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The Case for Homeopathy
Is any system of medicine complete?
Introduction
Homeopathy is an extremely valuable system of medicine – it is
safe, effective and cost-effective. Homeopathy has the potential to
cure people of diseases (i.e. when they stop the homeopathic treatment
they remain better). When diseases are too far-gone for cure, homeopathy
may palliate the symptoms (i.e. relieve them whilst on homeopathic treatment,
only for them to recur when the treatment stops). Palliation is valuable
in terms of overall improvements in energy, mental / emotional outlook,
general improvements in sleep and bowel function that often accompany
homeopathic treatment. In palliative situations homeopathy has the potential
to decrease pharmaceutical usage, thereby decreasing side-effects of
pharmaceuticals as well as saving pharmaceutical costs.
Homeopathy is used in a wide range of conditions by doctors trained
in its use, often alone, or together with other treatment modalities,
for instance around the time of surgery or at the same time as pharmaceuticals
are used.
As is the case with any system of medicine, including conventional western
medicine, homeopathy is not a complete system of medicine in that it
is not a stand-alone therapy in many medical situations. The following
are examples of when homeopathy may be used in conjunction with other
medical interventions.
The need for surgery:
Whilst homeopathic literature abounds with anecdotal cases where surgery
has been prevented by homeopathic treatment, there are situations when
surgery is unavoidable, for example when an organ or part of the body
has failed and needs to be replaced, as in cataract replacement in the
eyes; or when there is mechanical obstruction of intestines, bile and
pancreatic ducts, arteries, veins, airways, cerebro-spinal fluid, urinary
and reproductive organs.
Whilst abscesses may be treated homeopathically, it is often quicker,
and in the case of internal organs that are abscessed, safer to drain
them surgically. An example is the insertion of grommets: homeopathic
treatment may often prevent the need for drainage tubes to be inserted
into the hearing membrane, but sometimes this is unavoidable when significant
amounts of fluid in the middle ear must be drained - good clinical judgement
is required to guide the choice of treatment in this example
Acute problems of the abdomen need to be treated surgically, as in the
example of twisted bowel or advanced appendicitis.
Internal parts of the body may need to be examined through surgical
telescopes (endoscopy) for diagnostic purposes. Medical doctors who
are trained in homeopathy can not only choose the best treatment for
particular cases, but also what diagnostic tests are best employed in
what situations.
Homeopathy may be used as an aid to heal broken bones, but only once
they have been properly re-approximated and splinted either in a cast
or with an orthopaedic operation by a medical practitioner. Likewise
torn ligaments often need to be surgically mended or appropriately splinted
by a medical doctor, whilst homeopathic medicines may be used to facilitate
repair. It is clearly advantageous to attend a medical doctor who is
competent to perform these procedures who is also trained in the use
of homeopathy.
Homeopathy offers much in the treatment of burns, but some burns must
be surgically debrided and skin-grafted.
Whilst homeopathy helps deal with shock and fear in cases of trauma
and can assist healing processes in traumatic injuries, surgery is frequently
indicated to clean and re-join damaged or ruptured tissue, first.
Pain relief:
In the 21st century, most patients should not have to endure pain for
prolonged periods. Homeopathy is reported as being useful in relieving
pain of different areas and origin in the body, yet experience has shown
that sometimes other modalities may be necessary, for example pain-killers
or acupuncture: doctors trained in homeopathy are able to assess what
treatments are most effective for their patients.
Acute infections:
One of the reasons homeopathy was so popular in the 1800’s and
early 1900’s was that conventional medicine was relatively ineffective
in treating severe infections and that homeopathy frequently saved people
from dying from infections. Examples of this are documented in the following
epidemic infections:
• In the Typhus outbreak of 1813 in Germany, following the battle
of Leipzig, Dr. Hahnemann, the medical doctor who founded homeopathy,
published his successful treatment of 180 patients, of whom only two
died, in a medical journal of his time. A much higher percentage of
patients with typhus, who were treated conventionally, died 62.
• In the European cholera epidemic of 1831, over 50% of conventionally-treated
patients died, whereas between 2.4% and 21.1% of homeopathically-treated
patients died 62.
• 51.8% of patients treated conventionally at hospitals in the
United Kingdom during the cholera outbreak in 1854 died, whilst only
16.4% of patients treated at the London Homeopathic Hospital died 63.
• In the ‘Great White Plague’ (an influenza epidemic
in the U.S.A. in 1918-19) 50-60% of conventionally-treated patients
died, whereas medical doctors who treated their patients homeopathically
published mortality figures of 0-2.1%64.
There are many published cases of successful treatment
of bacterial infections such as Strep-throat (a swab of the throat growing
streptococcus bacteria before treatment, with negative cultures of the
throat after treatment with homeopathy). However, in the 21st century,
it may be unwise to treat life-threatening illnesses like meningitis
only with homeopathy: this and serious infections like infective endocarditis,
tuberculosis or malaria probably need to be managed medically, although
homeopathy can be used alongside the conventional medications.
There are many anecdotal accounts of how homeopathy is of great value
in cases of chronic infection, increasing the interval between recurrences
and also decreasing the duration and intensity of these infections.
