
homeopaths, researchers, botanists and all interested members of the
public.
The Department of Botany (BM) houses a major international collection of over six million preserved specimens of algae, diatoms, lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants. The collection is of great historical importance, dating back to the 16th century. The Botany Department's 60 scientists are involved in many different areas of research based on the collections. Research areas include biodiversity, classification, evolution, biogeography, molecular systematics, conservation and ethnobotany.
For more information please go to:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/homeopathy/index.html
15 September 2007
The in-vitro evidence for an effect of high homeopathic potencies—A systematic review of the literature
This
recently published study involved a systematic assessment of the in
vitro research on high potency effects.Publications of experiments were
collected through databases, experts, previous reviews, citation
tracking. The inclusion criteria used were: stepwise agitated dilutions
<10-23; cells or molecules from human or animal. Experiments were
assessed with the modified SAPEH score.
From 75 publications, 67
experiments (1/3 of them replications) were evaluated. Nearly 3/4 of
them found a high potency effect, and 2/3 of those 18 that scored 6
points or more and controlled contamination. Nearly 3/4 of all
replications were positive. Design and experimental models of the
reviewed experiments were inhomogenous, most were performed on
basophiles.
The researchers' conclusions are that even
experiments with a high methodological standard could demonstrate an
effect of high potencies. However no positive result was stable enough
to be reproduced by all investigators. A general adoption of succussed
controls, randomization and blinding would strengthen the evidence of
future experiments.
Keywords: Homeopathy; Potency; Dynamization;
Basic research; Quality assessment; Quality score; Modified SAPEH;
BEPEV; Cell-free systems; Non-cellular; Cultured cells; Basophiles;
Neutrophiles; Lymphocytes; In vitro
Complementary Therapies in Medicine Volume 15, Issue 2, June 2007, Pages 128-138
Hyperlink
News: 13 August
Homeopathy Journal throws more light on the 'memory of water' while critics continue to rail.
As
Professor Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) becomes the latest
academic to carry on the organised attack on homeopathy by conventional
scientists, the current issue of 'Homeopathy', the research journal of
the Faculty of Homeopathy, is dedicated to the controversial subject of
'the memory of water' the theory that increasingly seems likely to be
the explanation for the therapeutic action of homeopathic medicines.
Commenting
on the special issue in an introductory article, Professor Martin
Chaplin of the Department of Applied Science, London South Bank
University, said: "Science has a
lot more to discover about such effects and how they might relate to
homeopathy. It is unjustified to dismiss homeopathy, as some scientists
do, just because we don't have a full understanding of how it works."
In his overview he is critical of the 'unscientific rhetoric' of some
scientists who reject the memory of water concept "with a narrow view
of the subject and without any examination or appreciation of the full
body of evidence."
Homeopathy Vol 96 Issue 3 2007
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/issue/7170-2007-999039996-664535
10 July
New EU Health Program (2008-2013) Refers to CAM
At
its plenary sitting on 10 July 2007 in Strasbourg the European
Parliament
voted to adopt a set of compromise amendments to the new health
Framwwork Programme(2008 -2013) agreed with the European Council and
Commission. The amendments included one which makes mention of a
'holistic approach to public health and to 'Complementary and
Alternative Medicine. This was the second and final reading of the
proposed legislation and as such will now come into force in 2008.
The adopted amendment reads: The
programme should recognise the importance of a holistic approach to
public health and take into account, where appropriate and where there
is scientific or clinical evidence about its efficacy, complementary
and alternative medicine in its actions.
EFCAM is extremely grateful to the group of MEPS who fought to have this
amendment included in the new program and to the three institutions of
the EU for having the wisdom to support it. 100 million citizens in the
EU use CAM as part of their healthcare and it is quite right that this
growing use should be reflected in EU health policy.
The Explanation for Homeopathy' s Mechanism of Action is Nigh
For
two centuries homeopathy has suffered the slings and arrows of outraged
conventional scientists and doctors locked in the boxes of their
received chemical and materal belief systems. When Samuel Hahnemann
discovered the principle of similars and that of the dynamisation of
remedies he could not have know that his discovery was so ahead of its
time that it was going to be 200 years before another area of science
would corroborate what he had discovered. Now in the early 21st century
we appear to be close to finding the explanation we always knew would
appear. And yes, it does revolve around the controversial theory of the
memory of water.
Without trying to give an explanation here we
recommend that readers take an hour of their time to go and visit the
following site and listen to and watch the presentation by two eminent
material scientists Prof. Rustum Roy and Prof. Iris Bell. Then make
your own mind up.
The Memorising Structure of Water Presentation
Note: Click on the 'Click Here' note next to the film bobbin icon and watch and hear the hour long presentation.
4 July 2007
ECCH Participates in WHO Consultation on Homeopathic Medicines
ECCH
was represented by ECCH Pharmacy Coordinator Carl Classen and ECCH
General Secretary, Stephen Gordon (far left of photo). After three
days work everyone left feeling satisfied about the workshop's product
- a shorter and more efficient document. It is hoped that the final
version will be published by the end of 2007.
19 June 2007 ECCH at the BfArM Conference - HMPs - Perspectives in Europe
 On
18 June ECCH Pharmacy Coordinator Carl Classen and ECCH General
Secretary Stephen Gordon attended a conference on the future regulation
of homeopathic medicinal products (HMPs) in Europe organised by the
German medicines agency, BfArM in Bonn. The Conference was well
attended by ~ 100 representatives of the manufacturers of HMPS and
interested professional groupings. Representatives of the Bfarm and the
Dutch and Portuguese medicines agencies gave presentations as did
representatives of the German and European Manufacturers' groupings.
ECCH
Pharmacy Coordinator Carl Classen gave a presentation on the concerns
of homeopathic practitioners on behalf of a broad coalition of German
national and European organisations of homeopathic doctors and
practitioners. Overall the day was a worthwhile one that will hopefully
help focus the minds of the next meeting of the Heads of Agencies(HoA)
Homeopathic Medicinal Products Working Group (HMPWG) when it next meets
in Lisbon under the Portuguese Presidency of the EU.
