MYTHs of Homeopathy - A Series. Ep. 4

“Homeopathy is just a placebo effect”

It is frequently argued that homeopathic medicines are ‘just sugar pills’ that don’t contain any active ingredients, so any benefits patients report are due purely to the placebo effect i.e. people believe the pills are going to help and this belief alone triggers a healing response.

With any medical treatment there is likely to be some degree of ‘placebo effect’ and in this respect homeopathy is no different, but the theory that homeopathy’s effects are only a placebo response is not supported by the scientific evidence.

If homeopathy is really just a placebo effect, how does one explain:

1. The existence of positive high quality placebo-controlled trials? These trials are designed specifically to separate out the placebo effect from the real clinical effect of the treatment being tested.
2. Homeopathic medicines having effects in laboratory experiments? Effects have been seen on white blood cells, frogs and wheat plants to name just a few examples.
3. The fact that homeopathy works in animals? A rigorous research study found that homeopathy can prevent E. coli diarrhoea in piglets¹ – a big problem in commercial farmingMore

References

Find out more about similar statements:

“A top research organisation in Australia just found homeopathy doesn’t work for anything and is just placebo”

“The UK Parliamentary report has looked at the evidence and said it’s just placebo”

Whooping Cough on the Rise Again

Creates opportunity for homeopathy

by Larry Malerba, DO, DHt

All indications are that whooping cough (pertussis) is on the rise in the U.S. this year. More than 32,000 cases had been reported by late October 2012 along with 16 deaths, almost double last year’s 18,719 total cases with 13 deaths. Some say this year is on track to be the worst for whooping cough since the 1950s.

It is incumbent upon the medical profession to become educated about the use of homeopathy in cases of acute whooping cough—precisely because there is no truly viable alternative.

Early blame for the increasing incidence of this highly contagious illness had been directed toward the small population of unvaccinated children, but recent data shows that the large majority of cases are those who have already been vaccinated according to CDC guidelines. Correspondingly, medical authorities have recently begun suggesting that additional pertussis booster shots beyond what are already required may be necessary because the vaccine may lose its effectiveness over time. Public health authorities are now urging pregnant women, adults, and teens to get vaccinated.

A questionable strategy

In my medical opinion, this overemphasis on a preventative vaccination strategy is largely due to conventional medicine’s inability to treat whooping cough once it’s diagnosed. Physicians understand that although the Bordatella pertussis bacteria causes whooping cough, antibiotics are likely to have minimal if any effect on the course of the illness once the cough has set in, and the same applies to cough suppressants. If prescribed at the onset of the illness, antibiotics are believed to reduce the duration of symptoms—but the odds of diagnosing whooping cough at this very early stage before symptoms become distinctive are highly unlikely.

Since treatment is so demonstrably inadequate, prevention is promoted as the only game in town. True, administering antibiotics after the cough appears, while doing little for the patient, may reduce the ability to transmit the illness to others. But requiring additional pertussis vaccine boosters fails to take into account the ­documented dangers associated with the vaccine.* Given the vaccine’s potential side effects and failure to confer sustained immunity in spite of multiple booster shots, it strikes me as counterintuitive to double down on a strategy that is clearly falling short of the goal.

Homeopathy works but …

Homeopathy has a long-standing clinical track record for reducing the duration and severity of symptoms of whooping cough. Although it is a viable option for pertussis, mainstream medicine’s general unwillingness to consider any therapy that is not manufactured by the conventional pharmaceutical industry tends to blind it to potentially new and/or unexplored treatments. And in the case of homeopathy, a long-standing, undeniable bias assumes that it cannot possibly work because it defies conventional medical beliefs about the nature of illness and how illness can be treated.

Over the years, I have successfully treated people with whooping cough and a variety of other intractable coughs that were not responding to repeated courses of antibiotics. Thousands of homeopathic practitioners across the globe can testify to similar results. Unfortunately, the firsthand clinical experiences of unconventional medical practitioners tend to be dismissed by a medical system that has come to rely heavily on research studies that are often funded and influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. To dismiss a treatment for an illness that has no other effective therapy—primarily because of a lack of research studies published in conventional medical journals that “prove” its effectiveness—demonstrates an anti-scientific attitude that, in actuality, amounts to inflexible and uninformed prejudice.

Caught in a Catch-22, while patients suffer

A convenient Catch-22 has been created by a medical system that refuses to consider the homeopathic option while simultaneously and erroneously claiming that there are no research studies to back up homeopathy’s use. Although no specific studies examine homeopathy and pertussis, numerous research studies point to the fact that homeopathy involves significantly more than the placebo effect that naysayers claim it to be. The real bottom line is that this closed-minded attitude, which refuses to entertain promising alternative medical options, does a tremendous disservice to suffering patients in need of care.

Symptoms & solutions

Whooping cough is a particularly violent, prolonged, and debilitating affliction that is especially hard on infants and small children because of their narrow air passages that can get quickly blocked with mucus. After an initial phase that looks a lot like the common cold or a mild flu, a characteristically relentless cough usually develops. The classic whooping sound results from the person’s gasping for breath at the end of a rapid succession of coughs. Making sure the whooping cough sufferer avoids contact with others is important because the illness is highly contagious. If there is any silver lining to the recent rise in whooping cough, it is that it seems to be affecting adolescents more than any other group, and they are generally capable of weathering the illness a little more successfully.

