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The Strange Case of Homeopathy - Homeopathy defies the laws of science, rigorous studies show it works.

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:55 AM EST
Read ArticleArticle Source: psychology today
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Seeded by Freed
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In 1994, NASA computer scientist Amy Lansky of Portola Valley, California, began wondering about her two-year-old son. Max knew the alphabet and could beat adults at memory games, but he barely spoke and, despite normal hearing, didn't seem to understand language. At preschool he was a loner. His main form of communication was poking people with his finger. Eventually, school officials urged Lansky to have him evaluated. The diagnosis: autism, a neurological and behavioral disorder for which there is no known remedy.

But Lansky refused to believe Max was untreatable. Her search for an answer led her to homeopathy, an 18th-century healing art now enjoying renewed popularity because of Americans' growing interest in alternative medicine. Homeopathy involves treating illnesses with such extreme dilutions of herbs, animal substances and chemical compounds that frequently not one molecule of the diluted substance is left in the solution. Homeopathy defies the known laws of science, not to mention common sense. But rigorous studies show it just may work.

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{"commentId":4771233,"authorDomain":"freed"}
Freed

I laugh when people dismiss it as 'impossible' - so many things we can not explain are true, including homeopathy.

{"commentId":4771233,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"freed"}
  • 4 votes
Reply#1 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:57 AM EST
{"commentId":4778570,"authorDomain":"inghar2004"}
gladbutterfly

I agree, Freed. There is so much we don't know about how the body heals itself. They have no explanation for acupuncture or chiropractry either. As a recipient of both, I can testify that they do work, better than drugs too.

{"commentId":4778570,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"inghar2004"}
  • 2 votes
#1.1 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:56 PM EST
{"commentId":4780067,"authorDomain":"kperodin"}
Karl_

But I would not qualify this as "defy the laws of Science".  I would phrase as a "little understood process" or "unknown process".

{"commentId":4780067,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"kperodin"}
  • 1 vote
#1.2 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:13 PM EST
{"commentId":4781925,"authorDomain":"1stcontact"}
Pavilion

My family has used homeopathy for years. My father (in his 70s) has been able to dramatically reduce the amount of conventional meds he uses for severe alergies. One of my sisters has used homeopathy to reduce the amount of conventional meds for alergies and asthma. I've used it to get through menopause without any conventional meds.

The original article says the following:

In a German trial, a homeopathic treatment for vertigo outperformed the pharmaceutical remedy; at Harvard, subjects with mild brain injury showed significantly greater improvement with a homeopathic treatment than with a placebo. And homeopathic remedies have been found to augment conventional treatments, as well. In the case of infectious diarrhea, a University of Washington study found that children given the standard rehydration fluid containing water, sugar and salt, plus a homeopathic remedy, recovered after two and a half days—a day and a half earlier than those who received just the rehydration fluid.

Homeopathy has been tested against placebos and conventional treatments and it stands on its own against both.

It's been my experience that homeopathy really does augment conventional treatments very well. I'm lucky to have a Homeopath and Conventional Physician who both accept the validity of the other. This way I can talk about my entire health history with both and they can make decisions with full knowledge of my approach to healing.

{"commentId":4781925,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"1stcontact"}
  • 3 votes
#1.3 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 6:02 PM EST
{"commentId":4802651,"authorDomain":"spaceyhippie"}
spaceyhippie

we've been told what works
n what to be surprised at...
n how to continue reacting
...we're used to knowing...
what to make o something...
before we even know what it is...
we're having decisions made for us...
n think it... sounds like a pretty good idea...
we're being conditioned to not think for ourselves...
n to not be able to realize that... even if someone's tellin us...
a competing product has been placed in the giggle category already...
we tell ourselves we're not that gullible... and are reciprocally rewarded
this doesn't defy laws o science
it adheres prolly pretty perfectly
to maxims we're unaware of...
when homeopathy is the only cure or treatment
the ailment doesn't exist, or it's all in our heads
n there's something for that, everybody's takin it
significantly greater than a placebo
n outperformed the pharmaceutical
...can i get a 2nd opinion...
on who to bleepin talk to ?
n what ensures the Rx R&D
are doing everything they can...
to find a cure or treatment for things...
looking everywhere conceivably imaginable...
ah, except for sources there's no way they can charge an arm n a leg for...
marketing got ahold of health care... it's greed vs "first do no harm" n smugly
we're told we're smart enough to make our own personal decisions, already

{"commentId":4802651,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"spaceyhippie"}
  • 1 vote
#1.4 - Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:44 AM EST
Reply
{"commentId":4782017,"authorDomain":"freed"}
Freed

"Homeopathy has been tested against placebos and conventional treatments and it stands on its own against both."
Yet I have seen two or three articles recently in major media outlets saying that Homeopathy is completely baseless - how do they get away with this biased reporting?

