As with all branches of medicines, the need to evaluate various therapies and its effectiveness

is important. There have been many scientific and clinical researches on homeopathy. These researches have shown a statistical difference between homeopathy and placebo.

Evidence from clinical trials has shown promising results in acute and chronic diseases. Individuals who receive homeopathic treatments report improvements in their overall quality of life, both emotionally and physically and reported fewer sick days.

Those who believe that placebo fully explains the effects of homeopathy have large task of explaining away many scientific and clinical data.

A sample of scientific and medical research on Homeopathy

Scientific, medical and clinical research has shown that homeopathy works and is helpful for many health conditions. Another area where homeopathy has shown potential in helping with health and well-being is with environmental health.

Homeopathic treatment can improve the quality of life in patients. A study had a total of 3,981 patients; 1,130 were children and 2,851 adults (2). Patients had suffered from various health concerns ranging from allergies, headaches, skin ailments, etc. The study conclusion was "disease severity and quality of life demonstrated marked and sustained improvements following homeopathic treatment period" (2).

Homeopathic medicines, when used by trained and qualified homeopathic doctors can be useful for health, wellness and disease management. Below is a breakdown of testing for acute and chronic ailments, as well as research in the role of homeopathy in reducing the severity and pain associated with chemotherapy.

Acute Ailments

• Flu-Like Conditions Several research journals have shown a homeopathic medicine called "Oscillococcinum" helps relieve flu symptoms and provides a faster recovery rate from the flu (3, 4, 5), compared to placebos.

• Acute Diarrhea Three studies (6, 7) on children suffering from acute diarrhea, and showed a decrease in duration and intensity of diarrhea after receiving homeopathic medicines best adapted to their case.

• As an added bonus the studies had found that other digestive problems had also improved after homeopathic treatment (7).

Chronic Ailments

• Allergies and Hay Fever Several studies have shown that homeopathy is helpful for allergy suffers. Randomized control trails of homeopathic medicines compared to placebos have shown a decrease in the intensity of the symptoms (8) and an increase in the ability to inhale air was significant (9, 10).
  • M. G. Weiser in 1999 ran a comparative trial on the use of homeopathic nasal spray verses traditional nasal sprays. The author conclusion was: "homeopathic nasal spray is as efficient and well tolerated as conventional therapy" (11), with one major advantage; the homeopathic nasal spray was side effect free.

• Asthma In 2004, "The homeopathic treatment of corticosteriod-dependent asthma. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study", compared two groups. The first groups were corticosteroid-dependent (dependent on their asthma medications), and the second group received homeopathic treatment.
  • The group receiving homeopathic treatment presented significantly fewer intense symptoms than the group which received inhaled corticosteroid treatment (12).

• Fibromyalgia In the USA a study was conduction from 2002 to 2003, with sixty two fibromyalgia patients (13). Personalized homeopathic treatment was effective, for pain management as well as a decrease in depression.
  • The authors concluded "that personalized homeopathy performs significantly better than placebo for patients suffering from fibromyalgia" (13).

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) In 1999 Dr. D. S. Rastogi had shown that patients in the symptomatic phase receiving treatment had increased levels of CD4 cells at the end of the trial while the placebo subgroup did not (14).

  Homeopathy and Cancer

• Breast Cancer and the Benefits of Homeopathy
  • For female patients who receive radiation therapy (radiotherapy), may experience acute radiodermatitis (a painful inflammation of the skin). Radiodermatitis is a common after receiving radiation therapy.
  • Studies have been showed that homeopathy can provide relief, prevention and improve healing in radiodermatitis.
  • A two-year study (15) conducted in France on 254 patients from July 1999 to June 2001, compared Calendula ointment (homeopathic medicine) to Trolamine (traditional medicine). The homeopathic ointment (Calendula ointment) had lowered acute dermatitis by 59% compared to 37% with the conventional ointment (Trolamine) (15).
  • Calendula ointment also showed better results in decreasing pain levels. The authors agreed that "calendula is very effective in preventing acute radiodermatitis of second degree or higher and should be offered to patients following postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer" (15).