There are usually subtle differences among the symptom patterns of people suffering from whooping cough. Homeopathic treatment is predicated on choosing the one medicine that most closely matches the symptom profile of the afflicted individual. A close match can bring significant relief and shorten the duration of the cough, which, if untreated, can persist for weeks and, sometimes, months.

Although homeopathic medicines are available over the counter, self-treatment for whooping cough is not advisable. Resolving a case of whooping cough may require several homeopathic medicines over time, and it takes knowledge and experience to guide this process effectively. Given the seriousness of the condition, it is best to consult a homeopathic professional, along with other healthcare professionals, as needed. (Some may opt for concurrent antibiotic treatment in an effort to make the patient less contagious.)

Below are brief synopses of the symptom patterns of some commonly indicated homeopathic medicines for whooping cough. These medicines represent just a few of the options available to a homeopathic prescriber. While most cases of whooping cough are characterized by spasmodic, relentless, exhausting coughing attacks, the following descriptions are meant to illustrate how the illness can differ in subtle ways in different people.

Drosera rotundifolia. This homeopathic medicine is indicated when the cough is worse immediately upon lying down to bed at night and/or when the cough flares up after midnight. There is tickling and dryness in the throat, which causes spasmodic coughing. Attempts to bring up phlegm end in retching and vomiting. The violence of the cough may produce nosebleeds. Frequent coughing attacks prevent the person from catching his or her breath.

Belladonna. This medicine is usually indicated in the early stages of the illness or when fever is present, especially if the fever begins around 3 p.m. The person may feel pressure in the head, and the face is hot and red while the hands and feet are cool. The head feels as if it will burst from coughing. A dry, tickling, spasmodic cough emanates from the larynx.

Coccus cacti. The defining characteristic that indicates the need for this medicine is the production of large amounts of clear, thick, ropey mucus. Paroxysms of choking cough result in vomiting of long strings of mucus that may hang from the mouth and nose. Drinking cold water may bring temporary relief from tickling in the larynx and the coughing spells. The spells may become worse early in the morning and/or around 11–11:30 p.m..

Ipecacuanha. The person who needs this remedy often experiences persistent nausea that is not relieved by vomiting that follows a coughing spell. Due to the nausea, the person is often lacking in thirst and will not want to drink fluids. Their chest may feel constricted and they may have a nosebleed with the cough. Children may stiffen and become rigid with the cough.

Bryonia alba. This is a very commonly indicated cough remedy in general. Its main indication is the presence of symptoms that are worse from motion. The person is compelled to breathe quietly and remain as motionless as possible so as not to aggravate the cough. In addition, the cough is painful due to the motion of the ribcage. Similarly, a headache may become more painful when the person rises to move and walk around.

Antimonium tartaricum. The clue that leads to the prescription of this medicine is the sound of the loud, rattling, mucus-filled chest while coughing. In spite of this, the person struggles unsuccessfully to bring the mucus up from the chest, thus producing little expectoration. One gets the impression that the person will drown in his or her own fluids. The person is usually cross, irritable, and weak from efforts to raise the phlegm.

Cuprum metallicum. This medicine is indicated when we see cramps, muscular spasms, clenched fists, and/or convulsions associated with the whooping cough. Violent paroxysms of severe cough lead to near suffocation, with the lips and face turning blue. As is true with people who need Coccus cacti, cold drinks of water may bring temporary relief from the coughing attacks. Coughing spasms may wake the person around 3 a.m.

Kali carbonicum. For people who benefit from this remedy, the worst phase of the cough comes between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. The person must sit up and lean forward during the attack and prefers to sleep propped-up with pillows. Think of this medicine when the cough leads to left-sided pneumonia.

*A broad range of adverse effects from the pertussis vaccine has been documented, including high fever, collapse, seizures, encephalitis (brain inflammation), pneumonia, mental regression, and death. Adverse reactions to the current acellular pertussis vaccines (DTaP) are said to be milder than reactions to earlier forms of the whole-cell vaccine (DPT), but they still occur.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Larry Malerba, DO, DHt, is the author of Green Medicine: Challenging the Assumptions of Conventional Health Care. Dr. Malerba is a featured author at Natural News and a regular contributor to ­Huffington Post. He is board certified in Homeotherapeutics and Clinical Assistant Professor at New York Medical College. He is past president of the Homeopathic Medical Society of the State of New York. Dr. Malerba has a private practice in Upstate New York. Visit www.docmalerba.com

Modulation of Signal Proteins: A Plausible Mechanism to Explain How a Potentized Drug Secale Cor 30C Diluted beyond Avogadro's Limit Combats Skin Papilloma in Mice

Hindawi Publishing Corporation | Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine | Volume 2011, Article ID 286320, 12 pagesModulation of Signal Proteins: A PlausibleMechanism to Explain How a Potentized Drug Secale Cor 30C Diluted beyond Avogadro's Limit Combats Skin Papilloma in MiceAnisur Rahman Khuda-Bukhsh,1 Soumya Sundar Bhattacharyya,1 Saili Paul,1 Suman Dutta,1 Naoual Boujedaini,2 and Philippe Belon2

1.Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, West Bengal, India 2.Boiron Laboratory, Lyon, France

Copyright © 2011 Anisur Rahman Khuda-Bukhsh et al. This is an open access article.

