Homeopathic remedies: safe, inexpensive … and they seem to work

Healthfacts, April, 1991

Another study conducted in France showed a far lower rate of dystocia among laboring women given a homeopathic remedy compared with those given a placebo. Dystocia, the medical term for difficult labor, is a common reason for cesarean birth. It can be caused by a narrowing of the birth passage or an abnormal size, shape, or position of the fetus. In the French study, the rate of dystocia among the laboring women given homeopathic remedies was 11%, as compared with 40% in their counterparts given a placebo.

The treatment of hay fever was explored in several of the best designed studies. After scanning the results of each, one would not only be impressed with homeopathy but also the power of the placebo (or the ability of the body to recover whey any treatment is offered). For example, one study reported an improvement in nasal symptoms at four weeks among 78% of the participants. Yet the same study also showed improvement in a creditable 58% of all those who were given a placebo.

All in all, the University of Limberg investigators found that number of published studies to be impressive. "The amount of positive evidence even among the best studies came as a surprise to us." But they acknowledged that many questions remain. Chief among them is a plausible explanation for how homeopathic remedies work.

HOMEOPATHY IN THE U.S.

Because the FDA regards them as harmless, homeopathic remedies can be sold over-the-counter. Why go to a practitioner if you can buy the remedies without a prescription? In a telephone interview, Dana Ullman, of the Homeopathic Educational Services in Berkeley, California, conceded that the OTC remedies are no different from those available to practitioners. But the advantages of seeking professional care include an individualized selection of a single high potency remedy rather than the less effective combination products sold in many health food stores and neighborhood pharmacies. Self-treatment, when appropriate, is encouraged, but Mr. Ullman advises people to seek care for any recurrent condition from a homeopathic practitioner for "more precise, deeper treatment, and better supervision." And who practices homeopathy? "The greatest number of people practicing homeopathy are medical doctors," said Mr. Ullman. "And there is a range of other health professionals including dentists, veterinarians, nurse practitioners, podiatrist, naturopaths, and chjiropractors--each of them practice under their own licensing laws."