• Chemotherapy and the Role of Homeopathy Children undergoing bone marrow transplantation can develop painful inflammation inside the mouth after chemotherapy. In 2001, a study using Traumeel S (16), a homeopathic cream showed the ability to significantly reduce the severity and duration of the pain and inflammation.

  Homeopathy and Environmental Toxins

• Homeopathy and Environmental Toxins Arsenic trioxide poisoning in developing countries is common. Setting up water treatment facilities, because of location or feasibility, often results in cases of Arsenic trioxide poisoning.

• In India a study was carried out to determine if homeopathic treatment could help reduce the degree of arsenic poisoning in humans (17). The study had showed Arsenic levels in the blood were reduced after one month of treatment and were within the acceptable range of Arsenic (17).

• Another study followed in which the results were better than the previous study. The study had shown significant improvements after administering Arsenic Album 30ch and had concluded that homeopathy can effectively treat arsenic trioxide poisoning (17).

References

1. Philippe Belon, P. B. (2006). Can Administration of Potentized Homeopathic Remedy, ArsenicumAlbum, Alter
   Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Titer in People Living in High-Risk Arsenic Contaminated Areas? I. A Correlation with Certain Hematological Parameters. eCAM.
2. Witt W.M, L. R. (2005). Homeopathic medical practice: Long-term results of a cohort study with 3981 patients. . BMC
   Public Health.
3. Ferley J.P., Z. D. (1989). A controlled evaluation of a homeopathic preparation in the treatment of influenza-like
   syndromes . British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
4. Papp R., (1998). Oscillococcinum(R) in patients with influenza-like syndromes: a placebo-controlled double-blind evaluation. British Homeopathic Journal.
5. Vickers, A. a. (2002). Homoeopathic Oscillococcinum for Preventing and Treating Influenza and Influenza-Like
   Syndromes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
6. Jacobs J, J. L. (1993). Homeopathic treatment of acute childhood diarrhea. British Homeopathic Journal.
   
7. Jacobs J., J. M. (2000). Homeopathic treatment of acute childhood diarrhea: results from a clinical trial in Nepal. Journal
   of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
8. Reilly D.T., T. M. (1985 ). Potent placebo or potency ? A proposed study model with initial findings using homeopathically prepared pollens in hayfever. British Homeopathic Journal.
9. Reilly D.T., T. M. (1986). Is homeopathy a placebo response ? Controlled trial of homeopathic potency, with Pollen in hayfever as model. The Lancet.
10. Taylor, M. R.-J. (2000. ). Randomized Controlled Trial of Homoeopathy versus Placebo in Perennial Allergic Rhinitis
    with Overview of Four Trial Series. British Medical Journal. , 471-476.
11. Weiser, M. G. (1999). A Randomized Equivalence Trial Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Luffa compared to, Heel Nasal Spray with Cromolyn Sodium Spray in the Treatment of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis. Forschende
    Komplementarmedizin.
    
12. R., M. ( 1997). The homeopathic treatment of corticosteroid-dependent asthma. A double-blind,placebo-controlled
    study, Biomed. Ther., 1997. Biomedical Therapies.
13. I.R. Bell and et al. (2004). Improvement of the state clinic with patients suffering from a fibromyalgie by homeopathic personalized controlled medicines against placebo. Rheumathology.
14. Rastogi, D. S. (1999). Homeopathy in HIV Infection: A Trial Report of Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Study. British Homeopathic Journal, 49-57.
15. Apple tree P, G. F. (2004). Phase lll randomized trial of Calendula officinalis compared trolamine for the prevention of acute dermatitis during irradiation for breast cancer. . Journal Covering Joint Oncology, 1447-1453.
16. Oberbaum, M. Y.-G.-Z. (2001). A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial of the Homeopathic Medication Traumeel S in
    the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Stomatitis in Children Undergoing Stem Cell Transplantation. Cancer, 684-690.
17. Khuda-Bukhsh A.R. and al., Can homeopathic arsenic remedy combat arsenic poisoning in humans exposed to groundwater arsenic contamination , eCAM , october 2005.
18. Khuda-Bukhsh A.R. and al, Can administration of potentized homeopathic remedy, arsenicum album, alter antinuclear antibody titer in people living in high-risk arsenic contaminated areas?, eCAM, january 2006.