Malaria prophylaxis
No pharmaceutical prophylaxis of malaria is effective all the time and
many people experience substantial side-effects when using pharmaceutical
anti-malarials. No scientific trials have been conducted to prove whether
homeopathic preparations are reliably effective in preventing malaria,
yet there are anecdotal reports supporting use of homeopathy in this
situation. It is prudent for doctors to advise use of pharmaceutical
prophylaxis for high-risk areas in high-risk (rainy) seasons.
Cancer
Proper diagnosis and staging of cancer requires tissue for microscopic
examination. This means that surgical biopsy is often required. Chemo-therapy,
surgery and / or radiation-therapy are the treatments of choice for
cancer where there is sufficient documentary evidence to justify use
of these modalities for the specific cancer in question and the stage
at which it was found to present. Homeopathy may assist with management
of these cases. When there is a rare cancer, or a difficult cancer that
is resistant to treatment using chemo-therapy/radiation-therapy or an
end-stage situation for which there is a paucity of scientific evidence
justifying use of these treatments, which are known to carry a significant
risk of toxic effects and are also very expensive, then homeopathy may
form a major part of the treatment plan. Doctors who have specialized
in homeopathy should be an important component of the medical team that
assists our patients to make decisions concerning treatment in these
situations.
Childbirth
Whilst there are many homeopathic treatments that can be of assistance
in pregnancy and child-birth, for instance caulophyllum may assist stalled
uterine contractions in labour and pulsatilla has been anecdotally reported
to assist with turning of breech babies in utero, the process of child-birth
should be conducted under medical or nursing supervision.
Vaccinations
To date, homeopathy has not been able to document any alternative to
this medical practice. Unless there is a medical contraindication to
vaccination, the South African Faculty of Homeopathy supports the use
of vaccinations as a preventative tool for the benefit of the general
population. Decisions in this regard should balance the low but real
risk of damage to the individual from the vaccine with the benefit to
the population at large.
Diagnostic tests
Homeopathy places great emphasis on obtaining as complete a description
of symptoms as possible, as a means of guiding the homeopathic practitioner
in the choice of which homeopathic medicine should be used. However
laboratory investigations and X-rays often need to be done in order
to confirm / exclude diagnoses which the history and examination of
the patient may suggest and also to guide the doctor and patient in
evaluating the patient’s prognosis. It is essential for homeopathic
practitioners to make diagnoses, because the diagnosis informs treatment
and prognosis. A medical doctor who is trained in homeopathy is well
placed to determine which investigations are most suitable in a prudent
and cost-effective manner.
Congenital disease and Developmental disorders:
Homeopathy is often of great assistance in dealing with the sequelae
of these conditions. These cases need to be investigated medically and
then managed by a multi-disciplinary team, including speech therapists,
occupational therapists and other members of the wider medical team,
including a doctor who has specialized in homeopathy.
Metabolic and Hormonal disorders
When the body is unable to manufacture sufficient hormones at physiologically
appropriate times (such as Addison’s disease, where the body is
unable to synthesise its own cortisol) replacement pharmaceutical hormones
may need to be used. Another example is when the entire thyroid gland
has been removed and thyroid hormone replacement is needed. Yet, if
there is still a part of the hormone-producing gland present, homeopathic
medicines are anecdotally reported to be effective in stimulating residual
hormone production, frequently decreasing the need for pharmaceutical
replacement.
Insulin-dependent diabetes may be assisted with homeopathy, which can
decrease the amount of insulin required for good control and help prevent
target-organ damage by the diabetes.
There are many anecdotal reports demonstrating that homeopathy can assist
in managing menopausal problems. This is welcome news, given scientific
reports that have documented how artificial oestrogen combined with
progestogerone-like pharmaceuticals increase the risk of breast cancer,
stroke, deep vein thrombosis, lung clots and heart attacks
Inborn errors of metabolism due to inherited enzyme defects may need
pharmaceutical replacement and rigorous dietary intervention, with homeopathy
playing a more supportive role.
Psychiatric problems:
Homeopathic treatment may be valuable in psychiatric problems, decreasing
reliance on mood-altering drugs. Psychological support by relevant professional
members of the health-team is also often useful in such cases.
Conclusion
Homeopathy is frequently used alone in either a curative or preventative
basis. However, there are many examples in practice when doctors might
have to employ other modalities of treatment for the benefit of our
patients, to obtain the quickest, surest cure with the least harm done
to our patients.
Surgery and pharmaceutical treatments always carry a risk for potential
harm with their use, yet there are many situations where their use is
unavoidable. The skills of other members of the health team, such as
physio-therapists, osteopaths, occupational therapists and psychologists,
may also need to be utilized to manage the varied complex problems that
doctors see in practice.
No system of medicine can claim to be complete. The ideal situation
is to train doctors in homeopathy so that they have another therapeutic
tool in their tool-box of interventions that can be used for the benefit
of their patients.
References
62. Cook T.M. Samuel Hahnemann, his life and times
Homoeopathic Studies Limited 1981 p. 104
62. Cook T.M. Samuel Hahnemann, his life and times
Homoeopathic Studies Limited 1981 p. 158
63. Winston J. Influenza-1918: homeopathy to the
rescue NEJH 1998 7:1 112-114
64. Castro M. Homeopathy for mother and baby
Macmillan 1992 p.3 |
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