Implementation
of EU pharmaceutical legislation regarding HMPs is currently taking
place in a haphazard and uninformed way in EU member states and
seriously threatens citizens' and practitioners' rights of full access
to HMPs in several countries.
For a pdf copy of the presentation given by ECCH's Pharmacy Coordinator click here: bfarm presentation 180607.pdf
19 June 2007
New
Study Shows Homeopathy as Effective as Conventional Treatment for Acute
Ear and Respiratory Conditions but with Faster Response Times and Fewer
Adverse Drug Reactions
A new
study comparing homeopathic treatment with conventional treatment in a
primary care setting shows homeopathy comparing more than favourably
with conventional treatment for the treatment of acute respiratory and
ear complaints. While both groups responded very similarly over the
time parareters the onset of improvement within the first 7 days after
treatment
was significantly faster with homeopathic treatment both in children
and adults. Adverse drug reactions occurred more frequently in adults
of
the conventional group than in the homeopathic group whereas in
children the occurrence of adverse drug reactions was not significantly
different.
For a copy of the abstract and a downloadable pdf of the whole report please go to: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/7/7
11 June 2007
New UK Information Resource on Homeopathy
As
a contribution to the UK's Homeopathy Awareness Week (14-21 June) the
National Library for Health, Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Specialist Library, the NHS's official evidence website for
Complementary Medicine has announced the launch of Homeopathy National
Knowledge Week. This presents a comprehensive, rigorously selected
collection of up-to-date information on homeopathy and is a measured
counterbalance to the recent fixated claims of some elderly professors
that there us no evidence for homeopathy's effectiveness.
The site is available at: www.library.nhs.uk/cam/Page.aspx?pagename=NKWHOMEOP
7 April 2007
Homeopathy - The Science of Sciences
A response from ECCH to recent press articles.
The
recent attack on the inclusion of the study of homeopathy in degree
courses in universities in the UK raised the question of whether
homeopathy is a scientific subject.
The science of homeopathic practice
Homeopathy
bases its methodology on the matching of two sets of data. The first is
detailed data collected on the mineral, vegetable and animal sources of
homeopathic medicines through the study of the characteristics of the
source substance itself, from homeopathic provings on human subjects
and from clinical use. The second is the data collected from each
patient following a lengthy and detailed case-taking of every aspect of
their symptom picture by an educated and experienced homeopath. These
two sets of data are then compared in order to find the remedy whose
symptom picture best matches that of the patient. Such is the
data-based nature of this practice that it lends itself perfectly to
computerisation and most modern homeopaths use a computer with
sophisticated software to do the required cross-referencing and remedy
selection process.
The science of homeopathic study
Homeopathy
involves the student in the study of a wide range of science subjects.
Starting with the philosophy and history of medicine and healing, it
includes human anatomy, physiology, psychology and pathology, the study
of homeopathic philosophy and methodology and embraces the study of
remedy sources from the three kingdoms of zoology, botany and
mineralogy.
The scientific challenge of homeopathy
The
one area where homeopathy is constantly challenged for its scientific
basis is in the area of the chemistry and physics of its potentised
medicines and on the specific point on whether the imprint of the
energy field of a physical source substance can be maintained and
strengthened through homeopathy's unique medicinal potentisation
process. The answer to identifying the effect of homeopathic medicines
lies at the interface of physics and chemistry, an area which only now
is being investigated and understood. Benveniste's experiments were
savagely attacked, those of Belon, Ennis et al * in 2004 were
conspicuously ignored because they confoundingly presented very similar
results to Benveniste's again.
While
the reactionaries of the scientific and medical world continue to make
their obsessive attacks on homeopathy, partly perhaps, to protect
certain interests that lie behind them, true scientists will take the
experiments of Belon, Ennis et al. and repeat them so that eventually
the breakthrough in understanding that homeopathy has heralded for 200
years will be made i.e. that human and animal systems are whole systems
unified and organised by an energetic field which is disturbed when ill
but which can be rebalanced through applying energetic remedies found
and applied using the similia principle.
* Reference:
In
a multi-centre study including four research centres in Europe the
effect of high dilutions of histamine (10-30 – 10-38 M) were confirmed.
Researchers were able to document that high dilutions of histamine
inhibit human basophil degranulation. Results cannot be explained
through molecular theories.
Belon
P, Cumps J, Ennis M, Mannaioni PF, Roberfroid M, Sainte-Laudy J,
Wiegant FAC. Histamine dilutions modulate basophil activation. Inflamm.
Res. 2004; 53: 181-188.
23 February 2007
New study unpicks the complex nature of homeopathic treatment
An article in the online open access journal Bio Med Central analyses
the complex nature of homeopathic treatment as provided by homeopaths
and validates that understanding that such treatment is a complex
intervention that does not lend itself easily to study through random
controlled trials(RCTs. This article is essential reading for all
homeopaths, particularly those carrying out research into homeopathy,
and for those others who regularly insist that homeopathy should be
subject to RCTs in order for its efficacy to be confirmed. The article
can be accessed at:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/6/37
13 January 2007
Australian Government Funds CAM Research Including Homeopathy
While the EU has just managed to include a historical first brief
reference to CAM research in its Seventh Framework R & D program,
the Australian Government has responded to the widespread use of CAM
approaches to healthcare by its citizens and established a specific
budget for CAM research.
Australian CAM Research Funding
While
$ 5 million is a small start it nonetheless follows the example of the
USA which in 1995 invested just $ 5 million but in 2006 its National
Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine invested $122
million in researching CAM and integrated approaches to health care.
NCCAM
The
EU has a lot of catching up to with these progressive governments AND
in order to reflect the widespread use of CAM by EU citizens.
16 December 2006
Ontario Government Proposes Regulating Homeopaths and Naturopaths
The Ontario Government is introducing new legislation that, if passed, would
make the health care system more responsive to the needs of the public
by strengthening and supporting health professionals and the various
programs and services that make up the health care system.
Highlights of the proposed Health System Improvements Act, 2006 include :
- Enhancing regulatory colleges' complaints
procedures by giving patients increased access to information, improved
communications and streamlined processes.
- Establishing the first-ever Ontario Agency for
Health Protection and Promotion – a centre for public health excellence
that will provide research, scientific and technical advice and
support, modeled after the Centers for Disease Control.