In homeopathy, ability of ultra-high diluted drugs at or above potency 12C (diluted beyond Avogadro's limit) in ameliorating/curing various diseases is often questioned, particularly because the mechanism of action is not precisely known. We tested the hypothesis if suitable modulations of signal proteins could be one of the possible pathways of action of a highly diluted homeopathic drug, Secale cornutum 30C (diluted 1060 times; Sec cor 30). It could successfully combat DMBA + croton oilinduced skin papilloma in mice as evidenced by histological, cytogenetical, immunofluorescence, ELISA and immunoblot findings. Critical analysis of several signal proteins like AhR, PCNA, Akt, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, NF-κB and IL-6 and of pro-apoptotic proteins like cytochrome c, Bax, Bad, Apaf, caspase-3 and -9 revealed that Sec cor 30 suitably modulated their expression levels along with amelioration of skin papilloma. FACS data also suggested an increase of cell population at S and G2 phases and decrease in sub- G1 and G1 phages in carcinogen-treated drug-unfed mice, but these were found to be near normal in the Sec cor 30-fed mice. There was reduction in genotoxic and DNA damages in bone marrow cells of Sec Cor 30-fed mice, as revealed from cytogenetic and Comet assays. Changes in histological features of skin papilloma were noted. Immunofluorescence studies of AhR and PCNA also suggested reduced expression of these proteins in Sec cor 30-fed mice, thereby showing its anti-cancer potentials against skin papilloma. Furthermore, this study also supports the hypothesis that potentized homeopathic drugs act at gene regulatory level.

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“The information contained in this message is for educational purposes and constitutes a response to a private request for information only and does not constitute a solicitation for services and makes no claim or promise that any product or service that may cure any condition or ailment,”

n late 2011, the Swiss government's report on homeopathic medicine represents the most comprehensive evaluation of homeopathic medicine ever written by a government

The Swiss government has a long and widely-respected history of neutrality, and therefore, reports from this government on controversial subjects need to be taken more seriously than other reports from countries that are more strongly influenced by present economic and political constituencies. When one considers that two of the top five largest drug companies in the world have their headquarters in Switzerland, one might assume that this country would have a heavy interest in and bias toward conventional medicine, but such assumptions would be wrong.  In late 2011, the Swiss government's report on homeopathic medicine represents the most comprehensive evaluation of homeopathic medicine ever written by a government and was just published in book form in English (Bornhoft and Matthiessen, 2011). This breakthrough report affirmed that homeopathic treatment is both effective and cost-effective and that homeopathic treatment should be reimbursed by Switzerland's national health insurance program. 

The Swiss government's inquiry into homeopathy and complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments resulted from the high demand and widespread use of alternatives to conventional medicine in Switzerland, not only from consumers but from physicians as well. Approximately half of the Swiss population have used CAM treatments and value them. Further, about half of Swiss physicians consider CAM treatments to be effective. Perhaps most significantly, 85 percent of the Swiss population wants CAM therapies to be a part of their country's health insurance program. 

It is therefore not surprising that more than 50 percent of the Swiss population surveyed prefer a hospital that provides CAM treatments rather to one that is limited to conventional medical care. 

Beginning in 1998, the government of Switzerland decided to broaden its national health insurance to include certain complementary and alternative medicines, including homeopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, anthroposophic medicine, and neural therapy. This reimbursement was provisional while the Swiss government commissioned an extensive study on these treatments to determine if they were effective and cost-effective. The provisional reimbursement for these alternative treatments ended in 2005, but as a result of this new study, the Swiss government's health insurance program once again began to reimburse for homeopathy and select alternative treatments. In fact, as a result of a national referendum in which more than two-thirds of voters supported the inclusion of homeopathic and select alternative medicines in Switzerland's national health care insurance program, the field of complementary and alternative medicine has become a part of this government's constitution (Dacey, 2009; Rist, Schwabl, 2009). 

The Swiss Government's "Health Technology Assessment" 

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"). The subject of external validity is of special importance because some scientists and physicians conduct research on homeopathy with little or no understanding of this type of medicine (some studies tested a homeopathic medicine that is rarely used for the condition tested, while others utilized medicines not commonly indicated for specific patients). When such studies inevitably showed that the homeopathic medicine did not "work," the real and accurate assessment must be that the studies were set up to disprove homeopathy... or simply, the study was an exploratory trial that sought to evaluate the results of a new treatment (exploratory trials of this nature are not meant to prove or disprove the system of homeopathy but only to evaluate that specific treatment for a person with a specific condition). 

