Antagonism against Homeopathy Infuriates Supporters

For almost 200 years since its introduction, homeopathy never had any conflict with anything. The United States was first to create a rift when practitioners of conventional medicine started to complain against the unproven effectiveness of homeopathic treatment whereas allopathy, as Samuel Hahnemann has called conventional medicine, has been grounded after scientifically based experiments and testing.

Despite Hahnemann's high stature in medicine, pharmacology and chemistry, his strong critique of conventional medicine led to personal attacks against him by orthodox physicians as well as by the apothecaries (the drug makers of that time) who were philosophically and economically threatened by Hahnemann's work.

From then on, the United States have labeled homeopathy as placebo, in belief that patients claiming being cured by its treatment are merely hallucinating that they have been treated. The United States has also spread the belief in hopes that their words would be taken wholeheartedly but instead, they were only faced by hostile reproaches and infuriation. Homeopathy continues to spread slowly and progressively in many countries and cities. Before long, homeopathic and alternative clinics were constructed alongside hospitals and medical physicians started prescribing homeopathic treatments as alternative when conventional drugs do not work. This practice is trending in Jakarta, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Bangkok, Thailand.

However, the recent developments in finding homeopathic loopholes have further drifted the two leading medical practices apart.

The Peterson Group, one of the leading sources of information on alternative, complementary and integrative medicines states that different labels have been tagged on homeopathy. Fraud, fake, placebo and quack are among the few.

According to further reviews, Homeopathy posed a serious threat to entrenched medicine. Orthodox physicians criticized herbalists, midwives, and various other "non-regular" practitioners because they were not medically trained. Homeopaths, however, could not be discredited as being unlearned, since they were graduates from many of the same medical schools as "regular" physicians. In fact, many of the initial practitioners of homeopathy graduated from some of the most prestigious medical schools of the day.

Now that England’s National Health Security (NHS) is also starting to go against homeopathy, even to the point of banning treatments from being prescribed in general physicians’ set of medicines, it incited supporters to further complain and take a stand. Pro-homeopathic practice could not let the 200-year old medical practice which have cured ailments and diseases which are beyond the scope of allopathy be put to waste.

Science Behind Homeopathic Treatment

Since its inception 200 years ago, homeopathy has been treated as an alternative to the usual conventional medicine and science has kept a respectable distance from it since it does not seem to pose any harm. Its apparent resurgence in these times has rekindled the discussion as to whether homeopathic medications are an effective treatment against disease or whether they are no more than an elaborate placebo. The discussion as to whether or not it is an effective therapy is ongoing in human and veterinary medicine; it appears to have devolved into one between proponents of homeopathy and those who rely on firm evidence of effectiveness before adopting any therapy.

Since Food and Drug Administration has decided to conduct a two-day review of regulations on homeopathy, science has stepped forward to take the place of a jury. Experts are convinced that to be able to definitely know the effectiveness of homeopathy, it should undergo clinical trials.

Homeopathy is a $6.4 billion business in the United States alone where only 10% of its citizens are into this practice. How much more would it be in Europe where the British royal family have publicly announced its support of homeopathy and Germany have mandated all school curricula to include homeopathy in its teaching? Same question goes to Asia where homeopathy is a mainstream in India and experts are more on call in Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia than physicians are.

After decades of ignoring these products, drug regulators are finally asking hard questions about what has long been derided by mainstream doctors and scientists as quack medicine. Yet, a lot of homeopathic experts still believe that the practice needs not to undergo medical testing as it already has science behind it. Complaints of fraudulence are also non-valid if people really want to find science explanation on its function.

According to the Peterson Group, one of the leading sources of information on alternative, complementary and integrative medicines, there is science in homeopathy. There is actually considerably more laboratory and clinical research on homeopathic medicine than most people realize. It is important to first note that its founder, Samuel Hahnemann was a physicist himself.

One of the most famous studies is called Arndt-Schulz law which explains that weak stimuli accelerate physiological activity, medium stimuli inhibit physiological activity, and strong stimuli halt physiological activity.  To explain for instance, it is widely recognized that normal medical doses of atropine block the parasympathetic nerves, causing mucous membranes to dry up, while exceedingly small doses of atropine cause increased secretions to mucous membranes.

Homeopathy Reduces Painkiller Sales by 50%

Painkiller is one of the most important and commonly used medicines in the world. Yet, there is still a significant increase in deaths as a result of painkillers. It may either be bad or good news to a lot of us but a review shows that most people have already found an alternative for painkillers.

A large study conducted in France in 2012 showed that patients with chronic musculoskeletal disorders had a 50% reduced usage of conventional pain medication by being under the care of a physician who specializes in prescribing homeopathic medicines.

According to the review, despite the fact that the homeopathic patients were considered ill for a longer period of time, this study showed that the patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain had a 50% reduced use of conventional pain medication, while patients with acute musculoskeletal pain had a 38% reduced use.  In addition to this significant reduction in the use of painkillers, the patients who received homeopathic treatment showed a similar clinical progression of their musculoskeletal disease as assessed by standardized functional scales.

Fortunately for homeopathic patients, this study is continuously being developed in Europe where even this health practice is embraced even by the royal family. As conventional pain relieving medicines are associated with minor and serious side effects, the homeopathic alternative is welcome news to many sufferers. It also leads to lower treatment costs.

