More research in Homeopathy
Robert Medhurst | BNat ND DNutr DRM DBM DHom
When properly prescribed, homeopathy is a very effective method of healing. For those of us who prescribe these medicines, this effectiveness is obvious- we don ' t need to be convinced by randomised doubleblind trials, systematic reviews, or any other form of research to feel confident that it’ s capable of assisting our clients to return to a state of good health. For some people though- some of our potential clients, professional colleagues and professional critics- it requires rigorous external validation. Fortunately, there are numerous examples of the efficacy of homeopathy that can be found in the peer-reviewed scientific literature and following are some recent examples of human and in vitro work that’ s been done in this area.
Human Research
1. Saha S, Tamkeen R, Saha A. An open observational trial evaluating the role of individualised homoeopathic medicines in the management of nocturnal enuresis. Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy. 2018; 12( 3): 149-156. This Indian study looked at the homeopathic management of nocturnal enuresis using a prospective, single arm, pre-post comparison, nonrandomised, open-label, observational trial on 34 people, 5 – 18 years of age, presenting with nocturnal enuresis at the outpatient department of the Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital. A scoring scale was developed; scores were measured at baseline, and after 2nd and 4th month of treatment. The most frequently indicated medicine was Kreosotum( n = 9; 26.5 %). Compared to baseline, scores reduced significantly over 2 months and the use of the homoeopathic medicines was associated with a statistically significant reduction in symptoms.
2. Sharma R, et al. Assessment of the effectiveness of homoeopathic remedies in improving quality of life of chronic urticaria patients in a typical clinical setting. Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy. 2018; 12( 3): 139-148. The aim here was to evaluate the effectiveness of constitutional homoeopathic treatment for chronic urticaria( CU) patients attending the Outpatient Department of the State Homoeopathic Dispensary, Ahmadpur, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. A CU-Quality of Life( CU-QoL) questionnaire and average Urticaria Activity Score for 7 days( UAS7) questionnaire were filled out at baseline and at the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th months of treatment. Scores were analysed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA with SPSS version 19. A total of 134 patients were screened, 70 were diagnosed with CU and enrolled in the study. Their data were analysed under modified intention-to-treat approach. A significant difference was found between the baseline and 12th month CU-QoL score( mean difference 34.14 with standard error of 1.65, 95 % confidence interval, lower bound 29.31, upper limit 38.94, P < 0.001). A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was calculated for comparing CU-QoL scores( F [ 2.45, 169.46 ] = 260.89, P ≤ 0.000, effect size = 0.791). Apis mellifica( n = 10), Natrum muriaticum( n = 9), Rhus toxicodendron( n = 8) and Sulphur( n = 8) were the most frequently used medicines.
3. Adler UC, et al. Double-blind evaluation of homeopathy on cocaine craving: A randomized controlled pilot study. J Integrative Medicine. 2018; 16( 3): 178-184. This study investigated the effectiveness and tolerability of homeopathic Q-potencies of opium and Erythroxylon coca in the integrative treatment of cocaine craving in a community-based psychosocial rehabilitation setting. It used a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial design over 8 weeks and was conducted at the Psychosocial Attention Center for Alcohol and Other Drugs, Sao Carlos / SP, Brazil. A total of 54 people with an International Classification
144 | vol31 | no3 | JATMS