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About The Homeopathic Approach
Homeopathic Approach
Common Definitions
Suggested Readings
What is Homeopathy?
The word homeopathy
is derived from the Greek word "homeo", meaning like or similar and "pathos"
meaning disease or suffering. Homeopathy is a system of healing the whole
person that uses extremely small doses of wholesome organs, tissues, metabolic
factors, recombinant materials, plants, animals and minerals to stimulate the
body's own immune system. It is an established natural system of medicine based
on the practice of treating like with like.
The Origin of Homeopathy
Homeopathy
was developed in the 19th century by Samuel Hahnemann M.D. (1755-1843), a
successful German physician frustrated with modern medicine. In a time of
dangerous bloodlettings, blistering, use of toxic drugs and raging epidemics,
homeopathy's gentle yet powerful effects made it immediately popular. According
to historical records, death rates in homeopathic hospitals were 1/8 the rates
in orthodox hospitals! Homeopathy quickly expanded throughout Europe and
America, which by the early 1800s had 22 homeopathic medical schools, over 100
homeopathic hospitals, and thousands of practicing homeopaths. However, with
the advent of modern medicine, homeopathy began to look old and stodgy and its
popularity took a nose-dive.
In 1997 adverse drug reactions were the 4th leading cause of death in
the U.S., killing over 100,000 people every year, according to a University of
Toronto study. Today with clear evidence regarding the dangers of drug
toxicity, homeopathic formulations are receiving much wider acceptance because
of their safety and effectiveness. A significant resurgence of interest in
homeopathy is taking place in the United States as millions of Americans are
rediscovering homeopathy. Homeopathic books can now be found in many bookstores
and homeopathic physicians are available in most major cities.
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The Law of Similars
Hahnemann noted in
his studies that, from the days of Hippocrates, Cinchona (a Peruvian Bark
extract containing quinine) had been used as a remedy for swamp fever.
Cinchona's effect as a stomach tonic was considered to be the reason for its
success. Hahnemann didn't understand the connection between a stomach tonic and
swamp fever, so he investigated further. Even though perfectly healthy himself,
Hahnemann took small doses of the Peruvian Bark extract. After ingestion, he
was surprised to find he demonstrated many of the symptoms of swamp fever. And
the symptoms disappeared as soon as he stopped taking the extract.
This discovery led Hahnemann to develop "The Law of Similars" or let
like cure like. This concept is also used today by practitioners of traditional
medicine in vaccines and allergy therapies. In vaccines, minute amounts of dead
or weakened bacteria or viruses are introduced to stimulate your body to
produce antibodies. Allergy therapy uses small amounts of allergic substance to
build the body's natural defenses against that substance. In each case, the
body does the real work, not the medicine
Homeopathy: A Holistic Approach
Homeopathy could be considered a complete medicine as it goes beyond the simple
treatment of illness or disease. In the process used to determine the
appropriate medication for a particular patient's symptoms, the whole person is
taken into consideration. This means the physical symptoms are evaluated as
well as the patient's mental and emotional well being.
Homeopathy is effective in treating various disorders and ailments. All
functional troubles can be helped by this approach. Homeopathy
plays an important role in healing by providing physical as well as
psychological support which aids the body in defending against
disease.
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Should Other Treatments be Stopped?
In most cases, homeopathic and conventional treatments are compatible and in
fact may be of benefit when used together. Homeopathy can be used in
conjunction with other therapeutic methods to decrease the toxic effects or to
treat the general state of the patient. Consult medicine labels and/or a trained health
professional if you question the capatibility of your medicines.
Does the Strength of the Homeopathic Medicine
Vary With the Dilution?
The concept of the strength in a medicine
does not exist in homeopathy. The effectiveness of a medicine depends on its
ability to provoke a cellular reaction, not on the quantity of medication
taken. Only the correct dilution or potency will provoke this cellular reaction
by sending specific messages to each cell. Biomed Comm® conducts
clinical studies to accurately determine the most effective potency for each of
its Cell Signal Enhancers.®
Are There Side-Effects?
All
homeopathic medicines contain only minute amounts of the active ingredients,
therefore making them safe, nontoxic and generally without side-effects.
However, the symptoms of an illness can sometimes appear worse for two or three
days after a homeopathic remedy has been taken. This is a normal reaction to
homeopathic remedies and a sign that the body is reacting positively and the
healing process has begun. Most patients feel nothing more than an overwhelming
sense of well being.
