Laxmi Homeo Clinic: Best health care system Homeopathy

Best health care system Homeopathy

Dr S. Chidambaranathan B.H.M.S, M.D Homeopathy Doctor Madurai (Treatment avail for all people around the world)

Homeopathy is gaining in popularity nowadays with its efficient cure and nil side-effects. But it has always been subject to criticism and comments. Here comes again, an opportunity for Homeopathy to show its stability.

On August 24, 2005, Prince Charles commented that up to 480 million pounds could be saved by the UK government if one in 10 family doctors offered Homeopathy treatment to their patients as an alternative to standard drugs – The Times newspaper. It is well-known that traditionally the British Queen’s family favours and follows Homeopathy. Prince Charles always insists that the UK government provide Homeopathy treatment in the National Health Services (NHS).

But on August 27, 2005, the British medical journal ‘The Lancet’ commented on Homeopathy and stated that it was better than a sugar pill and it has only placebo effect i.e. acts psychologically. Usually, the words of ‘The Lancet’ are respected by doctors and people all over the world. But this news has stirred the entire world to repose faith in Homeopathy and publish views against this comment.

This news was also flashed in various newspapers and journals throughout the world as a press release. We Homeopaths suspect Lancet was probably prejudiced against someone something. We do not know if it was due to politics or economic, or just a flawed conclusion? Or if it was related to funding of Homeopathy by the World Health Organization, with positive preliminary reports?
It is high time to answer the criticism, to convert all the stones thrown at Homeopathy into stepping stones for its additional uplift. Even though Homeopathy was born in Germany and spread all over the world, Indians are the major users.

Let us analyse the facts and reality of Homeopathy in the face of the Lancet comment. This is not for argument’s sake or for kindling a dispute. It is all for the welfare of the patients and the Homeopathy system.

Everyone should keep one thing in mind and should work for it: Cure. Cure is more important than the system of medicine or the doctor. Each and every system has its own advantages and limits. The authentic way is to admire its advantages than to criticise its limits. There are lots and lots of patients who seek only Homeopathy treatment. Also, millions and millions of people are getting attracted to Homeopathy as an alternative system of medicine.

Since the Lancet trials say Homeopathy medicines are nothing more than sugar pills, it accepts that the system has nil side-effects even on prolonged medication. There used to be a fear that Homeopathy may contain steriods or metals, which may affect the kidney. But this has been ruled out now with the Lancet report. The only thing left is cure and how the system works, which is to be discovered by Homeopaths and the advancement of science.

Sources which support efficiency of Homeopathy

Many similar clinical trials which have been conducted earlier have shown favorable results for Homoeopathy.

They are
Clinical Trials of Homeopathy – British Medical Journal – Published in 1991
A Meta-Analysis of Placebo Controlled Trials, Lancet – Published in 1997
What actually does Lancet say?
Has Lancet commented on Homeopathy against proper clinical trials?
Is this the right way to analyse?
What is Homeopathy? What is its basic principle?
How does Homeopathy work?
How are Homeopathy medicines proved?
Does Homeopathy work psychologically?

What does Lancet actually say?:
Homoeopathy’s clinical effects are placebo effects. Matthias Egger ( University of Berne, Switzerland) and colleagues had compared 110 placebo controlled, randomized trials of homoeopathy with 110 conventional-medicine trials matched for disorder and type of outcome. The clinical topics studied in the trials ranged from respiratory infections, asthma gastrointestinal problems & surgery to anesthesiology. The researchers looked at the treatment effects in smaller, low quality trials and larger trials of higher quality. They found, in both groups, that smaller trials of lower quality showed more beneficial treatment effects than larger and higher-quality trials. However, when the analysis was restricted to large trials of high quality there was no convincing evidence that homoeopathy was superior to placebo, whereas for conventional medicine an important effect remained.
In their conclusion the researchers had said that their study powerfully illustrates the interplay and cumulative effect of different sources of bias. They acknowledge that to prove a negative is impossible, but they feel that they have shown that the effects seen in placebo-controlled trials of homeopathy are compatible with the placebo-hypothesis.
In an accompanying Comment, Jan Vandenbroucke (Leiden University Medical Centre, Netherlands) states: “Science is an intrinsically human affair. When new theories are created and new evidence sought, judgment will retain a subjective element. This does not mean that it is impossible to sift out which interpretation is more valuable . . . The ultimate proof is that science make progress in changing reality: in allopathic [conventional] medicine by preventing, alleviating, and curing disease ever more effectively.”
In an accompanying editorial of The Lancet comments: “It is the attitudes of patients and providers that engender alternative-therapy seeking behaviors which create a greater threat to conventional care – and patients’ welfare – than do spurious arguments of putative benefits from absurd dilutions . . . Now doctors need to be bold and honest with their patients about homeopathy’s lack of benefit, and with themselves about the failings of modern medicine to address patients’ needs for personalized care.”
In a similar vein, the Swiss Government, after a five year trial, has now withdrawn insurance coverage for homeopathy.