- Enhancing services that optometrists and dental
hygienists provide, and establishing new colleges to regulate four
additional health professions – naturopathy, homeopathy, kinesiology
and psychotherapy.
For more information and a copy of the proposals go to:
Ontario Department of Health and Long-term care
4 December 2006
Integrated Healthcare Project Including HomeopathyWins Prestigeous UK Health Award
 On
the 23rd of November 2006 The Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt, UK Secretary of
State for Health, presented the NHS Alliance Acorn Award 2006 for
Integrated and Complementary Healthcare to Impact directors Julie McKay
and Fiona Robertson at the NHS Alliance Annual Conference in
Bournemouth.
The Impact Project provides
an integrated service of acupuncture, chiropractic and homeopathy to
people with long term conditions. The care is delivered by qualified
and registered practioners of each therapy working together with the
patients' NHS general practitioners. The homeopath Fiona Robertson
RSHom is a registered member of ECCH UK national member assocaition
member the Society of Homeopaths.
Not
only do the recorded data from the project record the treatments having
beneficial effects on patients health problems but emerging figures
show potential savings to GP budgets through reduced medication bills
,reduced secondary referral costs and reduced calls on GP consultation
time for what are often long-term chronically ill patients.
To download a copy of the press release that accompanied the award click here:
national nhs award pr.pdf
To visit the web-site of the Impact Project click here:
Impact Project
2 December 2006
European Medicines Evaluation Agency Considers Homeopathic Medicines
EMEA Workshop On Homeopathic Medicinal Products Concludes To Strengthen Harmonisation, But Accept Different National Traditions
The
European Medicines Agency (EMEA) organised a workshop on homeopathic
medicinal products on 27 October 2006 at the request of the European
Commission. The workshop provided a forum for discussion among all
stakeholders, patients, practitioners, manufacturers, and regulators
on the current legislative framework for homeopathic medicines. The
workshop addressed strengths and weaknesses identified in the current
situation, as well as potential threats and opportunities for
improvement.
The
participants concluded that the process of harmonisation should be
strengthened, but that the different traditions in homeopathy in the EU
Member States should be accepted. In addition, more experience with the
registration procedures for homeopathic medicines within the current
framework should be gained, with a view to maintaining availability of
a broad range of homeopathic medicines.
The
workshop brought together some 50 experts from industry, healthcare
professional and patient associations, as well as regulatory
authorities. The main topics of discussion were:
* The impact of recent revisions to homeopathic legislation on
manufacturers, patients and healthcare professionals across the EU in
terms of access, availability and affordability of homeopathic
remedies, including anthroposophic homeopathic medicinal products;
* The challenges within the current regulatory framework as regards harmonisation and its limitations;
* Experience gained with the mutual-recognition procedure so far, and what can be learned from it for the future;
* The role, achievements and responsibilities of the Homeopathic Medicinal Products Working Group (HMPWG);
* The role of the European Pharmacopoeia in the development of monographs in the field of homeopathy.
The
outcome of the workshop will eventually be presented in a report to the
European Commission, based on input provided by all parties attending.
A Press Release from the EMEA is attached:
emea pr worshop oct 07.pdf
1 December 2006
 Swiss Voters to vote in Referendum on Complementary Medicine
Last
year the Swiss interior ministry judged that five alternative
therapies, covered provisionally by basic health insurance, failed to
meet the criteria on efficacy, suitability and cost-effectiveness laid
down in Switzerland's health-insurance law and cut the five including
homeopathy from basic cover. The ruling was made on the basis of what
has now been exposed as being a highly biased assessment of these
therapies led by some scientists who are known to be CAM sceptics in
Switzerland.
The
ruling now has been challenged by supporters of complementary medicine
who soon collected well over the 100,000 signatures required to force a
national referendum. The referendum should take place before 2009.
Their aim is to ensure that practitioners of alternative medicine are
recognised and guarantee that all costs associated with these types of
treatment are reimbursed under compulsory health insurance.
They also want to improve collaboration between practitioners of
alternative medicine and traditional medical care, and put all types of
treatment on an equal footing.
Opinion
polls have found that four out of five Swiss think that complementary
medicine should continue to be paid for under the basic
health-insurance scheme.
For further information go to: Swiss CAM Referendum
10/10/2006
Pakistan Earthquake Homeopaths Recognised for their Service
A
year ago the survivors of the major earthquake in the North of
Pakistan needed urgent help to get over the physical and emotional
trauma and loss they had suffered. A small team of homeopaths from
within Pakistan quickly established an emergency treatment centre in
the earthquake area and offered homeopathic treatments to all who
needed it. The project was supported by members the World Homeopathic
Awareness Committee,
Now, in recognition of their efforts, a
certificate has been presented to them by the Pakistani authorities.
As well as recognising the work of the homeopaths the Anterior Ministry
Government Of Pakistan and Capital Development Authority Islamabad
awarded the World Homeopathic Awareness Committee with a certificate of
recognition in a ceremony held on 8th October,2006 in the Convention
Centre Islamabad on the eve of first anniversary of the devastating
earthquake.
At the timeECCH
made a small grant to the homeopaths in Pakistan to enable them to
purchase medicines for this project. We are pleased to have assisted in
some small way in what has now been recognised as a useful addition to
the aid program in this disaster.
12/9/2006
Scientists in Kenya to Test a Homeopathic Medicine for the Management of AIDS
Scientists
in the Kenya will for the first time subject a homeopathic product to
human clinical trials to find out if it can be used in the management
of HIV/Aids. The Kenyatta National Hospital Ethics and Research Board
has approved the one-year study by Nairobi and Kenyatta universities
and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri, to be conducted at the
institution.
For further information go to: Aids Treatment
1 /9/2006
ECCH Welcomes UK Medicines Agency's Balanced Approach to Homeopathics
On
1 September the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
announced revised rules for the regulation of homeopathic medicinal
products. Under the voluntary scheme, called the National Rules Scheme,
homeopathic products will receive a licence if they can provide data
proving the treatments are safe - this will not need to be evidence
from clinical trials which other drugs have to have. They will also be
allowed to indicate what sort of symptoms they can relieve, although
this will be limited to minor ailments such as colds, coughs and
hayfever. To make such a claim, the manufacturers need only show that
the product has been used to treat those particular conditions within
the homeopathic industry.