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 found a particularly strong body of evidence to support the homeopathic treatment of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections and Respiratory Allergies. The report cited 29 studies in "Upper Respiratory Tract Infections/AllergicReactions," of which 24 studies found a positive result in favor of homeopathy. Further, six out of seven controlled studies that compared homeopathic treatment with conventional medical treatment showed that homeopathy to be more effective than conventional medical interventions (the one other trial found homeopathic treatment to be equivalent to conventional medical treatment). All of these results from homeopathic treatment came without the side effects common to conventional drug treatment. In evaluating only the randomized placebo controlled trials, 12 out of 16 studies showed a positive result in favor of homeopathy. 

The authors of the Swiss government's report acknowledge that a part of the overall review of research included one review of clinical research in homeopathy (Shang, et al, 2005). However, the authors noted that this review of research has been widely and harshly criticized by both advocates and non-advocates of homeopathy. The Swiss report noted that the Shang team did not even adhere to the QUORUM guidelines which are widely recognized standards for scientific reporting (Linde, Jonas, 2005). The Shang team initially evaluated 110 homeopathic clinical trials and then sought to compare them with a matching 110 conventional medical trials. Shang and his team determined that there were 22 "high quality" homeopathic studies but only nine "high quality" conventional medical studies. Rather than compare these high quality trials (which would have shown a positive result for homeopathy), the Shang team created criteria to ignore a majority of high quality homeopathic studies, thereby trumping up support for their original hypothesis and bias that homeopathic medicines may not be effective (Lüdtke, Rutten, 2008). 

The Swiss report also notes that David Sackett, M.D., the Canadian physician who is widely considered to be one of the leading pioneers in "evidence based medicine," has expressed serious concern about those researchers and physicians who consider randomized and double-blind trials as the only means to determine whether a treatment is effective or not. To make this assertion, one would have to acknowledge that virtually all surgical procedures were "unscientific" or "unproven" because so few have undergone randomized double-blind trials. 

In my view, for a treatment to be determined to be "effective" or "scientifically proven," a much more comprehensive assessment of what works and doesn't is required. Ultimately, the Swiss government's report on homeopathy represents an evaluation of homeopathy that included an assessment of randomized double blind trials as well as other bodies of evidence, all of which together lead the report to determine that homeopathic medicines are indeed effective. 

The next article will discuss further evidence provided in this report from the Swiss government on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of homeopathic care. 

--- REFERENCES: 

Bornhoft, Gudrun, and Matthiessen, Peter F. Homeopathy in Healthcare: Effectiveness, Appropriateness, Safety, Costs. Goslar, Germany: Springer, 2011. http://rd.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-642-20638-2/page/1(This book is presently available from the German office of the publisher, and it will become available via the American office as well as select booksellers in mid- to late-February, 2012.)(NOTE: When specific facts in the above article are provided but not referenced, this means that these facts were derived from this book.) 

Bornhöft G, Wolf U, von Ammon K, Righetti M, Maxion-Bergemann S, Baumgartner S, Thurneysen AE, Matthiessen PF. Effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of homeopathy in general practice - summarized health technology assessment. Forschende Komplementärmedizin (2006);13 Suppl 2:19-29. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16883077 

Dacey, Jessica. Therapy supporters roll up sleeves after vote. SwissInfo.ch, May 19, 2009. http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/Therapy_supporters_roll_up_sleeves_after_vote.html?cid=670064 

Linde K, Jonas W. Are the clinical effects of homeopathy placebo effects? Lancet 36:2081-2082. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67878-6. http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673605678786.pdf 

Lüdtke R, Rutten ALB. The conclusions on the effectiveness of homeopathy highly depend on the set of analysed trials. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. October 2008. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.06/015. http://www.jclinepi.com/article/S0895-4356(08)00190-X/abstract 

Rist L, Schwabl H: Komplementärmedizin im politischen Prozess. Schweizer Bevölkerungstimmt über Verfassungsartikel «Zukunft mit Komplementärmedizin» ab. Forsch Komplementmed 2009, doi 10.1159/000203073. (Translation: Complementary medicine in the political process: The Swiss population votes on the Constitutional Article "The future with complementary medicine" http://www.ayurveda-association.eu/files/swiss_referendum_on_cam_-_forschkomplementmed_2009.pdf 

*Although this Swiss government report was just published in book form in 2011, the report was finalized in 2006. In light of this date, the authors evaluated systematic reviews and meta-analyses on homeopathic research up until June 2003. 

By, Dana Ullman, MPH, is America's leading spokesperson for homeopathy and is the founder of www.homeopathic.com. He is the author of 10 books, including his bestseller, Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines. His most recent book is, The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy (the Foreword to this book was written by Dr. Peter Fisher, the Physician to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II). Dana lives, practices, and writes from Berkeley, California. 

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Autism Is A Research Growth Area: No Profit in Finding the Cause

Autism Is A Research Growth Area: No Profit in Finding the CauseFebruary 19, 2012 by admin in Autism, Featured, Science http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2012-02-19/autism-is-a-research-growth-area-no-profit-in-finding-the-cause/ 

The Mind of the Autism Researcher 

Attempts to prove that autism is genetic, physical, or chemical in nature continue unabated. It’s proven to be a most lucrative specialty for researchers. However, the studies that promote the genetics-not-vaccine concept tend to show only the effects of autism. They demonstrate nothing to indicate the actual cause, though they often imply, or even outright state, otherwise. 

