Research on Homeopathy : An update
Robert Medhurst | BNat ND DNutr DRM DBM DHom
Here in Australia , as is probably the case in most other parts of the world , it ' s impossible to walk through a pharmacy or health food shop without seeing terms such as , " clinically proven ", " scientifically formulated ", or " clinically effective ", adorning advertisements for therapeutic goods . Clearly , the notion of scientific support is an important consideration for potential purchasers of these products , and it ' s often an important consideration for people who may be considering a particular form of therapy for the first time . In the case of homeopathy , there ' s an abundance of scientific research to support its choice as a therapy , and following are brief summaries of recently published research studies from peer-reviewed journals .
Human Studies
1 . Karp JC , et al . Treatment with Ruta graveolens 5CH and Rhus toxicodendron 9CH may reduce joint pain and stiffness linked to aromatase inhibitors in women with early breast cancer : results of a pilot observational study . Homeopathy . 2016 ; 105 ( 4 ): 299-308 . Aromatase inhibitors are a class of drugs used to treat some forms of cancer . The aim in this study was to determine the possible effect of two homeopathic medicines , Ruta graveolens 5CH and Rhus toxicodendron 9CH , in the prevention of aromatase inhibitor ( AI ) associated joint pain and / or stiffness in women with early , hormone-receptor positive , breast cancer . Women were recruited in two groups , according to which of the two study centres they attended : one receiving homeopathy in addition to standard treatment ( group H ) and a control group , receiving standard treatment ( group C ). All women were treated with an AI . In addition , women in group H also took Ruta graveolens 5CH and Rhus toxicodendron 9CH ( 5 granules , twice a day ) up to 7 days before starting AI treatment . The homeopathic medicines were continued for 3 months . Clinical data were recorded using a selfassessment questionnaire at inclusion ( T0 ) and 3 months ( T3 ). Primary evaluation criteria were the evolution of scores for joint pain and stiffness , the impact of pain on sleep and analgesic consumption in the two groups after 3 months of treatment . A total of 40 patients ( mean age 64.9 ± 8.1 years ) were recruited , 20 in each group . Two-thirds of the patients had joint pain before starting AI treatment . There was a significant difference in the evolution of mean composite pain scores between T0 and T3 in the two groups ( -1.3 in group H vs . + 3.4 in group C ; p = 0.0001 ). The individual components of the pain score ( frequency , intensity and number of sites of pain ) also decreased significantly in group H . A total of 9 patients in group
C ( 45 %) vs . 1 ( 5 %) in group H increased their analgesic consumption between T0 and T3 ( p = 0.0076 ). After 3 months of treatment , joint pain had a worse impact on sleep in patients in group C ( 35 % vs . 0 % of patients ; p = 0.0083 ). The differences observed in the evolution of morning and daytime stiffness between the two groups were smaller ( p = 0.053 and p = 0.33 , respectively ), with the exception of time necessary for the disappearance of morning stiffness , which was greater in group C ( 37.7 ± 23.0 vs . 17.9 ± 20.1 min ; p = 0.0173 ).
2 . Manchanda RK , et al . A randomized comparative trial in the management of Alcohol Dependence : Individualized Homoeopathy versus standard Allopathic Treatment . Indian J Res Homoeopathy ., 2016 ; 10:172-81 . Workers from India ' s Central Research Institute and Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy compared the effects of individualised homeopathy ( IH ) with standard allopathic ( SA ) treatment for people with alcohol dependence using a controlled , open‐label design . Subjects were screened verbally using the CAGE scale . A total of 80 people who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were randomised to either IH ( n = 40 ) or SA ( n = 40 ) treatment and followed up for 12 months . The primary outcome was the level of change in the Severity of Alcohol
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