Homeopaths
know what their medicines are capable of treating because they are
tested on groups of healthy people in what are called 'provings' to
find out what symptoms the source substance of the remedy can produce.
This information forms the basis of the indications for the use of the
remedy when it is prescribed on the 'like cures like' principle on
which homeopathy is founded.
As
usual the habitual detractors of homeopathy were vociferous in their
objections to the introduction of these rules. The national media once
again wheeled out the Emeritus Professor Michael Baum who seems to have
developed an obsession with homeopathy in his latter years and now
regularly refers to it as witchcraft.
Arther
C Clarke once wrote "Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic" . Homeopathy is a healthcare technology
that has been ahead of its time for the past 200 years and for some it
it will clearly remain so.
ECCH
welcomes the UK MHRA's balanced and consultation-based approach to the
registration of homeopathic medicinal products and recommends their
approach to implementing the EU directives to all other national
agencies across the EU.
25/8/2006
Swiss Health Technology Assessment of Homeopathy shows positive effects.
A
Swiss journal 'Forsch Komplementarmed' (Research in Complementary
Medicine has recently published a paper that appears to show homeopathy
as being a safe and effective form of treatment. This paper comes out
of the same Swiss Government 'Program of Evaluation of Complementary
Medicine' (PEK) that produced the highly biased paper that caused so
much controversy last August when it was published by its admittedly
skeptical authors in the Lancet. This new paper seems to show clear
evidence from a far more methodical approach to reviewing the existing
research trial data that homeopathy does indeed have a positive
effect. In particular the evaluation of 29 studies in the domain 'Upper
Respiratory Tract Infections/Allergic Reactions' showed a positive
overall result in favour of homeopathy.
For access to the abstract and from there to the full article click here.
5/7/2006
A reasoned response ? A call for dialogue from Prof Michael Baum ?
What role for complementary medicine in treating cancer?
"Although
I have often been outspoken in my criticism of proponents of CAM, one
thing we must all accept is that practitioners of conventional medicine
and practitioners of CAM are working in good faith to improve the
length and quality of life for patients with cancer." Prof Michael Baum
At the end of May, Michael Baum, emeritus professor of surgery at
University College London, and other leading medical practitioners,
including Prof Edzard Ernst, caused a storm of controversy with a
letter criticising the National Health Service’s support for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
The
letter was written to the chief executives of all 476 acute and primary
care trusts in the UK, demanding that only evidence-based therapies
should be provided free to patients. It was then published in The Times
(London) around the same time that Prince Charles gave a speech in
which he expressed his interest in and support for CAM. Later, a
spokesman for the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health accused
Baum and the other signatories to the letter of being ‘clinical barons’
and much of the media also attacked them.
In an essay publshed on the web-site of "Spiked" today Prof Baum attempts to answer his critics.
To access the article go to: http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/931/
23/6/2006
Time Magazine Calls for a Rational Approach to CAM
'Time for the alternative and conventional camps to stop giving each other the needle. '
An
article published in the latest TIME magazine calls for a more rational
approach to the subject of complemantary and alternative medicine.
Despite the recent emotive criticisms made of it from some members of
the coventional medical establishment increasing numbers of Europeans
are embracing alternative treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractic
manipulation, homeopathy and osteopathy. As the article points out
alternative therapies are often the last resort for patients failed by
conventional treatments or suffering chronic conditions.
For access to the full text of the TIME article click here:
Time article
23/5/2006
The Prince of Wales addresses the WHO Annual Assembly
On
23 May 2006 the Prince of Wales was the guest of honour and keynote
speaker at the Annual Assembly of the World Health Orgamisation. The
day had begun with the sad announcement of the sudden death of the WHO
Director General Dr Lee at 63.
In his speech the Prince spoke
about his vision of a more humane, holistic and effective system of
healthcare that embraces the best of the traditional, the complementary
and the conventional approaches to health care working together for
the benefit of all patients around the world. He ended his speech with
the following remark to the Assemby:
"Ladies
and gentlemen, if we nurture the humane, guiding principles of
integrated health through combining the best of the ancient, well-tried
methods with the rigours of science and the technological imperatives
of our age, I believe we will be taking the first bold step in a new
vision for the future healthcare of the world. In that mission, you
represent our hope and I wish you every possible success."
The text of the whole of the Prince's speech can be found at:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2006/wha59/hrh/en/index.html
15/3/2006
New Study Shows Arnica Helpful For Facial Plastic Surgery Recovery
A
new RCT study published in the Jan-Feb 2006 edition of the Archives of
Facial Plastic Surgery has shown Arnica Montana to be effective in
assisting recovery from facial plastic surgery. Patients taking
perioperative homeopathic Arnica montana exhibited less ecchymosis, and
that difference was statistically significant (P<.05) on 2 of the 4
postoperative data points evaluated.
Reference: Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery Vol. 8 No. 1, Jan-Feb 2006
Effect of Homeopathic Arnica montana on Bruising in Face-lifts
Results of a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Brook M. Seeley, MD; Andrew B. Denton, MD; Min S. Ahn, MD; Corey S. Maas, MD
Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2006;8:54-59.
http://archfaci.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/8/1/54
9/3/2006
At last the EU Commission responds to the issue of Complementary and Alternatived Medicine(CAM) and it growing use in the EU.
Nine
years ago the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the area of
'non-conventional medicine i.e. CAM. (ref: A4-0075/97 Resolution on the
status of non-conventional medicines ) One of the paragraphs of the
resolution called on the Commission to "to carry out a thorough study
into the safety, effectiveness, area of application and the
complementary or alternative nature of all non-conventional medicines
and to draw up a comparative study of the various national legal models
to which non-conventional medical practitioners are subject;'
Finally
a report has been published which partly fulfills this resolution in
that it contains a comparative study of the various legal models in EU
and EEA Member States to which non-conventional practice is subject and
looks at how CAM is reimbursed by the various national health insurance
systems. Despite a considerable number of innacuracies the report is a
reasonable first formal attempt at mapping the situation for CAM in the
EU and builds on the content of ECCH's own report on the Legal Status
for Homeopathic Practice in the EU. (2004)
An associated web-site (http://www.cam-cancer.org) containing
a downloadable PDF copy of the report also contains two other sections.
one on case studies of the use of CAM products and therapies in Cancer
and another on Systematic Reviews of CAM research. Both these sections
make significant references to the web-site of the NCCAM offices of the
National Institutes of Health of the USA. The US Government has
increasingly invested millions of dollars in researching the area of
CAM in response to US citizens burgeoning use of CAM approaches in
their healthcare.