{"commentId":4782017,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"freed"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#2 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 6:09 PM EST
{"commentId":4782122,"authorDomain":"1stcontact"}
Pavilion

Yet I have seen two or three articles recently in major media outlets saying that Homeopathy is completely baseless - how do they get away with this biased reporting?

Excellent question, because this whole discussion is extremely important. We live in a culture where conventional pharmaceuticals are being over used and abused. Homeopathy has the very real potential for being used in conjunction with conventional treatment to reduce the amount of conventional pharmaceuticals a person has to take.

Years ago, when I first started using homeopathy and my children were very young, I asked my Homeopath why the remedy bottles didn't have child-proof lids. She told me that my children could injest an entire bottle and suffer no ill affects. She also told me to keep the bottles out of the reach of children because they wouldn't know the difference between conventional pills and remedies. But still...

{"commentId":4782122,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"1stcontact"}
  • 3 votes
#2.1 - Mon Jan 12, 2009 6:15 PM EST
Reply
{"commentId":4787740,"authorDomain":"chizmarlan"}
chizmarlan

It works;but the effects are too slow and not well-defined.

{"commentId":4787740,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"chizmarlan"}
    Reply#3 - Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:21 AM EST
    {"commentId":4787798,"authorDomain":"1stcontact"}
    Pavilion

    It does work...

    I'm not sure what information you base "the effects are too slow and not well-defined" on.

    It all depends on the situation. I can think of several instances (in my own life) where homeopathy has made for a dramatic recovery.

    There have also been times where homeopathy takes time - I will say that. But, it depends on the situation. In watching homeopathy used within my own family I would say that generally homeopathy takes more time when you're dealing with a chronic situation (like weaning yourself down on perscription meds for asthma).

    And as far as its affects not being "well-defined" - what's well-defined. When you go from taking 5 pharmaceutical pills a day to 2 pills a day - that's pretty defined.

    {"commentId":4787798,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"1stcontact"}
    • 1 vote
    #3.1 - Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:36 AM EST
    {"commentId":4802592,"authorDomain":"chizmarlan"}
    chizmarlan

    My info is from my own experience and those of others who have used homeopathy.Possibly the problem is related to how it is used.I don't know.I as well as many others have had results;but disappointing.Speed and consistency seem to have been the problems.

    {"commentId":4802592,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"chizmarlan"}
      #3.2 - Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:12 AM EST
      {"commentId":4852210,"authorDomain":"freed"}
      Freed

      Homeopathy works differently, and is much more subtle than western medicine, just buying a bottle of something labelled "homeopathic" at your local Safeway is going to have incosistent results.  What you should take is often unique to the individual.

      {"commentId":4852210,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"freed"}
      • 2 votes
      #3.3 - Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:12 PM EST
      {"commentId":4855666,"authorDomain":"chizmarlan"}
      chizmarlan

      I agree.Also the way you take it and combine it with other medications is also important.I do still use homeopathic medication;particularly for a nerve leg problem.I am giving it time.I believe that with increased knowledge and usage,better results will become commonplace and more universal.A similar problem still exists with accupuncture in the US.

      {"commentId":4855666,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"chizmarlan"}
        #3.4 - Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:29 AM EST
        {"commentId":4860580,"authorDomain":"spaceyhippie"}
        spaceyhippie

        comprehensive
        contrary to
        pop a pill
        flick a switch
        simple solutions

        homeopathy
        is more natural
        like the body
        like nature
        sum o its parts
        treat the whole patient
        what's it eating
        how's it sleeping
        whole routine

        we've gotten in the habit of
        dismissing as irrelevant, too quickly
        bossied n bullied into submission, oblivion
        n how that idea seems silly
        that n there's a thingy
        needs to be addressed
        oh, the whole planet's a mess
        ;o)

        {"commentId":4860580,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"spaceyhippie"}
        • 1 vote
        #3.5 - Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:16 PM EST
        {"commentId":4876245,"authorDomain":"freed"}
        Freed

        Most impressive 'comment as poetry' that I've ever seen.

        {"commentId":4876245,"threadId":"467726","contentId":"2301139","authorDomain":"freed"}
        • 1 vote
        #3.6 - Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:01 PM EST
        Reply
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