That alone should tell us what’s become of most autism research: it’s a growth area. Autism research has become very much the same as Big Pharma-based medicine. In fact, much of it is funded by pharmaceutical corporations. 

To find a disease cause and solution to prevent disease isn’t profitable. However, to find even the most minuscule physical, genetic, or chemical change in someone with an existing disease means that even more money can be squeezed out of the research funders like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), agencies funded by taxpayers. Anything that leads away from causes and focuses on the physiochemical effects of autism always leads to more questions and more research funds. 

Gaia Health recently documented an autism study demonstrating that it shows the opposite of what is claimed. The authors attempt to demonstrate that physical changes in the brains of autistics shows that vaccines could not be the cause. In reality, the study shows a close parallel between those changes and autism’s development. That fact, though, could not be mentioned. It would likely have resulted in the researchers’ funding sources drying up. Study: White Matter Changes in Autism 

A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry(1) says that children defined as high risk for developing autism become autistic because of changes in the brain’s white matter, and that autism can be predicted in advance based on MRIs showing such changes. This is all fine and dandy—but it says precisely nothing about what causes these changes. 

This study has a continuing medical education couse associated with it on MedPage Today. Passing the related test of two simple questions provides the reader, who is presumed to be a doctor, with .25 CME units. The doctor can easily collect these training credits within a few minutes, never leaving the comfort of home or office, or more significantly, without even having to bother reading the study itself. No thought process is required to determine whether the study holds any validity. The single-page course simply summarizes and regurgitates the study’s claims with no attempt to analyze whether it’s meaningful. 

The result of this is sure to be yet more MRI tests on infants, which will, of course, further increase the cost of medicine and will likely produce no benefit to children—unless yet another toxic drug is considered helpful. Study: Genetic Changes in Autism 

Another study, published in PLoS Genetics(2), states that functional mutations in the SHANK2 gene, resulting in changes in synapses, are associated with some, but not all, autism. A functional mutation is not a birth defect. It is caused by something. 

However, the study researchers weren’t interested in what causes the SHANK2 gene to be damaged. They were quite satisfied with the idea that the damage was just spontaneous. One would have thought that the researchers would at least be curious about what causes these changes—but apparently curiosity that doesn’t bring in big financial payments has been bred out of researchers. 

Their interest was only in the idea where the finding indicates that several genes acting in combination must be associated with autism. Author Bergeron states: 

There are so many combinations that might be important. We still have a lot of work to do at the genetic level. 

Wow! Those researchers may have found a mother lode of research grants for all the follow-up research that they can now claim should be done. Just imagine the money that’s going to be made by Big Pharma in vaccines or drugs to treat the broken SHANK2 genes. Obviously, finding the cause of those broken genes would interfere with the profits to be made in attempts to fix them. Study: Brain Activity Changes in Face Recognition 

A study published in Nature Neuroscience(3) claims that functional MRIs can examine the fusiform gyrus, a part of the brain believed to focus on face identification, and that it will be able to study people—specifically, autistics—who are too unresponsive to cooperate in such studies. Author J.D. Gabrieli told the Simons Foundation: 

Functional brain studies have been limited to the most high-functioning individuals, because we had to use active tasks that required following instructions. This method may open ways to look at the many autism patients who cannot follow task instructions. 

Thus, this study has been performed to pave the way for yet more studies of autistic people. Whether it might actually benefit them is … well, that doesn’t seem to be the issue. The Third Rail of Medical Research 

There exists just one thing that autism researchers won’t touch: the cause. It’s the third rail of medical research. Autism has developed into a huge money-maker for modern medicine and its supporting agencies. Big Pharma is now selling drugs to send autistic kids to oblivion and further damage their brains. Doctors have a huge group of children whose parents are conditioned to take them back over and over again for tests and treatments, none of which help. Agencies and charities have organized to promote awareness of the condition and, in most cases, to promote the well-being of the top-line managers’ pay. Researchers and medical journals all help feed into this newly profitable condition. None of them actually help. For that, you must leave the modern medical system and find alternatives. 

If the cause of autism were officially found. The focus would be on prevention. But then, none of this enormous pool of money could be tapped by any of these groups. Their bottom line is benefited by putting on blinders to the most likely cause, vaccines. To that end, they’ve established a PR campaign to convince the public—not to mention their own members—that vaccines aren’t the cause of autism and that autism isn’t truly a new disorder, but one that was previously unrecognized. Of course, as most parents of autistic children can state without reservation, there is no possibility that what’s happened to their children could ever have gone unnoticed. 

So, they’ve developed a most magnificent arrangement of patting each others’ backs: 

The doctors get to take absurdly simple CME courses that tell of phony breakthroughs, thus getting that nuisance requirement of continuing education out of the way without stress. Medical websites that take most of their money from Big Pharma can pump out these nonsensical courses, pulling doctors to their sites for the easy ride. Doctors get more and more patients. Medical suppliers get to sell more and more equipment for tests. Big Pharma gets to develop new drugs and find ways to push old ones on autism sufferers. To support it all and give the seal of so-called “evidence based medicine” to these practices, medical researchers produce study after study, all of them focused on anything but finding the cause of autism. 

