The English translation of the Swiss Health Technology
Assessment (HTA) report on homeopathy was published in December 2011. This extensive and authoritative report offers an unambiguous endorsement of the evidence base for homeopathy. The report also provides strong evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathy in upper respiratory tract infections and allergic reactions (URTI/A). In light of the recent claims in the UK media that there is no ’scientific evidence’ for homeopathy, this example of robust evidence in favour of homeopathy is of particular importance.
http://www.homeoinst.org/sites/default/files/uploads/u-16/HRI_Newsletter15_Spring2012.pdf?utm_source=Spring+2012+newsletter+-+Swiss+report+FINAL&utm_campaign=HRI+Spring+e-newsletter&utm_medium=email
Always worth a read. A classic in the history of medical literature. Somebody who combined a deep love for the arts with medicine, and who knows how important philosophy is to get a perspective on life.
Petr Skrabanek
‘Medicine is not about conquering diseases and death, but about the alleviation of suffering, minimising harm, smoothing the painful journey of man to the grave. Medicine has no mandate to be meddlesome in the lives of those who do not need it. ‘
The most comprehensive governmental report ever written on Homeopathy looked at the evidence for Homeopathy from randomized double-blind and placebo controlled clinical trials – and (taking a true scientific approach to the subject) evaluated the scientific evidence from a wide body of preclinical research (fundamental physio-chemical research, botanical studies, animal studies, and in-vitro studies with human cells).
Read more here:
http://sut1.co.uk/l/c.php?c=14306&ct=48581&si=424453&u=pia
Recently, three studies have put into question the effectiveness of homeopathy for
The study on Gelsemium was a double-blind, single-centre, randomised, placebo-controlled study. The study sample comprised 180 healthy volunteers. Its disadvantage is that it used a remedy not individually selected, but on the diagnostic label ‘anxiety’. Individualised homeopathic medicine does not work like this.
The other two studies were so-called systematic reviews of existing randomised, controlled trials in order to assess what the overall effectiveness of homeopathy in the above mentioned conditions is.
Although these studies seem academically sound, it is a pity that they are associated with Prof Edzard Ernst, who could, during his career, never quite make up his mind whether he is a skeptic (with all the ideological baggage which comes with that) or an academic. Observer’s bias is a well known phenomenon for giving false results. Still, worth a read.
A recent study, published in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, has explored this question. See the results here:
http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk/news.php?id=6673#newspost
Here is a link to the reputable Cochrane Library for you decide whether you should have or recommend the influenza vaccination
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004876.pub3/abstract
The Cochrane Library has plenty of information on the influenza vaccination. Have a look around.
This is a wonderful rapid response from a doctor about why health professionals do things. There is a link at the end of the quote which gets you to the book Testing Treatments which is probably easily the best book around on Evidence Based Medicine.
WE DO THINGS BECAUSE . . .
‘We [doctors] do things, because other doctors do so and we don’t want to be different, so we do so; or because we were taught so [by teachers, fellows and residents (junior doctors)]; or because we were forced [by teachers, administrators, regulators, guideline developers] to do so, and think that we must do so; or because patient wants so, and we think we should do so; or because of more incentives [unnecessary tests (especially by procedure oriented physicians) and visits], we think we should do so; or because of the fear [by the legal system, audits] we feel that we should do so [so-called ‘covering oneself’]; or because we need some time [to let nature take its course], so we do so; finally and more commonly, that we have to do something [justification] and we fail to apply common sense, so we do so.’
Parmar MS. We do things because (rapid response). BMJ. Posted 1 March 2004 at www.bmj.com.
http://www.testingtreatments.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/TT-interactive.pdf
Review of clinical trials supports homeopathy in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue
A well conducted systematic review from colleagues in the USA has scrutinised randomised-placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) of homeopathy for psychiatric conditions. Identified studies were grouped into anxiety or stress, sleep or circadian rhythm complaints, premenstrual problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mild traumatic brain injury, and functional somatic syndromes. Efficacy was found for the functional somatic syndromes group (fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome), but not for anxiety and stress. For other disorders homeopathy produced mixed effects.
Reference:
Davidson, JR, Crawford, C, Ives, JA, Jones, WB. Homeopathic treatments in psychiatry: a systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled studies. J Clin Psychiatry 2011; 72:795-805.
Source: Simile, October 2011
Disinformation about homeopathy is as old as homeopathy itself. There is nothing new here, but it is always instructive to understand the art of creating ’strawmen’. If you can’t discredit the real thing, you construct something which suits your purposes and then show its weaknesses. Poor thinking. Bad style. Detractors of homeopathy are good at that. See below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-ullman/disinformation-homeopathy_b_969627.html
Watch this preview of a new film about homeopathy around the world…