Little Mountain Homeopathy, 351 E. 39th Ave., Vancouver, BC V5W 1K3
Phone: (604) 677-7742 Email: LMhomeopath@gmail.com

Little Mountain Homeopathy

Classical homeopath in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Award-winning holistic natural health practitioner.

Homeopathy FAQ

Where to buy homeopathic remedies in Vancouver

People often ask about where to buy homeopathic remedies in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Thankfully, the common homeopathic remedies such as Arnica 30C for injuries and Osciloccoccinum for flu and combination remedies such as Coryzalia and Stodal for coughs and colds are widely available at integrative pharmacies and health stores such as Pure Pharmacy, Whole Foods and Choices. In terms of what brands to look for in stores, Boiron and Homeocan are trusted and widely available.

However, when people are after the less common remedies, they can struggle with finding where to buy single homeopathic remedies in Vancouver.

Buy single homeopathic remedies

Finlandia Pharmacy is a great source for homeopathic remedies as well as other natural health products.

Finlandia Pharmacy is usually the store of choice when Vancouverites want to buy more unusual single homeopathic remedies. However they no longer take special orders and have an increasingly limited supply of single homeopathic remedies.

Order online within Canada

Those who are looking for the unusual single homeopathic remedies can usually find what they are looking for online at Thompson’s Pharmacy based in Toronto Canada. Thompsons also offers a wide variety of mother tinctures as well as homeopathic creams.

Homeocan is a Canadian pharmacy based in Montreal, Quebec. Use the search feature at the top of their website to find single homeopathic remedies. Besides single remedies, they also offer a varied selection of homeopathic creams and combination remedies for a wide range of acute ailments.

Boiron is a French pharmacy with a Canadian headquarters in Quebec. They offer free shipping on all orders of $20 or above, so they are usually the best option when placing a smaller order. Use the search feature on their website to search for single homeopathic remedies. Like Homeocan, they also offer a wide selection of combination remedies.

Buy homeopathic Schuessler cell salts

The best place to order Schuessler homeopathic cell salts is Jackson’s Naturals. Not only are their products made locally but they are also certified vegan and lactose free.

Buy homeopathic kits

Buy homeopathic remedies as a kit, along with books and creams.

For homeopathic kits I recommend Mary Aspinwell’s Homeopathic Kits. Unfortunately the kits aren’t local, they are made in the USA, but are of the highest quality and provide a lot of value even to Canadian customers.

Buy mother tinctures

Although this is not technically a homeopathy question, people often ask about where to find mother tinctures. Gaia Garden is an excellent source for all herbal remedies including mother tinctures and teas.

Place a custom remedy order

For those people who are looking for unusual homeopathic remedies, and for locals who are looking for a fast turnaround, I am now able to offer custom remedy orders. This service is suitable for Vancouverites as well as for anyone in North America, since shipping is available.

What is Homeopathy?

 

The type of homeopathy practiced at this clinic is called classical homeopathy, sometimes also called constitutional homeopathy. Classical homeopathy has been in use for over 200 years, originating in Germany. It involves the use of only one medicine at a time. Homeopathic medicines are usually made from something in our natural world such as a mineral, plant or animal. The medicines are prepared in such a way that they are non-toxic and gentle on the body. They stimulate the body to heal itself.

Homeopathy means “similar medicine.” A classical homeopath prescribes a homeopathic remedy based on the homeopathic principle that “like cures like” – that is, a substance that would cause symptoms in a healthy person is used to cure those same symptoms in illness. For example, one homeopathic remedy which might be used in a person suffering from insomnia is coffea, a remedy made from coffee.

Is a classical homeopath the same thing as a naturopath or herbalist?

No, it is definitely not the same thing. Naturopaths go through an intensive training program for 4 years. During this time, they learn about many different healing modalities such as acupuncture, herbalism and homeopathy. Because they only have a short time to learn many different healing modalities, they do not study classical homeopathy in depth. Classical homeopaths study only homeopathy intensively for 4 years. Because classical homeopathy is so complex, an intensive time spent studying it in depth is needed to truly be able to practice and understand it correctly. Many students of homeopathy agree that the full 4 years of training is needed in order to truly be good prescribers.

