New Study Shows Homeopathy Treatment After Tuberculosis Significantly Improves Lung Capacity and Breathing

A new study has shown that homeopathy is effective in improving lung capacity, cough, breathing and general health  in patients who had previously undergone conventional treatment for tuberculosis. It was a double blind study and the results were remarkable.

The conclusion was that “Homeopathy is effective in improving lung capacity and health status. Benefits remain evident after a year. This suggests that homeopathy could make an important contribution to post treatment tuberculosis pulmonary impairment.”

Purpose
Previous studies show that treated and cured pulmonary tuberculosis patients do suffer from pulmonary impairment, lower health related quality of life, disability and long term morbidity, thus responsible for a majority of the disease burden. Despite this, no effective management is available for most of the patients. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of homeopathy on pulmonary, functional and quality of life status of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who have completed treatment.
Methods
Patients who were cured and had completed anti-tuberculosis treatment within a period of 5 years were enrolled in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Individualised homeopathy treatment was given to 61 patients and identical placebo to 57 patients. Symptomatic changes, pulmonary function tests, and health related quality of life were assessed prior to treatment, after 6 months of intervention, and followed up for a year after completing the intervention.
Results
Significant improvement was observed with the homeopathy treatment in FEV1 (p<0.001), forced vital capacity (p<0.001), and FEV1/FVC ratio (p=0.002). Symptom scores for cough and breathlessness were significantly lower with homeopathy than with placebo (p<0.001). At the end of treatment, patients on homeopathy had increased body weight (p<0.0001), and better quality of life (p<0.05) compared with placebo (p=0.003). Benefits were maintained in the homeopathy group after a year whereas symptoms (p<0.01) and impact score (p<0.001) deteriorated in placebo. Physicians visits were reduced in the homeopathy group by 58.0% (p =0.002) compared to placebo (p<0.0001).
Conclusion
Homeopathy is effective in improving lung capacity and health status. Benefits remain evident after a year. This suggests that homeopathy could make an important contribution to post treatment tuberculosis pulmonary impairment.

-Biomed Central

New Study: Homeopathy Valid and Effective in Acute Coughs

Pulmonary Pharmacology Journal has published a study on using homeopathic remedies in acute coughs. The conclusion was that the “homeopathic syrup employed in the study was able to effectively reduce cough severity and sputum viscosity, thereby representing a valid remedy for the management of acute cough induced by URTIs.”

Homeopathic medicine for acute cough in upper respiratory tract infections and acute bronchitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Zanasi A, Mazzolini M, Tursi F, Morselli-Labate AM, Paccapelo A, Lecchi M.

Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2013 May 25.

Abstract:

Cough is a frequent symptom associated to upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and, although being self-limiting, it might deeply affect the quality of life. Homeopathic products are often employed by patients to treat cough, but the evidence on their efficacy is scarce. Thus, we tested the efficacy of a homeopathic syrup in treating cough arising from URTIs with a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial. Patients were treated with either the homeopathic syrup or a placebo for a week, and recorded cough severity in a diary by means of a verbal category-descriptive score for two weeks. Sputum viscosity was assessed with a viscosimeter before and after 4 days of treatment; patients were also asked to provide a subjective evaluation of viscosity. Eighty patients were randomized to receive placebo (n = 40) or the homeopathic syrup (n = 40). All patients completed the study. In each group cough scores decreased over time, however, after 4 and 7 days of treatment, cough severity was significantly lower in the homeopathic group than in the placebo one (P < 0.001 and P = 0.023, respectively). Sputum was collected from 53 patients: in both groups its viscosity significantly decreased after 4 days of treatment (P < 0.001); however, viscosity was significantly lower in the homeopathic group (P = 0.018). Instead, the subjective evaluation did not significantly differ between the two groups (P = 0.059). No adverse events related to any treatment were reported. We concluded that the homeopathic syrup employed in the study was able to effectively reduce cough severity and sputum viscosity, thereby representing a valid remedy for the management of acute cough induced by URTIs.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23714686