ECCH
welcomes this initiative in the form of a funded project under the
Quality of Life section of the EU's 5th Framework Research Program as a
first step by the EU and its member states recognising the growing use
of CAM by EU citizens. It is conservatively estimated that over 120
million EU citizens are currently using CAM as part of their healthcare
provision. Clearly these citizens are expressing a desire for a broader
and more integrated approach to their healthcare than that which is
offered by the current disease focused conventional model.
CAM
is the connection between the two areas of the prevention of disease
and the treatment of disease in that the approach of most CAM
disciplines is to do both simultaneously. Now the nettle of disease
prevention is finally being grasped by the EU and its member states,
the wider integration CAM approaches to healthcare together with
conventional approaches should be the next one to grasp as a long term
investment in the health of all EU citizens.
November
21/11/2005 Large 6 year study of 6500 patients shows positive effects for homeopathy.
In one of the largest studies ever carried out over 70% of the 6500 patients involved reported significant benefits from homeopathic treatment. The results come from a 6 year study of 6500 consecutive patients seen in the outpatient clinic of the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital
in the UK, a UK National Health Service Hospital . The study is
reported in the international peer-reviewed Journal of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine.
Patients with a wide range of conditions such as eczema, asthma, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, menopause,
arthritis, depression and chronic fatigue syndrome were included in the
study, all patients having been referred by their General Practitioner
or a hospital specialist after unsuccessful conventional treatment.
While
the debate continues over how homeopathy's remedies work patients
continue to receive benefit from them. Such a study as this is
incontrovertible evidence that something much more than just a placebo
effect is going on with homeopathy and that for patients its results
that count.
Homeopathic Treatment for Chronic Disease: A 6-Year, University-Hospital Outpatient Observational Study
David S. Spence, Elizabeth A. Thompson, S.J. Barron
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine Oct 2005, Vol. 11, No. 5: 793-798.
Available online at
http://www.liebertonline.com/toc/acm/11/5
20/11/2005 Homeopathy Alive and Kicking!
Despite
predictions of the 'end of homeopathy' by the Lancet's editor in
August, based on a highly questionable piece of statistical work,
homeopathy is continuing to show the resilience it has always had to
prejudice. Evidence for this comes in the latest edition of The Journal
of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (Volume 11, Number 5, 2005,)
which its editor has chosen to dedicate almost completely to
homeopathy, partly to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Samuel
Hahnemann's birthday and partly as a repost to the Lancet's attack and
the refusal of its editor to publish a number of letters and articles.
The
Editor of the Lancet has done the reputation of his journal huge damage
in descending to the level of what can only be described as tabloid
journalism. He has allowed his own personal prejudices to damage its
academic and scientific credibility. He has added further insult to
that injury in refusing to publish a number of reasoned letters of
response and at least one article contained in this issue in JACM.
Readers
of this news item are invited to read the the latest issue of JACM
themselves and make their own minds up. The editorial is essential
reading. The publishers of have made the whole issue available free. It
can be accessed at http://www.liebertonline.com/toc/acm/11/5
16/11/05 European Homeopathic Medicines Harmonisation Badly Needed
As
the European Heads of (Medicines) Agencies Homeopathic Medicinal
Products Working Group (HMPWG) meets in Brighton under the UK's EU
Presidency on 16 November ECCH wishes to express its extreme concern
over the way that some individual Member States of the EU are
separately implementing the revised Pharmaceutical Directives in an
haphazard and uncoordinated manner with regards to homeopathic
medicinal products.
ECCH
is particularly concerned at the way officials in some Member States
are dealing with homeopathic nosodes. Nosodes are an essential category
of remedy that all homeopathic practitioners use in their treatment of
chronic disease in patients. They have been used for the past two
hundred years with no evidence whatsoever of any risk to patients yet
in some countries medicines agencies have introduced, or are planning
to introduce, regulatory requirements that will result in the eventual
non-availability of them to practitioners. As
with all homeopathic medicinal products the standard potentisation
process together with Good Manufacturing Practice renders all
homeopathic medicinal products safe for human and animal treatment.
In the Spring of this year the HMPWG published a consultation document POINTS TO CONSIDER ON SAFETY OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINAL PRODUCTS FOR HUMAN AND VETERINARY USE FROM BIOLOGICAL ORIGIN
to which ECCH and other interested parties responded. We are sure that
this document will be under consideration at the current meeting of the
HMPWG and we call on all EU Member States Medicines Agencies to await
the outcome of these deliberations which should facilitate the
continued availability of these essential medicines through reasonable
legislation.
In
response to the situation described above ECCH has revised its own
pharmacy report at its recent Council meeting in Athens and attaches it
here for reference. The report has been sent to all EU Medicines
Agencies ahead of the above-mentioned meeting in Brighton. A pdf copy
can be obtained by sending an email to: ecch@gn.apc.org
12/10/2005 Royal London Homeopathic Hospital Reopens
Europe's
largest public hospital using homeopathy and other complementary health
care therapies was officially re-opened on 12 October 2005 by HRH The
Prince of Wales. The
hospital, which has stood on the same site since 1840, has undergone a
£20M programme of refurbishment and is now set to play its full role in
the growing provision of CAM therapies in the UK National Health
Service. Part
of the original hospital has been taken up by the neighbouring Great
Ormond Street Childrens' Hospital and this should encourage a program
of integration of both conventional and complementary health services
that will enhance the health care of each child.
In
his speech the Prince of Wales acknowledged the important role that the
hospital has played up until now in developing the programme of an
integrated health agenda of which he has been such a long-term advocate
and he looked forward to an even greater contribution from the hospital
in its newly refurbished form. The opening event was attended by Dr Xiaorui Zhang, Coordinator, Traditional Medicine, World Health Organization. The
Hospital's clinical director Dr Peter Fisher said that rather than the
refurbishment being a dream come true it has set the platform for a
much bigger dream that he has to come true in the future.