It’s a cozy arrangement for everyone but the autistic children, their families, and society as a whole. Finding the cause would shut down the researchers’ gushing funding tap, and preventing autism would cut into all arenas of this exploding area of the medical industry. 

Sources: 

(1)Differences in White Matter Fiber Tract Development Present from 6 to 24 Months in Infants with Autism, doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.11091447. (2)Genetic and Functional Analyses of SHANK2 Mutations Suggest a Multiple Hit Model of Autism Spectrum Disorders (3)Anatomical connectivity patterns predict face selectivity in the fusiform gyrus, doi: 10.1038/nn.3001 

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[Fwd: [HOMEOPATHY] Who is more neutral than the Swiss...]

Dana Ullman posted in HOMEOPATHY. Dana Ullman 6:40am Feb 15 Who is more neutral than the Swiss government...and this is the most positive report on homeopathy ever published by a government! This is great news...spread the good news! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-ullman/homeopathic-medicine-_b_1258607.html?ref=health-and-fitness&ir=Health+and+Fitness The Swiss Government's Remarkable Report on Homeopathic Medicine www.huffingtonpost.com The Swiss government's report on homeopathic medicine represents the most comprehensive evaluation o... View Post on Facebook · Edit Email Settings · Reply to this email to add a comment.

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What is common in Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Depression and Osteoporosis?

What is common in Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Depression and Osteoporosis? These are diseases more prevalent in females; other than the diseases of female reproductive system which make up a large section (that’s the reason we have a different subject of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) there are some diseases which are predominantly found in females.

The statistics of diseases in females is overwhelming -

• Autoimmune diseases affect approximately 8% of the population, 78% of whom are women. Female/Male Ratios in some Autoimmune Diseases are:

  DISEASE	RATIO
  Hashimoto's disease	50:1
  Systemic lupus erythematosus	9:1
  Chronic active hepatitis	8:1
  Graves' disease	7:1
  Type I diabetes	2:1
  Rheumatoid arthritis	4:1
  Scleroderma	3:1
  Myasthenia gravis	2:1
  Multiple sclerosis	2:1

  (From the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Michigan National Bank Building, 15475 Granot Ave, Detroit, MI 48205, (313) 371-8600.)

• A survey conducted by a study released by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that 68% of working women surveyed within the age group of 21 to 52 years were suffering from lifestyle diseases.
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of women across the world - it kills more of them each year than all cancers, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.
• Unipolar depression, predicted to be the second leading cause of global disability burden by 2020, is twice as common in women.

These diseases are predominantly found in females; some have a link to female gene pattern, others to hormonal changes and some to female body structure while some are linked to the female psyche and lifestyle.

Now in all of the above factors, it is only the psyche and lifestyle which requires more attention as body structure and gene pattern cannot be changed while lifestyle and psyche can be.

Lifestyle diseases characterize those diseases whose occurrence is primarily based on the daily habits of people and are a result of an inappropriate relationship of people with their environment. The main factors contributing to lifestyle diseases include bad food habits, physical inactivity, wrong body posture, and disturbed biological clock. According to a survey conducted by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ASSOC-HAM), 68% of working women in the age bracket of 21-52 years were found to be afflicted with lifestyle ailments such as obesity, depression, chronic backache, diabetes and hypertension.

Women play multiple roles- specially working women who have to balance between work and home resulting in negligence of their own health. Tight deadlines, work pressures, social networking, travel, etc. are just some of the common reasons of an increase in lifestyle ailments like obesity, depression, diabetes, blood pressure, etc. Today women tend to give more importance to their careers rather than their own health. Work pressures lead them to eat more of junk food which leads to obesity and other health related issues. Lack of time forces them to get less amount and poor quality of sleep. A busy lifestyle results in lack of exercise and poor nutrition resulting in iron and calcium deficiency. Irritation and mental depression become a part of their lives which in turn badly affects the hormones that play a vital role in a woman’s body. Hormonal disturbances are increased with stress and then result in ovulation and polycystic ovarian diseases. The study 'Preventive Healthcare and Corporate Female Workforce' also said that long hours and working under strict deadlines cause up to 75% of working women to suffer from depression or general anxiety disorder, compared to women with lesser levels of psychological demand at work. The study cited scientific evidence that healthy diet and adequate physical activity - at least 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five days a week - helped prevent NCDs.

Gender differences exist in patterns of help seeking for psychological disorder. Women are more likely to seek help from and disclose mental health problems to their primary health care physician while men are more likely to seek specialist mental health care and are the principal users of inpatient care.

There is a need to focus our attention on preventive health care. Lack of exercise, poor nutrition, exposure to sunlight and pollutants are the main causes of obesity, malnutrition, hypertension and skin diseases. Excessive intake of alcohol, drug abuse, drug addiction, and internet addiction are also associated with the lifestyle diseases. Over indulgence or interest in internet may lead to internet addiction disorder (IAD), the most modern lifestyle disease. Ignorance about health care may have multiple implications on our health, behavior and attitude. Casual medication and poor compliance of medical advice add to the gravity of lifestyle diseases. Working couples in general and employed women in particular need to be health conscious to be healthy and more productive. They must have a time table with sufficient time for exercise, entertainment and grooming their health and beauty.

