Homeopathy has been practised as an effective form of integrated medicine for over 200 years and yet over the last fifteen years, there have been articles and commentaries in mainstream media relentlessly attacking homeopathy. The opinions commonly expressed are that 'homeopathy can't work, it is only a placebo' and 'there is no evidence for homeopathy'. The reporting is extremely biased as the media persistently ignores or rubbishes the response by the homeopathic profession including the GPs and Vets who practise homeopathy. The journalists and reporters involved are not health practitioners and have had no training in homeopathy! Though written many years ago, my March 2013 newsletter is still very relevant, in which I discuss at some length the media attacks on homeopathy.
It has become apparent that powerful and well funded lobby groups opposed to homeopathy (and holistic medicine generally) are strongly pressuring the media, the Government and the NHS. These lobby groups have no interest whatsoever in the evidence for homeopathy, let alone a respectful discussion. This first became obvious when a government Science and Technology Committee was formed in 2010 calling for Evidence into Homeopathy. I refer you to my March 2010 newsletter in which I discuss how this Committee behaved. Since 2010, the media situation has deteriorated to the extent that homeopathy is now being labelled 'dangerous' and homeopaths are 'anti-vaccination' (!). These claims are simply untrue and absurd. Despite many years of protest and letters, we have been unable to prevent these outrageous attacks on homeopathy.
Funding for homeopathic research is absolutely minimal compared with the billions enjoyed by pharmaceutical companies and yet there has been research and trials that have concluded a positive outcome for homeopathy. I'll discuss some of these below and also refer you to a comprehensive link.
Firstly, I'll refer to a survey that was concluded in 2005 at The Bristol Homeopathic Hospitall. The survey was organized by three GPs at the hospital and looked at the results of homeopathic treatment of 6,544 consecutive patients referred with chronic (long standing) diseases over a 6-year period. Most of these patients had already been treated by at least one consultant through the NHS. The results of the survey were: 70% of patients reported some improvement in their condition and 51% were better or much better. 3% reported deterioration in their condition. These are wonderful results for such a large trial of chronic conditions. However, in an attempt to publish their survey, the authors were stonewalled by the media and ignored by the majority of their colleagues in the medical profession. (As a consequence of the attacks on homeopathy, sadly, The Bristol Homeopathic Hospital has been closed. It exists in name only under the National Centre for Integrative Medicine).
[The reference for this research is: Homeopathic Treatment for Chronic Disease: A 6-Year, University-Hospital Outpatient Observational Study. Dr D S Spence, Dr E A Thompson and S J Barron. J. Altern. Complement. Med. 2005; 11(5): 793-398].
Homeopathy works very well in veterinary treatment. Large trials have been successfully conducted using homeopathic medicines on animals which I have discussed in my March 2013 newsletter. The success of these trials totally invalidates the idea that homeopathy is only a placebo. Information on the homeopathic treatment of animals can be found at the British Association of Homeopathic Vets.
Professor Luc Montagnier, the French scientist who won the Noble Prize in 2008 for his discovery of the AIDS virus, has declared his strong support for homeopathy in an interview published in Science magazine of December 24, 2010. This follows his own experiments and research. Montagnier, who is also founder and president of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, asserted, "..I can say now that the high dilutions (used in homeopathy) are right. High dilutions of something are not nothing. They are water structures which mimic the original molecules."
It has often been said of homeopathy that there is no evidence. Those days are over. The real problem is that so few people know about it.
If are interested in scientific research into homeopathy, I refer you to the web site of The Faculty of Homeopathy.
It has become apparent that powerful and well funded lobby groups opposed to homeopathy (and holistic medicine generally) are strongly pressuring the media, the Government and the NHS. These lobby groups have no interest whatsoever in the evidence for homeopathy, let alone a respectful discussion. This first became obvious when a government Science and Technology Committee was formed in 2010 calling for Evidence into Homeopathy. I refer you to my March 2010 newsletter in which I discuss how this Committee behaved. Since 2010, the media situation has deteriorated to the extent that homeopathy is now being labelled 'dangerous' and homeopaths are 'anti-vaccination' (!). These claims are simply untrue and absurd. Despite many years of protest and letters, we have been unable to prevent these outrageous attacks on homeopathy.
Funding for homeopathic research is absolutely minimal compared with the billions enjoyed by pharmaceutical companies and yet there has been research and trials that have concluded a positive outcome for homeopathy. I'll discuss some of these below and also refer you to a comprehensive link.
Firstly, I'll refer to a survey that was concluded in 2005 at The Bristol Homeopathic Hospitall. The survey was organized by three GPs at the hospital and looked at the results of homeopathic treatment of 6,544 consecutive patients referred with chronic (long standing) diseases over a 6-year period. Most of these patients had already been treated by at least one consultant through the NHS. The results of the survey were: 70% of patients reported some improvement in their condition and 51% were better or much better. 3% reported deterioration in their condition. These are wonderful results for such a large trial of chronic conditions. However, in an attempt to publish their survey, the authors were stonewalled by the media and ignored by the majority of their colleagues in the medical profession. (As a consequence of the attacks on homeopathy, sadly, The Bristol Homeopathic Hospital has been closed. It exists in name only under the National Centre for Integrative Medicine).
[The reference for this research is: Homeopathic Treatment for Chronic Disease: A 6-Year, University-Hospital Outpatient Observational Study. Dr D S Spence, Dr E A Thompson and S J Barron. J. Altern. Complement. Med. 2005; 11(5): 793-398].
Homeopathy works very well in veterinary treatment. Large trials have been successfully conducted using homeopathic medicines on animals which I have discussed in my March 2013 newsletter. The success of these trials totally invalidates the idea that homeopathy is only a placebo. Information on the homeopathic treatment of animals can be found at the British Association of Homeopathic Vets.
Professor Luc Montagnier, the French scientist who won the Noble Prize in 2008 for his discovery of the AIDS virus, has declared his strong support for homeopathy in an interview published in Science magazine of December 24, 2010. This follows his own experiments and research. Montagnier, who is also founder and president of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, asserted, "..I can say now that the high dilutions (used in homeopathy) are right. High dilutions of something are not nothing. They are water structures which mimic the original molecules."
It has often been said of homeopathy that there is no evidence. Those days are over. The real problem is that so few people know about it.
If are interested in scientific research into homeopathy, I refer you to the web site of The Faculty of Homeopathy.