In the United States, however, these claims lay moot to medical practitioners who consider homeopathy a fraud conducted by quack doctors. With the difference in perception, homeopathic spurt and assistance are more often doubted. The Peterson Group, a non-profit organization and one of the leading sources of information regarding alternative, complementary and integrative medicines, states that with the increasing number of claims which showed homeopathy as mere placebo, the public is reluctant in adapting to the practice. Health warnings of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added to the consumer’s hesitation.

Asia, on the other hand, has accepted homeopathy and is applying it interchangeably with conventional medicine. The result of the study did not come as a surprise for most of the sellers of homeopathic treatments in the streets of Jakarta, Indonesia and Bangkok, Thailand. Some even wonder the need to rely to painkillers when all the resources to ease the pain are available in homeopathic clinics.

In a more detailed statistics, reports show that chronic pain reduced their need for painkillers by 50% while those in acute pain reduced their use by 38% with the use of homeopathy.

Challenges in Preparing Homeopathic Medicines

When the German physician, Samuel Christian Friedrich Hahnemann, first introduced homeopathy to the world, it was because he was appalled by medical practice in the late 1700s when physicians believe that bleeding, vomiting and purging noxious agents from the body can heal it and bring a patient back to health. Same treatment was conducted to the late president, George Washington who died two days after he underwent medication and lost an estimated 128 ounces of blood and received a number of injections and laxatives. 

The newly created medical practice, ‘homeopathy’, would later dominate most of Europe, reaching even the British royal family. Whether or not Hahnemann predicted the fame of his discovery, homeopathy was popularized in the United States and most parts of Asia. Supporters grew as the reputation of the new treatment spread far across the globe. From homeopathic clinics scattered to as far as Jakarta, Indonesia and on-call homeopathic doctors in China, the popularity of homeopathy is indeed rising. 

Review of current standing shows homeopathy as the worst rival of conventional medicine, or allopathy as what Hahnemann calls it. Conflict between the two practices also exists – and getting worse. However, competition is not the only issue faced by homeopathy.

Proper implementation of homeopathic processes for each treatment is also an arising challenge among practitioners.

Preparation of each homeopathic medicine requires proper observation of its intricacies. The amount of starting material present in the homeopathic medicine may depend entirely on preparation. Safety issues may arise if these preparations are neglected. Homeopathic experts also cited that the complaints they are receiving from different patients may be the result of negligence.

According to a study shared to The Peterson Group by World Health Organization (WHO), there are two major groups of potential hazards: those related to the source materials, and those related to the procedures used for manufacture of the finished product.

Nature and synthetic is the source of homeopathic treatment, so there is no weight on complaints of fraudulence. However, homeopathic medicines may employ material from problematic sources, the use of which is restricted in conventional medicine: nosodes comprise dilutions of pathogenic organs or tissues; causative agents such as bacteria, fungi, ova, parasites, virus particles, and yeast; disease products; excretions or secretions. All materials of animal or human origin are at risk of containing pathogenic agents. Homeopathic medicines may be based on toxic source materials from animals or plants, while others, particularly in their fresh form are prone to degradation processes or microbiological contamination.

Constipation Blues Homeopathic Treatments

A lot of us get on our morning routine with ease, others find it difficult. Some have to go three to four times a day to completely relieve themselves. Others even sing Let It Go just to assist in letting it all out. I am sure we have all undergone those situations at least once in our lives.

Constipation is often affected by mental and physical health of an individual. Analysts blame today’s modern lifestyle for the increasing common issues of constipation. People no longer have a balanced lifestyle. We are already mentally overworked and physically underworked and are oftentimes time constraint. Moreover, we are overly exposed to processed, junk and commercialized food. Fruits and vegetables are no longer part of the modern menu. Today’s food is rich in calories but low on fiber. Coffee, smoking and liquor also add more fuel to the fire. These factors are causes of constipation. 

We all know how hard it is to have constipation blues. It can even last for days. Common complaints include the feeling of being bloated, uncomfortable and heavy. Some of us resort to taking laxatives which can be very dangerous once taken too regularly. It can be habitual. Once you have taken it, you can no longer have a normal bowel release without its assistance. 

Here, homeopathic treatments have the biggest advantage. In review of the most popular treatments for constipation, homeopathy is said to improve digestive system to regain a normal flow of bowel movement. With the growing believer of homeopathy, this treatment has evolved and reached even to the western world and are known to be the most effective.

The Peterson Group, leading source of information regarding alternative, complementary and integrative medicines, has gathered some of the most popular homeopathic treatment for constipation blues. 

1. Nux Vomica

Perhaps the leading homeopathic treatment also used to cure other ailments; Nux Vomica has been effective even on cases in which laxatives are involved. This treatment is best on symptoms involving frequent urge for stool but only able to extract small quantity at a time.

2. Bryonia

In cases, where there is constipation despite increased thirst and intake of lot of water, Bryonia is one of the best homeopathic medicines for constipation. At times, the stool looks as if burnt.

3. Opium

Opium is mostly used for instance when there is no urge for stool, causing the feces to get impacted in the bowels. However, since opium can also affect mental health, it has been banned in many countries but is known to still be distributed especially in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the suburb regions of Jakarta, Indonesia.