Brisk walking for 15 minutes daily may show promising results in obese, diabetics and hypertensive people as it improves blood circulation, removes lactic acid and uric acid, frees-up tight joints, relaxes the muscles, tones-up the body and removes blockages from the blood vessels. Brisk walking is also beneficial for maintaining good health and preventing lifestyle diseases. Some tips found to be beneficial for overcoming majority of lifestyle diseases are:

1. Make a time table for daily activities with sufficient time for exercise and entertainment.
2. Do brisk walking daily for 15 minutes or 10,000 steps or 2-3 kilometers.
3. Practice meditation or Yoga for at least 30 minutes. A
4. Avoid fried food stuffs and junk food. Avoid foods with preservatives and coloring agents
5. Increase intake of fruits, salad, healthy and nutritious diet.
6. Never skip a meal for efficiency and productivity.
7. Have a good night sleep; also try to rest whenever your body demands it.
8. Use proper seat and sit in a right posture at home and at workplace to avoid postural disorders like cervical sprain and backache.
9. Periodic medical checkup.
10. Follow medical advice if you have some health problem in addition to life style disorder.

ABC News Doc Recommends Homeopathy for Stomach Viruses

ABC News Doc Recommends Homeopathy for Stomach Viruses  January 26, 2012 by Peter Filed under Blog, Flu, Homeopathy In The News, Parents Guide to Children's Health 

ABC News doc - Dr. Albert Levy M.D. just did a story for ABC on stomach viruses.  Eli Manning of the New York Giants recently had a bad stomach virus - so ABC wanted to share treatment options with their viewers.  In the piece, viewable at the link below, Dr. Albert Levy M.D. recommends homeopathic remedies for these viruses.  Good piece.  Check it out! 

And if you want to learn how to treat stomach bugs and other acute conditions like earaches, sore throats, coughs, flu and more - consider becoming a member of the National Center for Homeopathy. 

(http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/member-benefits/)

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Homeopathy as an alternative to antibiotics in diarrhoea in piglets

Homeopathy as an alternative to antibiotics in diarrhoea in pigletsA research study conducted at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands suggests that homeopathy may be an alternative to antibiotics in neonatal diarrhea of piglets.The overuse of antibiotics in poultry, beef cattle and swine production poses a serious threat to human health, animal health and the environment. Sustainable alternatives to antibiotics are desperately needed.

In the organic livestock sector antibiotics are preferably replaced by complementary or alternative medicines (CAM), of which homeopathy is the most frequently applied. Homeopathic treatment has significant benefits since there are no residues of homeopathic medicines in animal products, nor does homeopathy generate resistant microorganisms.

The Biological Farming Systems Group at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands recently conducted a research study to investigate if homeopathy might be an alternative to antibiotics in one of the most common illnesses in swine which is neonatal diarrhoea of piglets. This disease leads to weight loss and increased piglet mortality, which has substantial economic consequences. Conventional treatments of Escherichia coli (E. coli) diarrhoea is administration of antibiotics to affected piglets, or preventive vaccination of the sows.

To investigate if E. coli diarrhoea in neonatal piglets could be prevented by homeopathy, the researchers set up a randomised, observer blind and placebo-controlled trial. On a commercial pig farm 52 sows of different parities, in their last month of gestation, were treated twice a week with either the homeopathic agent Coli 30K or placebo. The 525 piglets born from these sows were scored for occurrence and duration of diarrhoea.

Piglets of the homeopathic treated group had significantly less E. coli diarrhoea than piglets in the placebo group (P < .0001). Especially piglets from first parity sows gave a good response to treatment with Coli 30K. The diarrhoea seemed to be less severe in the homeopathically treated litters, there was less transmission and duration appeared shorter.

Advantages at farm level are application of the treatment by the farmer and cost reduction. These advantages and the positive results from this study make the homeopathic agent Coli 30K an attractive potential alternative in the prevention of E. coli diarrhoea. This study also suggests that homeopathic treatment in livestock may help the European citizen be protected from pharmacological residues in animal products and thus reduce the problem of antibiotic resistance.

Reference Camerlink I, Ellinger L, Bakker EJ, Lantinga EA (2010). Homeopathy as replacement to antibiotics in the case of Escherichia coli diarrhoea in neonatal piglets. Homeopathy, 99; 57–62.

PubMed abstract can be found here, full article here: http://www.homeopathyeurope.org/media/news/homeopathy-as-an-alternative-to-antibiotics-in-diarrhoea-in-piglets

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Homeopathy Halts Cuban Epidemic Better Than Vaccines

Homeopathy Halts Cuban Epidemic Better Than Vaccines  Swamp fever, also known as leptospirosis, is a major problem in Cuba.  Each year, an epidemic of swamp fever plagues the island nation during the flood season when the illness is transferred from rats to people. 

