Indian Homeopathic Doctors Double Over Two Decades to 246,000

In the last decade India’s registered homeopathic practitioners have doubled and the number of homeopathic hospitals and dispensaries has increased four fold. In 1980 there were 105,000 registered homeopaths and in 2010, 246,000 registered homeopaths.

According to the Times of India, the estimated number of people in India using homeopathy in 2010 was 120 million and by 2013 the number is likely to exceed 160 million.

Director general of Central Council for Research in homeopathy Dr R K Manchanda said, “Till now, the benefits of homeopathy were established through observational studies. Now we are validating homeopathy’s benefits through randomized controlled trials and fundamental research. Homeopathy is especially beneficial for arthritis, skin and respiratory diseases, gastric problems like irritable bowel syndrome and allergies. Homeopathy costs one fifth of an allopathic consultation in any government set up.”

Source: Times of India

 

German Research Centre for Environmental Health Says Large Percentage of German Children Use Homeopathy Remedies

A study by the German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management in Neuherberg, Germany has determined through a study that over 24 % of German children are given homeopathic remedies. The study was published in a leading international pharmaceutical journal.

Here is the abstract of the study:

Utilization and costs of conventional and alternative pharmaceuticals in children: results from the German GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohort studies.
Italia S, Batscheider A, Heinrich J, Wenig C, Bauer CP, Koletzko S, Lehmann I, Herbarth O, von Berg A, Berdel D, Hoffmann B, Schaaf B, Wolfenstetter SB.
Source
Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management, Neuherberg, Germany.
Abstract
PURPOSE:
The socioeconomic determinants for drug utilization, especially in children, have not been investigated sufficiently so far. The study’s aim was the estimation of prevalences and determinants of conventional, homeopathic and phytotherapeutic drugs and expenditures.
METHODS:
Population-based data on drug utilization of 3,642 children in two German birth cohorts (GINIplus and LISAplus, 10-year follow-up) were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. For analysis, the reported drugs (use within the last four weeks) were classified into the therapeutic categories of ‘conventional medicine’, ‘homeopathy’, ‘phytotherapy’ and ‘others’. Drug costs were estimated using pharmaceutical identification numbers.
RESULTS:
In all, 42.3% of the children reported drug use; 24.1% of the drugs were homeopathic and 11.5% were phytotherapeutic. The proportion of children who took at least one homeopathic remedy was 14.3%. Drugs prescribed by physicians were dominated by conventional medicine (76.5%), whereas in non-prescribed drugs, both homeopathy and conventional medicine accounted for 37% each. Boys (OR = 0.78) used less homeopathy than girls. Income showed only a weak influence. Education had a strong effect on the use of phytotherapy such that children of mothers with higher school education (>10 years vs. <10 years) used more phytotherapy (OR = 2.01). If out-of-pocket payments arose (n = 613), the mean was €20. On average, total drug expenditures summed up to €39 in 4 weeks for drug users if only clearly identifiable prices for drugs were considered (58% of all data).
CONCLUSIONS:
Utilization of homeopathy is common in children from the analyzed cohort. User profiles of homeopathy and phytotherapy differ from each other and should be analyzed separately. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Olympic Sprinter Usain Bolt Uses Homeopathy and Natural Therapies

Usain Bolt, Olympic sprinter and famed winner of numerous gold medals has been using homeopathy since the age of 16. He is a patient of German sports doctor Hans-Wilheim Muller-Wohifahrt who uses homeopathy at his Munich clinic.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 16,” the 100m world record holder recently said at a press conference in Munich. “It’s been a long relationship. Every time I have a problem, he always gives good advice and treatments. He’s the best at what he does. We are very close,”

Bolt was born with scoliosis, a curvature of the lower spine, which makes him more susceptible to back pain and injuries.

There are thousands of trained homeopathic physicians in Germany and Dr Müller-Wohlfahrt is a world leader in the treatment of sports injuries. “He is well-known for his holistic approach. Though conventionally trained in medicine and orthopaedics, his treatment includes manual diagnostics, as well as herbal and homeopathic remedies and acupuncture. Other  famous patients include Paula Radcliffe, Kelly Holmes, Tyson Gay, Ronaldo, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and Boris Becker. He is also the team doctor for the German national football team and FC Bayern München.”

-Source health24

New Study Shows Homeopathy Has Impact On Musculoskeletal Disorders With Fewer Side Effects

A new study  that was published in a leading pharmacology journal shows that homeopathy has an impact on muscular skeletal disorders. The study was completed at the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; LA-SER Centre for Risk Research, Montreal, Canada

The study followed 1153 patients that were broken down into 3 groups- 1. those who went to a conventional doctor, 2. those who went to an MD who practiced alternative health or complimentary alternative medicine and 3. those who went to a homeopathic medical doctor. The homeopathic patients took 50 per cent less painkillers and yet experienced much benefit and of course less adverse drug effects from the conventional medications.