6/10/2005
Independent Report Recommends Serious Consideration of Greater
Integration of Homeopathy and 4 other CAM Therapies into UK Health
Service: The Smallwood Report
Thursday
6 October saw the publication of The Role of Complementary and
Alternative Medicine in the NHS , a report led by Christopher
Smallwood, former chief economic advisor to Barclays PLC. The report
was commissioned by HRH The Prince of Wales and investigates the
contribution that complementary and alternative medicines could
potentially make to the delivery of healthcare in the UK and focuses on
the 'big five'; osteopathy; chiropractic; acupuncture; homeopathy and
herbal medicine. Rather than focusing just on the actual costs to the NHS of introducing the services the
report predicts that there could be wider economic benefits of
introducing the practices into mainstream NHS healthcare delivery.
For more information on the Smallwood Report and a downloadable PDF of the report go to:
The Smallwood Report
September
13/9/2005 ECCH Press Release
Homeopathic treatment effective in ADHD
In
the wake of the recent Lancet article on homeopathy that was so widely
trailed in the media (see below) ECCH is pleased to be able to bring to
the attention of the media details of a recent trial published in the
European Journal of Pediatrics showing a positive effect for
homeopathic treatment in the important area of Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) . The main author of this trial André
Thurmeyson has recently commented on what is increasingly being
criticised as a flawed piece of work published in the Lancet . He
maintains that Egger's meta-analysis fails to prove anything. "They did
not study trials that refer to proper homeopathic treatments. They have
not analysed homeopathic treatment as it is practised,"
The
newly published study used "as it is practised" individualised
homeopathic treatment to treat the children in what was a randomised,
double blind, placebo controlled crossover study. 'The trial suggests
scientific evidence of the effectiveness of homeopathy in the treatment
of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, particularly in the areas
of behavioural and cognitive functions.'
Contact Information: André Thurneysen
Email: andre.thurneysen@kikom.unibe.ch
Phone: +41-31-6329758
Fax: +41-31-6324263
Journal Abstract:
European Journal of Pediatrics
Publisher: Springer-Verlag GmbH
ISSN: 0340-6199 (Paper) 1432-1076 (Online)
DOI: 10.1007/s00431-005-1735-7
Issue: Online First
Original Paper
Homeopathic
treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a
randomised, double blind, placebo controlled crossover trial
Heiner
Frei1, Regula Everts2, Klaus von Ammon3, Franz Kaufmann2, Daniel
Walther2, Shu-Fang Hsu-Schmitz4, Marco Collenberg4, Katharina Fuhrer2,
Ralph Hassink5, Maja Steinlin2 Contact Information and André
Thurneysen3 Contact Information
(1) Swiss Association of Homeopathic Physicians SAHP, Lucerne, Switzerland
(2) Division of Paediatric Neurology, University Childrenrsquos Hospital, Inselspital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
(3) Kollegiale Instanz für Komplementärmedizin (KIKOM)/Homeopathy, Imhoof Pavillon, Inselspital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
(4) Department of Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Science (IMSV), University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland
(5) Zentrum für Entwicklungsförderung und pädiatrische Neurorehabilitation, Bienne, Switzerland
Received: 8 March 2005 Revised: 23 May 2005 Accepted: 1 June 2005 Published online: 27 July 2005
Abstract
An increasing number of parents turn to homeopathy for treatment of
their hyperactive child. Two publications, a randomised, partially
blinded trial and a clinical observation study, conclude that
homeopathy has positive effects in patients with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of this study was to obtain
scientific evidence of the effectiveness of homeopathy in ADHD. A total
of 83 children aged 6–16 years, with ADHD diagnosed using the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria, were
recruited. Prior to the randomised, double blind, placebo controlled
crossover study, they were treated with individually prescribed
homeopathic medications. 62 patients, who achieved an improvement of
50% in the Connersrsquo Global Index (CGI), participated in the trial.
Thirteen patients did not fulfill this eligibility criterion (CGI). The
responders were split into two groups and received either verum for 6
weeks followed by placebo for 6 weeks (arm A), or vice-versa (arm B).
At the beginning of the trial and after each crossover period, parents
reported the CGI and patients underwent neuropsychological testing. The
CGI rating was evaluated again at the end of each crossover period and
twice in long-term follow-up. At entry to the crossover trial,
cognitive performance such as visual global perception , impulsivity
and divided attention, had improved significantly under open label
treatment ( P<0.0001). During the crossover trial, CGI
parent–ratings were significantly lower under verum (average 1.67
points) than under placebo ( P =0.0479). Long-term CGI improvement
reached 12 points (63%, P <0.0001).
Conclusion:The
trial suggests scientific evidence of the effectiveness of homeopathy
in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
particularly in the areas of behavioural and cognitive functions.
Keywords
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - Homeopathy - Individualised
treatment - Randomised double blind trial - Treatment effectiveness
Web-link to journal abstract
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
13/9/2005 Are
the clinical effects of homeopathy placebo effects? - A full critique
of the article by Shang et al (Lancet 2005;366 (9487):726-733)
The
article by Shang et al (2005) can be critiqued on number of different
levels and this response has therefore been broken down into sections
for ease of referral. Each of the issues raised should have been
considered by the authors of the paper during production and should
also have been raised during the Lancet’s peer review process prior to
acceptance for publication. The fact that these issues have not been
fully explored by the authors or publishers could suggest either a lack
of understanding of research in homeopathy or a deliberate attempt to
mislead.
METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES
Matching
In their
report Shang et al (2005) purport to match 110 homeopathy trials with
110 allopathic trials. Their description of how these trials were
matched according to similar conditions and similar outcomes leaves
many questions unanswered. What exactly do they mean by similar? How
similar are the conditions that are matched? Variation between patient
cohorts and severity of complaint do not appear to have been taken into
consideration. Of the total number of homeopathy trials 16% involve
individualised (classical) prescribing. This involves a lengthy
case-taking and hence greater chance of the therapeutic relationship
influencing the effects of treatment. Hence the trials involving
classical homeopathy, a complex intervention, should have been matched
with corresponding trials of complex interventions rather than with
simple interventions such as pharmaceutical drugs.