The very serious symptoms of swamp fever include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, meningitis, liver failure, renal damage, respiratory illness and in many cases, death. 

Fortunately for Cuba, Big Pharma is not much interested in monopoly control of its healthcare system which leaves the door open for alternative and nontoxic approaches to health to bloom. 

In this environment very open to homeopathy, the Finlay Institute, a Cuban research foundation, worked with Cuban doctors to develop a homeopathic nosode for swamp fever. 

The remedy was based on the homeopathic principle that “like cures like” and was developed and administered on a wide scale as a preventative treatment.  In 2008, 2.5 million people who were most susceptible to the disease were treated with 2 doses of the remedy seven to nine days apart.   The Cuban Ministry of Public Health implemented and managed the operation. 

The results of this effort were nothing short of spectacular. The typical rate of infection when vaccination and antibiotics are used is a few thousand cases per year including some deaths. 

When the homeopathic remedy was used, however, only ten cases of swamp fever were reported among the 2.5 million treated with the homeopathic nosode with no mortality of any hospitalized patients! 

The financial cost to the Cuban government for this astonishingly successful health campaign was only $200,000 compared with the $2,000,000 that would have been incurred for conventional vaccination and antibiotics. 

Not only was homeopathy clearly more effective than vaccines for preventing swamp fever, it was also a much more cost effective solution with no toxic side effects such as is the case with vaccination. 

Homeopathy for epidemics works.  There is no need for toxic and expensive vaccine injections which produce masses of auto-immune compromised children and adults alike in need and dependent upon – more drugs! 

The catalyst for widespread use of homeopathic nosodes as a safe and effective alternative to the ever growing list of toxic vaccines must come from parents, in particular mothers.  Mothers must refuse toxic vaccines for their children and demand this type of safe and effective remedy at a grassroots level as it will never come from the conventional medical establishment which has a strongly invested profit motive for keeping things the way they are. 

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist 

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/homeopathy-halts-cuban-epidemic-better-than-vaccines/

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Homeopathic Arnica montana for post-tonsillectomy analgesia: a randomised placebo control trial

Homeopathic Arnica montana for post-tonsillectomy analgesia: a randomised placebo control trial A. Robertson1, R. Suryanarayanan2, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, A Banerjee3 Purchase 1 ENT Department, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK 2 ENT Department, Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral, UK 3 ENT Department, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK Received 19 June 2006; revised 3 August 2006; Accepted 30 October 2006. Available online 14 January 2007.

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Homeopathic Arnica in reducing the morbidity following tonsillectomy

Methods: Randomised double blind, placebo controlled trial at a tertiary referral centre. 190 patients over the age of 18 undergoing tonsillectomy were randomised into intervention and control groups receiving either Arnica 30c or identical placebo, 2 tablets 6 times in the first post-operative day and then 2 tablets twice a day for the next 7 days. The primary outcome measure was the change in pain scores (visual analogue scale) recorded by the patient on a questionnaire over 14 days post-operatively; Secondary outcome measures were: analgesia consumption, visits to the GP or hospital, antibiotic usage, the day on which their swallowing returned to normal and the day on which they returned to work. Results: 111 (58.4%) completed questionnaires were available for analysis. The Arnica group had a significantly larger drop in pain score from day 1 to day 14 (28.3) compared to the placebo group (23.8) with p<0.05. The two groups did not differ significantly on analgesic consumption or any of the other secondary outcome measures (number of post-operative visits to GP, use of antibiotics and secondary haemorrhage readmissions).

Conclusion: The results of this trial suggest that Arnica montana given after tonsillectomy provides a small, but statistically significant, decrease in pain scores compared to placebo. Keywords: homeopathy; surgery; pain management; tonsillectomy

Homeopathic and integrative treatment for feline hyperthyroidism – four cases (2006–2010)

Homeopathic and integrative treatment for feline hyperthyroidism – four cases (2006–2010)

Sara Fox Chapman ^, 

Purchase

The Animal Medical Center of Watkins Park, PO Box 426, Cheltenham, MD 20623, USA

Received 7 February 2011; revised 13 May 2011; Accepted 24 May 2011. Available online 28 September 2011.

Hyperthyroidism is a frequent veterinary problem, particularly in elderly cats. Homeopathic treatment and other integrative modalities were provided for four hyperthyroid cats whose owners did not want conventional treatment. Symptomatic homeopathic treatment with Thyroidinum was helpful in one cat. All cats were prescribed an appropriate individualized homeopathic remedy. All four cats showed resolution of clinical signs; three attained normal thyroid hormone levels. Three cats later received acupuncture and/or herbal medicines; two cats later received symptomatic homeopathic remedies. Two cats are thriving after over 3.5 and 4.25 years of treatment; two were euthanized for unrelated problems after 3 and 4 years of treatment. Homeopathic and complementary therapies avoid the potential side effects of methimazole and surgical thyroidectomy, they are less costly than radioactive iodine treatment, and they provide an option for clients who decline conventional therapies.

Keywords: Hyperthyroidism; Feline; Thyroidinum; Constitutional; Individualized; Veterinary; Homeopathy