The conclusion of the study was “MSD patients seen by homeopathic physicians showed a similar clinical progression when less exposed to NSAID in comparison to patients seen in CM practice, with fewer NSAID-related adverse events and no loss of therapeutic opportunity.”- PubMed

Homeopathic Remedy Reduces DNA Damage In Scientific Study

A study done at Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, India has shown that the remedy Arnica montana prepared in a 30c potency reduced the damage and oxydative stress of a bacteria that was exposed to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation.

The researchers concluded: “Arnica montana-30C helped repair the DNA damage through up-regulation of repair genes and also ameliorated the oxidative stress through the reduction of ROS generation and suitable modulation of anti-oxidative stress enzymes.”

You can view the abstract on Pubmed.gov.

“Homeopathy Can Save The National Health Service Money”

Dr Sara Eames BSc MB ChB DGM FFHom describes how homeopathy can save the National Health Service of the United Kingdom money in this intriguing video. A medical doctor general practitioner, she started her interest in homeopathy after a patient was dramatically helped with homeopathy. She also describes how homeopathy can change childrens’ lives and improve their health, well being and social interactions.

Official Swiss Government Study and Report Dramatically Affirms Homeopathy’s Positive Results, Safety and Cost Effectiveness

A new study and report by the Swiss Government has been published in an English book form.  It is the most comprehensive study of homeopathy undertaken  by a government.  As reported on Huffington Post the report is the most significant and largest study of homeopathy ever undertaken.

“The Health Technology Assessment report on effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and appropriateness of homeopathy was compiled on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health (BAG) within the framework of the ‘Program of Evaluation of Complementary Medicine (PEK)”.

After carefully monitoring homeopathic treatment in Switzerland and also taking an extensive overview of all scientific studies of homeopathy it concludes that “taking internal and external validity criteria into account, effectiveness of homeopathy can be supported by clinical evidence and professional and adequate application be regarded as safe”(PubMed).  They concluded that homeopathic treatment should continued to be reimbursed by Switzerland’s national health insurance program.

“The Swiss government’s “Health Technology Assessment” on homeopathic medicine is much more comprehensive than any previous governmental report written on this subject to date. Not only did this report carefully and comprehensively review the body of evidence from randomized double-blind and placebo controlled clinical trials testing homeopathic medicines, they also evaluated the “real world effectiveness” as well as safety and cost-effectiveness. The report also conducted a highly-comprehensive review of the wide body of preclinical research (fundamental physio-chemical research, botanical studies, animal studies, and in vitro studies with human cells).

And still further, this report evaluated systematic reviews and meta-analyses, outcome studies, and epidemiological research. This wide review carefully evaluated the studies conducted, both in terms of quality of design and execution (called “internal validity”) and how appropriate each was for the way that homeopathy is commonly practiced (called “external validity”).

After assessing pre-clinical basic research and the high quality clinical studies, the Swiss report affirmed that homeopathic high-potencies seem to induce regulatory effects (e.g., balancing or normalizing effects) and specific changes in cells or living organisms. The report also reported that 20 of the 22 systematic reviews of clinical research testing homeopathic medicines detected at least a trend in favor of homeopathy.* (Bornhöft, Wolf, von Ammon, et al, 2006)

The Swiss report noted that the Shang team [who authored the Lancet meta-analysis] did not even adhere to the QUORUM guidelines which are widely recognized standards for scientific reporting (Linde, Jonas, 2005).

Dana Ullman MPH on Huffington Post

New Research From Aerospace Institute of the University of Stuttgart Scientifically Proves Water Memory and Homeopathy

A simple experiment by researchers and professors at the prestigious Aerospace Institute of the University of Stuttgart in Germany is confirming Dr. Jacques Benveniste’s 1988 assertion that water has an imprint of energies to which it has been exposed. In spite of Jacques Benveniste’s experiment to show that homeopathy works being replicated many many times at various research labs and universities around the world, skeptics have continued to attempt to debunk it albeit unsuccessfully.

This new experiment and support from professors here offer another intriguing view and explanation of how homeopathy works since it proves water has a “memory”.

The Oasis HD Channel in Canada describes the fascinating results of this new experiment-

Swiss Government Study: Homeopathy is Most Cost Effective

The Swiss government has determined that homeopathy is the most cost effective method of the medical treatment of ‘ambulatory’ patients.

“From 1999 to 2005, 5 methods of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) applied by physicians were provisionally included into mandatory Swiss basic health insurance. Within this process, an evaluation of cost-effectiveness is required.”

Homeopathy was one of the five methods and it turns out that it is the most cost effective, more than conventional medicine or any other complimentary medicine. And patients reported better quality of the patient-physician relationship and fewer adverse side effects with all complimentary medical approaches.

The positive general conclusion of the study was: “This  study uses a health system perspective and demonstrates at least equal or better cost-effectiveness of complimentary and alternative medicine in the setting of Swiss ambulatory care. CAM can therefore be seen as a valid complement to conventional medicine within Swiss health care.”

The study “Comparison of swiss basic health insurance costs of complementary and conventional medicine” was published in PubMed.

Veterinarian With Science Background Praises The Deep and Effective Treatments Achieved With Homeopathy

Veterinary Surgeon Nick Thompson talks about how after initially rejecting alternative medicine, because his parents used that approach, he came to use homeopathy in his veterinary practice.