Has Lancet commented on Homeopathy against proper clinical trials?
Is this the right way to analyse Homeopathy?
The method of trial followed by the Swiss team is utterly and absolutely wrong. No one can accept this, since the base of research itself is wrong. Also Lancet had not explained its trial wholly. Homeopathy medicines should be given only by individualisation and matching the drug symptoms with the patient’s symptoms. It cannot be just prescribed like in other systems of medicines, for any disease as such. Homeopathy treats symptoms of the patients than symptoms of the disease. For selecting the right drug it gives importance to the character of onset of symptoms, its aggravating or precipitating factors, and the characteristic symptoms of the patient, exciting cause, thirst, sweat, shivering, appetite, sleep, stool habit, restlessness, relieving factors and associated symptoms.
Every patient has his own pattern of falling ill, and will experience different sets of symptoms even for the same illness. For example, in jaundice, the disease symptoms are yellow urine, pale stool, fever, nausea, vomiting, yellowishness of the conjuctiva and skin, itching of the body, etc. Apart from these disease symptoms, Homeopathy gives importance to the symptoms of the patient than the disease symptoms which help to individualise him, i.e. some patient of jaundice will have fever, vomiting, nausea, itching, etc., some will have a different set of symptoms like loss of appetite, thirst, profuse sweating, weakness, constipation, etc.
Here the selection of Homeopathic medicines will be different for these patients, even though they are suffering from jaundice. A well-selected remedy quickly supports the body mechanism and clears the complaints at the earliest. A Homeopath may fail in curing the disease but Homeopathy never fails, i.e. cure depends upon the ability of the doctor to diagnose the case and select the right drug. So, unlike any other systems of medicine, there cannot be clinical trials in Homeopathy as specific remedies.

What is the proper way to analyse Homeopathy?
Suffering is an ill feeling. Cure is a reviving normal/better feeling. Cure can be felt only by the patient or the sufferer. There are many diseases where all the reports post normal readings. One can also suffer without any abnormal lab findings or clinical evidences. So, to analyse Homeopathy, they (analyzers) should have given thousands of cases to a Homeopath to demonstrate the efficacy of the system. They can then analyse the result of the treatment. So, Homeopathy can be analysed and judged only if there is a team of Homeopaths in the trial or otherwise it should be judged by persons who know the Homeopathic principle. Trials of allopathic medicines are entirely different from those of Homeopathy.

The effect of Homeopathy in curing the patient (not the disease) can be easily claimed from treated patients or treating doctors. Without considering both of these persons how can the test reveal the reality? Only the diseases have been treated but not the patients. It is not right to conclude that Homeopathy is a placebo after two centuries of its sustainability with this trial. Highly diluted Homeopathy medicines are in no way toxic to produce any such symptoms. We have to analyze each and every system accordingly.

What is homeopathy? What is its basic principle?
Homeopathy is a rational science, based on definite principle i.e. law of similars –meaning likes be treated with likes. In this concept of ‘similars’ Homoeopathy stands out against other systems of medicine with its miraculous cures which is permanent and safe. The right medicines are selected according to match of the symptoms of patients with the drug. It treats patients with an infinitesimal dose of drug. Homeopathic remedies make the patient more comfortable during treatment by supporting the body’s own natural healing process and stimulating the immune response.

How are Homeopathic medicines proved?
Homeopathy medicines are all proved only in human beings and not in animals. In other systems of medicine, after a long trial with animals, they come for clinical trials in humans for verification. The side-effects cannot be judged at once. So, in due course, yesterday’s medicines have become today’s poison and today’s medicines may be tomorrow’s poison. The efficacy of very few medicines stand the test of time: Penicillin, Paracetamol, Aspirin, etc. In Homeopathy, the drugs, once added to the list after being tried out, are used till today without any deletion or ban. Homeopathy drugs stand forever. The thing is because it has a scientific theory behind it and is tried in human beings. Since Homeopathy medicines are proved in human beings for treating humans, the efficacy of Homeopathy can be tested and verified very well in the lab of the human body. This stability has made Homeopathy lead the race in alternative systems of medicine. Even though saving life is important, it is equally important to live better. Homeopathy provides both without any painful procedures.