Selection of the final 8 homeopathy and 6 allopathy trials
Of
the total 220 trials the authors identify 21 homeopathy trials and 9
allopathy trials that are of higher standard according to their own set
criteria. Yet they present no comparative analysis of this subset of
trials. They then proceed to further select the small subset of
purportedly larger and higher methodological quality trials (8
homeopathy trials and 6 conventional medicine trials) from which the
paper's main conclusion is drawn. The authors fail to describe the
weighting of the two attributes size and methodological quality. The
authors do not provide an explanation as to how they chose the
particular cut off point that they used to select the final 14 trials.
The
choice of the two parameters of size and methodological quality at
first appears to be reasonable but is problematic for homeopathy trials
for the following reasons:
1. High methodological quality in
meta-analyses is defined as high internal validity but ignores whether
the study has any external validity – its clinical relevance and its
general real world applicability of the study findings. In placebo
controlled RCTs, high internal validity is gained at the expense of low
external validity such that those of apparent high quality often bear
little relation to real world practice or relevance.
There are
difficulties in attempting to research any complex health care
intervention such as individualised homeopathy. Careful modelling of
complex interventions is essential to ensure that interventions fit
with and reflect the complexities of the settings within which
interventions will be applied, and to ensure that the outcomes chosen
are those most appropriate to demonstrate any benefits or risks .
2.
The use of trial size as a parameter introduces potential bias for the
homeopathy trials that is not addressed in the authors’ discussion. The
largest trials are ones funded by pharmaceutical companies.
Pharmaceutical companies fund trials of isopathy and complex
homeopathy, usually in the area of prevention (because that will
involve more people potentially buying the product). Isopathy and
complex homeopathy are the crudest and least clinically effective forms
of homeopathy. The largest trials are subject to the bias of
pharmaceutical profit funding, where the decision to fund a study will
be based on potential pharmaceutical profit rather than the clinical
relevance.
The authors fail to identify specifically the
particular trials that are used in the final analysis that would enable
a fair critique of the validity of the included trials. Elucidation of
the rationale for choosing this small number of studies as
well as a list of which studies this seemingly comprehensive interpretation was drawn from is essential.
Statistical analysis
It
would be normal practice when comparing two different treatment options
to measure the statistical difference between the two options for a
fair comparison. The authors fail to do this, presumably as this
calculation shows clearly that there is no statistical difference
between the effects of the two interventions. That is, the statistics
tell us that there is no basis for saying that allopathic intervention
is any better than homeopathic intervention.
The authors use
particular criteria for selection of trials that they define as being
of higher quality. Of the 220 trials only 21 homeopathy trials and 8
allopathy trials meet these criteria for high quality. With such a
small number of trials meeting the criteria and with there being a
significantly larger number of homeopathy trials, the authors should
have stopped at this point and concluded that:
a. there are not enough high quality trials on which to carry out the analysis, and
b. that the difference between the quality of the homeopathy and the allopathy trials invalidates the matching.
The
authors went to the great trouble of selecting 110 homeopathy trials
that met their inclusion criteria, matching them with 110 allopathy
trials and then ignored all but 8 trials of homeopathy and 6 of
allopathy in their final statistical analysis. Moreover the original
stated intention to compare trials of similar condition and outcome has
been ignored in the final analysis. The final small subset of trials is
not matched at all suggesting that different kinds of trials are being
compared, apples are being compared with oranges – a common failing in
meta-analyses.
INTERPRETATION BIAS
The authors
generalise from an extremely small pool of data to draw their
apparently broad and negative conclusions. Their statistical analysis
and interpretation of results can be challenged in many respects and
their main conclusion that their “findings are compatible with the
notion that the clinical effects of homeopathy are placebo effects” is
unfounded.
While sample size is small in many individualised
(classical) homeopathy studies because of limited funding and the early
state-of-the-science need for preliminary studies to define the proper
design parameters (as in any proper research effort), the Shang et al.
paper does not support the conclusion that homeopathic remedies or
conventional drugs cause only placebo effects. It does support the
conclusion that homeopathic as well as conventional drug treatments in
clinical trials can produce placebo effects. This is no surprise and
does not logically support the conclusion that we should discard either
homeopathy or conventional drugs. (Bell,2005)
The authors
display their own bias in interpretation when they dismiss out of hand
the substantially beneficial pooled effect from 8 trials of homeopathic
remedies in upper respiratory tract infections. This in spite of the
fact that the trials perform well in the authors own set test of funnel
plot asymmetry which demonstrated that there was no significant
difference
between effects in the higher quality trial and the lower quality
trials. Here the authors speak of biases prevalent in these
publications to excuse the effect without specifying in any way how
they relate to these trials and indicate that conclusions from these
trials cannot be trusted.
META-ANALYSES
Any meta-analysis
of homeopathy will inevitably be considering only a small number of
trials as there are relatively few for any one condition. This leads to
the pooling of heterogeneous data, a fact so often completely ignored.
Meta-Analyses
as a tool are akin to public surveys to glean opinions about a
politician. They are of vague value but do not reflect individual
truths which may carry much more meaning. That is especially true of a
meta-analysis of homeopathy, a science in which individualization of
prescription and interpretation of response is fundamental to success.
Meta-analyses flatten diversity and minimize nuggets of truth by
imposing criteria exclusive to allopathic protocols. (Gray 2005)
In
this report Shang et al (2005) different types of prescribing method
for homeopathy trials are all considered equally. Of the 100 trials
selected only 18 (16%) deemed classical homeopathy i.e. the type of
individualised prescribing that occurs in real life and there is no
indication of how many of the selected 8 trials involved this type of
prescribing.
RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS AND HOMEOPATHY
The
authors’ conclusions are premised upon the supposition that the placebo
controlled randomised trial represents the gold standard against which
all research should be judged. It is becoming increasingly understood
that there are considerable problems in using this method to test
complex interventions such as homeopathy.