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What Evidence is There That Homeopathy
Works?
Homeopathy has a two hundred-year track record of curing
illness. It first came to widespread public attention through its effectiveness
in curing epidemics of cholera in the 19th century. During the great influenza
epidemic after World War I, homeopathic hospitals reported very low death
rates, while hospitals employing conventional medicine reported death rates of
20% to 30%. Since Wold War II, the double blind clinical trial has become the
"gold standard" for determiningthe effectiveness of medical treatment. A number
of double blind trials have been done on the use of homeopathy on a number of
medical conditions. Although not every study has shown a positive outcome, the
majority of studies have shown that homeopathy is effective.
Biomed Comm® has conducted more than three double blind
placebo controlled clinical studies on Cell Signal Enhancer®
products involving over 150 people. Three meta-analyses of clinical trials of
homeopathy have been done in the last decade and all have reached the same
conclusion: homeopathy is an effective system of medical treatment. The most
recent study was published in the September 20, 1997 issue of Lancet. This
study, conducted by Dr. Wayne Jonas, head of the Office of Alternative
medicine, and Dr. Klaus Linde, concluded that when the evidence of the 89
studies of homeopathy judged to be of good quality was pooled, homeopathy was
2.45 times more effective than placebo.
The Homeopathic Medicine Research Group, formed by the European Union to
determine the effectiveness of homeopathy conducted another study in 1996. This
study is notable in that skeptics of homeopathy were involved in its design.
The study pooled results from 17 clinical trials involving 2,001 patients and
found that homeopathy was more effective than placebo with a 0.027% probability
that this result was due to chance. Unfortunately, this study has not been
published in a medical journal, so it is not readily available.
The third meta-analysis was published in the February 9, 1991 issue of
the British Medical Journal. It was performed by two Dutch researchers, who
were asked to assess the efficacy of various forms of alternative medicine.
Although they were skeptics of homeopathy and alternative medicine generally,
they reported. "The amount of positive results came as a surprise to us." and,
"The evidence presented in this review would probably be sufficient for
establishing homeopathy as a regular treatment for certain indications."
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Common Definitions
Bioelectric Medicines
Bioelectromagnetic medicine is an emerging science which studies the
interactions between electromagnetic fields and the electrical properties of
biological tissues and cells. Electromagnetic fields induce selective
electrical changes in the micro-environment around and within cells.
Classical Homeopathy
A method of
homeopathic prescribing in which only one remedy, based on a totality of the
patient's symptom is given at a time, followed by a period of waiting, to
evaluate the action of the remedy.
Combination Remedy
A mixture containing
more than one homeopathic medicine.
Double-Blind Placebo Clinical Trials
Refers to experiments in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects know
whether a specific treatment was prescribed or a placebo (a "fake" medicine
that looks and tastes like a homeopathic medicine).
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Energy Medicine
The theme of energy
permeates many areas of health care, from acupuncture to homeopathy, as well as
many systems of bodywork and movement therapy, and increasingly mainstream
medicine (MRI scans for example).
Hahnemann, Samuel
The founder of
homeopathy (1755-1843) was a German scholar, physician and chemist.
High Potency Remedies
Remedies of a 100C
potency or higher.
Homeopathy
The use of medicinal
substances to treat a particular set of symptoms based on the principle of
"like cures like" called the Law of Similars.
HPCUS
The Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia
Convention of the United States.
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Materia Medica
A book which includes
individual homeopathic remedies and their indications.
Mother Tincture
The initial,
standardized alcohol preparation from which homeopathic dilutions are
subsequently made.
Potency
The specific strength of a
homeopathic medicine determined by the number of serial dilutions and
succussions. For example: X, C, M
Repertory
A book which lists
symptoms and the medicines known to have produced such symptoms in experiments
and patients.
Succussion
The systematic and
repeated shaking of a homeopathic medicine after each serial dilution.
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Suggested Readings
The Consumer's Guide to Homeopathy
Dana Ullman, M.P.H. A
Jeremy P. Tarcher
Putnam Book ©1995
Homeopathy: A Frontier in Medical Science
Dr. Paolo
Bellavite & Dr. Andrea Signorini
North Atlantic Books ©1995
The Similia Principle as a Therapeutic Strategy:
A
research program on stimulation of self- defense in disordered mammalian
cells
R. Van Wijk & F.A.C. Wiegant
Alternative Therapies in
Health & Medicine 1997 3(2):33-38 |
