A research trial carried out in India assessed 628 patients suffering from chronic sinusitis.  Read the abstract, here.

• Swiss government enacts public desire to include homeopathy in state-backed health insurance
• Personal testimonies reinforce: ‘it works!’

Only recently published, the English translation of the 2006 Swiss Health Technology Assessment (HTA) report on homeopathy offers a clear endorsement of the benefits of this form of complementary medicine.

This important report addresses the evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathic therapy in everyday use (i.e. the real world), its safety and its cost-effectiveness.

The authors, Doctor Gudrun Bornhöft and Professor Peter Matthiessen, state: “There is sufficient evidence for the preclinical effectiveness and the clinical efficacy of homeopathy and for its safety and economy compared with conventional treatment.”

Following on from the initial publication of this report, a public referendum in Switzerland in 2009 supported the inclusion of homeopathy and other complementary and alternative medicines in the Swiss national health insurance, with 67% of the people voting in favour. Earlier this month, the Swiss government passed legislation to enact the referendum’s conclusion.

The 234-page HTA report exhaustively reviews the clinical research in homeopathy. It includes a summary of 22 systematic reviews of clinical trials, 20 of which show a positive direction of evidence for homeopathy. And an assessment of the original clinical trials of homeopathy in allergies and upper respiratory tract infections provides supporting evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment for these conditions.

Homeopathy’s effectiveness in treating allergies is backed by personal testimonies. Jenny, a 31 year old mother from Perthshire in Scotland who had suffered from severe allergic reactions since childhood, sought help from homeopathy after becoming immune to an increasing number of conventional anti-histamine medications. Following a consultation at an NHS clinic with a doctor who had also trained in homeopathy, Jenny was prescribed homeopathic medicine specifically to counter her allergies. Since the treatment, she’s not had an allergic reaction in over two years. Jenny credits homeopathy with curing her condition and says that “My only regret is that I didn’t seek help from a homeopath sooner, as I’m convinced it would have saved me from years of discomfort and illness”.

Speaking on behalf of the UK’s Faculty of Homeopathy, President Dr Sara Eames said:

“The publication of the Swiss HTA report on homeopathy in English makes an important contribution to the field of homeopathy research. Its thorough and constructive approach will contribute to informing patients, doctors and decision-makers who are evaluating homeopathy. Bornhöft and Matthiessen have given us an academically rigorous document which will enlighten more and better quality research in homeopathy.”

The study was commissioned by Switzerland’s Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) as part of an overall evaluation of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs).

for additional information on this article visit the British Homeopathic Association.

http://homeopathyeurope.org/media/news/newsletter-6-december-2011/swedish-court-rules-doctors-can-recommend-homeopathy/newsitem_view

First you have to locate a trained, qualified homeopath. Homeopathic care is not licensed in the US and most states do not oversee the practice. Search national organizations such as the North American Society of Homeopaths or the Council for Homeopathic Certification. Both are sources of qualified homeopaths. A certification is not a license or a recommendation. What it demonstrates is a certain amount of education, training and the ability to meet certain requirements. However, there are excellent homeopaths who may choose not to be included in a directory. Ask family and friends if they know of someone. Check for local workshops given by a practitioner.

At the minimum you want a homeopath who has undertaken training at a school run by homeopaths. It is even better if the school had a training clinic whereby there was mentoring. In the final selection, just like any health practitioner make sure there is appropriate rapport between you. Ask questions. Check to see if they have training in other therapies. What kind of success have they experienced?

Healing is a process and it happens on many levels. You have to allow yourself time for it to develop and manifest. It can be rapid or it may take more time, especially if someone is beset with deep seated or multiple ailments. Homeopathy has been helping people for centuries.

Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, Finland.

The effect of a strict, low-salt, uncooked vegan diet rich in lactobacteria on symptoms in 18 fibromyalgia patients during and after a 3-month intervention period in an open, non-randomized controlled study was evaluated. As control 15 patients continued their omnivorous diet. The groups did not differ significantly from each other in the beginning of the study in any other parameters except in pain and urine sodium. The results revealed significant improvements in Visual analogue scale of pain (VAS), joint stiffness , quality of sleep, Health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), General health questionnaire (GHQ) , and a rheumatologist’s own questionnaire.

The majority of patients were overweight to some extent at the beginning of the study and shifting to a vegan food caused a significant reduction in body mass index (BMI) (p=0.0001). Total serum cholesterol showed a statistically significant lowering. Urine sodium dropped to 1/3 of the beginning values indicating good diet compliance.

It can be concluded that vegan diet had beneficial effects on fibromyalgia symptoms at least in the short run.

Acupuncture
Mayo Clinic study

Acupuncture Relieves Symptoms of Fibromyalgia, Mayo Clinic Study

Schmerz. 2008 Jun;22(3):324-33.
Alternative and complementary therapies in fibromyalgia syndrome

[Article in German]
Langhorst J, Häuser W, Irnich D, Speeck N, Felde E, Winkelmann A, Lucius H, Michalsen A, Musial F.

INTRODUCTION: Interdisciplinary S3 level guidelines were devised in cooperation with 8 medical, 2 psychological and 2 patient support groups. Results were elaborated in a multilevel group process. METHODS: On the bases of the “Cochrane Library” (1993-2006), “Medline” (1980-2006), “PsychInfo” (2006) and “Scopus” (2006) controlled studies and meta-analyses of controlled studies were analyzed.

RESULTS: Only few controlled studies were found supporting in part the effectiveness of CAM therapies in the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome. Due to the lack of information on long term efficacy and cost-effectiveness, only limited recommendations for CAM therapies can be given.

CONCLUSION: Within a multicomponent therapy setting, selective CAM therapies (acupuncture, vegetarian diet, homeopathy, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, music-oriented and body-oriented therapies) can be recommended for a limited period of time.