It is always going to
be difficult to adopt the reductionist research method of the placebo
controlled RCT to measure effects of complex intervention such as
homeopathy. Two primary concerns for homeopaths are that the treatment
is holistic and that it is individualised. Treatment cannot be
standardised and patient response is unpredictable. RCTs are looking
for specific effects whereas homeopathy is attempting to produce
general health effects as well as specific effects – homeopathy treats
the whole person.
Patients may choose homeopathy or acupuncture
or other forms of complementary and alternative medicine because of
preferences and perhaps even the potential for responding. Randomized
controlled trials do not necessarily recruit such patients – they take
patients with a conventional diagnosis, but do not screen for patients
who typically may gravitate to homeopathy or other types of
complementary and alternative medicine. The scientific evidence in this
regard is emerging in some studies and requires open-minded, albeit
sceptical, consideration toward understanding the true nature and
potential benefits of these treatments for some, but not necessarily
all, patients with a given conventional diagnosis (Bell 2005)
“Actually
there is no threat to anyone. Each system has its strengths and
limitations. If we work hand in hand, and not against each other, it
will really benefit our patients. In order to do this it is important
to understand the other system, and evaluate it according to its
principles and not see it from the view point of the other system.”.
(Sankaran 2005)
1. Rowlands G. Family Practice. 22(1):132-9, 2005 Feb
Additional references available
http://www.homeopathycourses.com/lancet.html
Authors
K Chatfield, University of Central Lancashire
kchatfield@uclan.ac.uk
C Relton. ScHARR, University of Sheffield
c.relton@sheffield.ac.uk
August 2005
Who's biased? The Lancet declares 'the end of homeopathy"
Statistics: the only science that enables different experts using the same figures to draw different conclusions - Even Esar
For 200 years homeopathy has suffered the slings and arrows of a
frustrated medical establishment. Frustrated because they cannot
understand how homeopathy's potentised remedies can work and frustrated
by the fact that millions of patients around the World find that
homeopathic treatments have worked for them nonetheless. That
frustration has now led the editor of the Lancet to publish a flawed
piece of statistical analysis (1) and trail it widely through the
media in one more desperate attempt to kill homeopathy off.
The study featured is a comparative statistical analysis of a number of
placebo-controlled trials of homeopathy and conventional medicines and
not hard research in itself. The study talks a lot about the effect of
bias in research studies - both homeopathic and conventional. Yet
statistics themselves are famous for their potential to be biased.
The researchers in this study set out their prejudices about
homeopathy from the start when in the first paragraph they declare that 'the specific
effects of homeopathy seem implausible". Then in the discussion section
of the paper they make the following extraordinary statement.: We assumed
that the effects observed in placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy
could be explained by a combination of methodological deficiencies and
biased reporting. Conversely, we postulated that the same biases could not explain the effects observed in comparable placebo-controlled trials of conventional medicine. Our results confirm these hypotheses:"
In his editorial the Lancet editor writes " Going one
step further, the Swiss Government, after a 5 year trial, has now
withdrawn insurance cover for homoeopathy and four other complementary
treatments because they did not meet efficacy and cost-effectiveness
criteria." The Lancet paper was used to justify this decision. What he
doesn't mention is that the study he has published is one of several
studies carried out to inform the Swiss Government on the place of
complementary therapies in the Swiss healthcare insurance scheme. A
second far more practical study had as its results that complementary
medicine (incuding acupuncture, homeopathy and phytotherapy) is as
effective as conventional medicine in a range of complicated and
chronic conditions and at least as cost-effective. Of the therapies
included homeopathy had the best results. However, the results of this
study were suppressed and their dissemination actually forbidden on
pain of legal prosecution until after the Government had stopped the
insurance scheme that paid doctors to provide complementary therapies.
Furthermore when the Government appointed commission wrote in its draft
report that homeopathy should continue to be included in the insurance
scheme pressures were brought to bear to have the paragraph removed
from the final report.
So bias and selective publishing of results are present at all levels.
The editor of the Lancet is as known for his antipathy to homeopathy in
the UK as Professor Egger is in Switzerland. The Lancet recently
rejected a UK study of a large number of cases of homeopathic treatment
provided in an NHS setting which showed high levels of effectiveness
and high levels of patient satisfaction. No doubt the study from
Germany featured in the article below this one would have been rejected
too.
As was quoted from Kant in the Lancet editorial ' we see things not as
they are, but as we are.' To be generous to the Lancet editor however
he did get it right when at the end of his editorial he tacitly implied
that homeopathy offers personalised care to patients. Good homeopathic
treatment is individualised to each patient. This is why it
works and why patients will continue to want it.
NB a considered critique of the statistical analysis in the Lancet paper will follow this short article at a later date.
References:
1) Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative
study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Aijang
Shang, Krain Huwiler-Mûntener, Linda Nartey, Peter Juni, Stephan Dörig,
Jonathon A C Sterne, Daniel Pewsner, Matthias Egger Lancet (2005); 366:
726-32
These pre-assumptions exhibit extreme bias from the start of the study
and are totallly inappropriate in a study that sets out to objectively
compare two different methodologies. Here alone the study fails by its
own standards - not to mention by proper scientific standards.
New
German study shows homeopathic treatment to be superior to conventional
treatments across a range of conditions and with similar cost levels
The
latest volume of Complementary therapies in Medicine contains a report
of a research study evaluating the effectiveness of homeopathy versus
conventional treatment in routinecare.The
analyses of 493 patients (315 adults, 178 children) indicated greater
improvement in patients’ assessments after homeopathic versus
conventional treatment (adults: homeopathy from 5.7 to
3.2;conventional, 5.9—4.4;p = 0.002; children from 5.1 to 2.6 and from
4.5 to 3.2). Physician assessments were also more favourable for
children who had received homeopathic treatment (4.6—2.0 and 3.9—2.7; p
< 0.001). Overall costs showed no significant differences between
both treatment groups (adults, D 2155 versus D 2013, p =
0.856;children, D 1471 versus D 786, p = 0.137).
The
study report concludes that: patients seeking homeopathic treatment had
a better outcome overall compared with patients on conventional
treatment, whereas total costs in both groups weresimilar.
Outcome
and costs of homoeopathic and conventional treatment strategies: A
comparative cohort study in patients with chronic disorders.
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