Regarding Homeopathic medicines – The medicines are derived from all sources i.e. from vegetable kingdom – roots, stems, barks, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds; animal kingdom – milk, egg, venoms, horns, liver and other parts of the animals; and Chemicals – all types of liquids or salts or metals. One part of the extracted medicine content is first mixed with 100 parts of alcohol and filtered as mother tincture after analysing its water content. These mother tinctures are the ultimate source for the higher dilutions of medicines by diluting it in succession. In case of centesimal (C), 1 part of mother tincture is diluted with 100 parts of alcohol or ground with 100 parts of sugar of milk.
First potency i.e. 1C is prepared by mixing and diluting 1 part of mother tincture to 100 parts of alcohol. So drug strength of first potency – 1C is 1/100, for second potency (two times diluted) i.e. 2C, 1 part of first potency -1C is diluted with 100 parts of alcohol and given succession. Here the drug strength is 1/100 x 1/100 = 1/10,000. In practice, commonly used potency is 200C or 30C. The 200 potency is diluted 200 times with 100 parts of alcohol each time, so its drug strength = 1 / 1,000000…..(four hundred zero’s). This ultra high dilution of medicine has created all the doubts and make people talk about it as a placebo. The diluted medicines i.e. higher dilutions cannot be proven for medicinal content or alkaloid even in sophisticated labs. But its superb action can be seen/felt by patients who are cured of the disease.

How does Homeopathy work with ultra high dilutions / minimum dose?
In Homeopathy, selected medicines are given in minute quantities to trigger the body’s resistance power which in turn acts against the disease force. Homeopathy can give benefit to people at any age, including the newborn, for all types of complaints. Children respond particularly very well to these remedies because their reactive powers are often stronger than those of adults.
Unlike other systems of medicine, it doesn’t act through blood after digestion of the drug materials. But it acts through the nerve endings in the tongue. It reaches the brain and works from a higher level. You can wonder how one gets easily cured with these highly diluted internal medicines. It is not completely understood or explained by science till now about how it works. The real fact is, our science is not developed up to that level to answer this now. The active substances or alkaloids in the medicine can be traced only up to 6C dilutions or 12X in lab analysis. After that lab reports show only pure alcohol or sugar of milk. Really, Homeopathy lacks in proving its medicines in labs for testimonials, whereas its efficacy can be clinically verified with every cure of the case.
Here we can quote some theory to substantiate the presence and action of the drug in dilutions and minute doses:

1) When atom gets split, tremendous energy is released. Rutherford was awarded with a Nobel Prize for break-up of an atomic nucleus for converting into energy
2) Arrhenius theory of ionization – for example- when sodium chloride is dissolved in a large amount of water, the ions dissociate to a greater degree and conduct energy well than when the same quantity is dissolved in less water. Arrhenius was also awarded a Nobel in chemistry.
3) Nanotechnology
So, Homeopathy is not merely a collection of diluted placebos, but is a rational science with a rational philosophy as its base. Homeopathic medicines are absolutely safe, non-addictive, non-toxic and always free from any side-effects. In the safe hands of Homeopathy, you can easily and absolutely outweigh all risks.

Does Homeopathy work psychologically?
No, it works energetically. But, of course, it works on the mind too, matching the mental make-up of the patient. Homeopathy cares for the physical and mental health of the patient. An exemplary illustration of Homeopathic cure through dynamic and holistic approach can be seen when one matches the patient’s symptoms (physical and mental) and drug symptoms perfectly.
Now, in this busy world, many hospitals lack hospitality and run as commercial centres. Doctors are also so busy now they just listen to the patient’s complaints and prescribe medicines without much interrogation. Nearly 100 per cent of the people get investigated and are prescribed a handful of medicines without a warning about the side-effects of the medicines. This attitude usually leads to a new disease. But people usually don’t know what the medicines for, why and how far they work, and how long it takes to get rid of the disease or discontinue the medicine.
No doctor finds the time to explain everything to the patient. But it is the doctor’s duty to calm the patient’s mind with his words, medicines and care. Caring equals curing. Cure can also be attained with counseling itself, of course in psychological complaints, not in physiological or pathological complaints. Homeopathy cares for the individual and cures with its apt medicine.
Now speciality clinics are mushrooming and treat human beings in parts. But Homeopathy has a personalised approach and works in a wholesome way. This will usually comfort the patients and help them get cured.
Nowadays vetenerians also follows Homeopathy treatment and provide effective treatment to cattle and pets. Is it possible to call this curative effect on animals as a placebo treatment? The efficacy is well known in the treatment of mastitis, warts and viral infections. This fact was telecast in BBC and QED programme some time ago.

Even though Homeopathy remains partial in revealing how it works, it WORKS. Supportive studies, benefited patients and professionally satisfied doctors prove its efficacy.
In total, homoeopathy is the finger post on the crossroads of healing which directs the way of SAFEST, EFFECTIVE PERMANENT CURE.

for new hope

Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)

Laxmi Homeo Clinic

24 E. New Mahalipatti Road

Madurai, TN 625 001

India

Tel: +91-452-233-8833 | +91-984-319-1011 (Mob)

Fax: +91-452-233-0196

E-mail: drcheena@yahoo.com

www.drcheena.com / www.drcheena.in

(Disclaimer - The contents of this column are for informational purpose only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for any health problem or medical condition.)