Curr Pharm Des. 2006;12(1):47-57
Complementary and alternative medical therapies in fibromyalgia.
Sarac AJ, Gur A.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical Faculty, Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey.

This article describes the studies that have been performed evaluating complementary or alternative medical (CAM) therapies for efficacy and some adverse events fibromyalgia (FM). There is no permanent cure for FM; therefore, adequate symptom control should be goal of treatment. Clinicians can choose from a variety of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities. Unfortunately, controlled studies of most current treatments have failed to demonstrate sustained, clinically significant responses. CAM has gained increasing popularity, particularly among individuals with FM for which traditional medicine has generally been ineffective. Some herbal and nutritional supplements (magnesium, S- adenosylmethionine) and massage therapy have the best evidence for effectiveness with FM. Other CAM therapies such as chlorella, biofeedback, relaxation have either been evaluated in only one randomised controlled trials (RCT) with positive results, in multiple RCTs with mixed results (magnet therapies) or have positive results from studies with methodological flaws (homeopathy, botanical oils, balneotherapy, anthocyanidins and dietary modifications). Another CAM therapy such as chiropractic care has neither well-designed studies nor positive results and is not currently recommended for FM treatment. Once CAM therapies have been better evaluated for safety and long-term efficacy in randomised, placebo-controlled trials, they may prove to be beneficial in treatments for FM. It would then be important to assess studies assessing cost-benefit analyses comparing conventional therapies and CAM.

Rheumatology (Oxford), 2004 May;43(5):577-82. Epub 2004 Jan 20
Improved clinical status in fibromyalgia patients treated with individualized homeopathic remedies versus placebo.

Department of Psychiatry, Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of individualized classical homeopathy in the treatment of fibromyalgia.
METHODS: This study was a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial of homeopathy. Community-recruited persons (N = 62) with physician-confirmed fibromyalgia (mean age 49 yr, s.d. 10 yr, 94% women) were treated in a homeopathic private practice setting. Participants were randomized to receive oral daily liquid LM (1/50,000) potencies with an individually chosen homeopathic remedy or an indistinguishable placebo. Homeopathic visits involved joint interviews and concurrence on remedy selection by two experienced homeopaths, at baseline, 2 months and 4 months (prior to a subsequent optional crossover phase of the study which is reported elsewhere). Tender point count and tender point pain on examination by a medical assessor uninvolved in providing care, self-rating scales on fibromyalgia-related quality of life, pain, mood and global health at baseline and 3 months, were the primary clinical outcome measures for this report. RESULTS: Fifty-three people completed the treatment protocol. Participants on active treatment showed significantly greater improvements in tender point count and tender point pain, quality of life, global health and a trend toward less depression compared with those on placebo.

CONCLUSIONS: This study replicates and extends a previous 1-month placebo-controlled crossover study in fibromyalgia that pre-screened for only one homeopathic remedy. Using a broad selection of remedies and the flexible LM dose (1/50,000 dilution factor) series, the present study demonstrated that individualized homeopathy is significantly better than placebo in lessening tender point pain and improving the quality of life and global health of persons with fibromyalgia.

###

Dana Ullman, MPH, America’s leading advocate for homeopathy (according to Time magazine and 20/20), notes, “More significant than the large numbers of people internationally who trust homeopathy is that the people who use or advocate for it tend to be more educated, more financially successful, and include many of the most respected cultural heroes of the past 200 years.”

Ullman’s newest book, The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy, provides details about the use or advocacy of homeopathy by 11 U.S. Presidents as well as heads of state from England, Germany, Norway, India, and Mexico, seven popes and dozens of spiritual leaders, and hundreds of literary greats, sports superstars, world-class musicians, corporate CEOs, and celebrities.

Ullman’s book includes a foreword by Dr. Peter Fisher, the Physician to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He asserts, “Homeopathy has always attracted people who could choose any type of health care. In addition to the British royal family and many other monarchs, my new book shows that the cultural icons of the past who have used or advocated for homeopathy include J.D. Rockefeller, Charles Darwin, Beethoven, Chopin, Emily Dickinson, and virtually all of the American transcendentalists, while modern-day users include David Beckham, Tina Turner, Cher, Tony Blair, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (“Love in a Time of Cholera”), Brian Josephson, PhD (Nobel Prize-winning physicist), Coretta Scott King, and Cindy Crawford.”

The history of homeopathic medicine in America is also notable, says Ullman, who asserts, “In early 1900s America was the worldwide leader in homeopathic medicine, when approximately 20% of physicians were homeopaths, and there were over 20 homeopathic medical schools, including Boston University, Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Hahnemann Medical College, and University of Iowa.”

Virtually all of the leading American medical schools have courses in “integrative medicine,” the new word that describes the integration of various alternative and conventional medical treatments, of which homeopathy is a part.

LINKS:

Dana Ullman, MPH: http://www.homeopathic.com/hes/bio_dana.php
The Homeopathic Revolution: http://homeopathicrevolution.com/
Source of additional information on homeopathic medicine: http://www.homeopathic.com
Global TGI: http://www.tgisurveys.com/

# # #

Homeopathic Educational Services is America’s leading source for homeopathic books, medicines, audiotapes/CDs, software, and distance learning courses. We help people access research and teach people how to apply homeopathic medicines in self-care and in professional applications.

# # #

Here is a link to the full article. They are doing some progressive work in Malaysia. The article includes information on the homeopathic healing art and an outline of the training program. Cheers!!

Cyberjaya University College of Medical Science

Address: Unit No.2, Street Mall 2, 63000 Cyberjaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
E-mail:inquiry@cybermed.edu.my
Contact Number : 603 8319 1010
Fax : 603 8319 1100
Contact Person : Mdm. Haliza