Some of our remedies are prepared from herbs, but they are not prepared in the same way as herbalists or TCM doctors would prepare them. Homeopathic medicines are prepared using special homeopathic methods. Their action on the body is gentle, with no toxicity or side effects. Herbs, on the other hand, are not always gentle on the body. Many people do benefit from using herbs. However, a lot of sensitive people who cannot tolerate the use of herbs can tolerate homeopathic medicines.

How Popular is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is the leading alternative medicine used by Europeans. Homeopathy appears to be responsible for the well-being of the French, who are ranked #1 in the world in the performance of their health care system. In France, 40% of the population uses homeopathic medicines and around 30% of physicians prescribe them. Americans, most of whom do not use homeopathy, rank #37 in the performance of their health care system.

Homeopathy is also very popular in the UK. England’s Royal Family are vocal advocates of homeopathy. There are five homeopathic hospitals working within the UK National Health Service, some of them with a two-year waiting list for non-emergency visits to a homeopath.

Sales of homeopathic medicines in Germany were approximately $428 million in 1991, growing at a rate of about 10 percent per year. Evidence of the significant support from the German medical community is the fact that 85 percent of these sales are prescriptions from physicians. Surveys indicate that 98 percent of pharmacies sell homeopathic medicines.

Other European countries in which homeopathy has a relatively strong presence include Switzerland, where different surveys have suggested that somewhere between 11 percent and 27 percent of general practitioners and internists prescribe homeopathic medicines; Italy where nine percent of the medical doctors prescribe homeopathic remedies sometimes; and the Netherlands where 45 percent of physicians consider homeopathic medicines effective and 47 percent of medical doctors use one or more complementary therapies, with homeopathy (40 percent of these select doctors) being the most popular.

Homeopathy is the most popular in Asian countries especially India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Homeopathy received the moral support from Mahatma Gandhi. Who said, “it cures a greater number of people than any other method of treatment” In India over 100 million people depend solely on homeopathic medicine. Further, according to an A.C. Neilsen survey in India, 62 percent of current homeopathy users have never tried conventional medicines and 82 percent of homeopathy users would not switch to conventional treatments. There are hundreds of State and Central government owned homeopathic hospitals in India having inpatient facilities.

Homeopathy also has a strong following in Russia, Mexico and South America, particularly in Brazil and Argentina.

Famous People Who Chose Homeopathy

Darwin might not have been healthy enough to have written ‘Origin of Species’ without the homeopathic and water-cure treatments that he received from Dr. James Manby Gully (according to Darwin’s own letters).

Numerous leading conventional physicians and scientists who have had extremely positive things to say about homeopathy include Sir William Osler (the “father of modern medicine”), Emil Adolph von Behring, MD (the “father of immunology”), Charles Frederick Menninger, MD (founder of the Menninger Clinic), August Bier, MD (the “father of spinal anesthesia”), C. Everett Koop, M.D. (former Surgeon General, U.S.), Brian Josephson, PhD. (Nobel Laureate & Cambridge professor).

At least eleven American Presidents used homeopathic medicines or sponsored legislation to allow homeopathic practice (Abraham Lincoln, Tyler, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, McKinley, Coolidge, Harding, Hoover, & Clinton)…and two British Prime Ministers (Disraeli and Tony Blair).

Many of America’s literary greats advocated for and often wrote about homeopathy, including Washington Irving, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Mark Twain… and European greats such as Goethe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Alfred Tennyson, and George Bernard Shaw…and many modern greats including J.D. Salinger and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Numerous sports greats have bragged about their use of homeopathic medicines including David Beckham, Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker, and many more.

Many world-class musicians have greatly appreciated homeopathy including Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Frédéric Chopin, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Cher, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Townshend, Annie Lennox, Bob Weir, Paul Rodgers, Axl Rose, Moby, Jon Faddis, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Numerous movie and TV celebrities have benefited from homeopathy, including early stars such as Sarah Bernhardt, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne… and some of the modern-day stars, including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lesley Ann Warren, Pamela Anderson, Jane Seymour, Suzanne Somers, Lindsay Wagner, Michael York, Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw, Priscilla & Lisa Marie Presley, Jennifer Aniston, Jade Jagger, Tobey Maguire, and Orlando Bloom.

 

 


Sources

Homeopathic Medicine: Europe’s #1 Medical Alternative by Dana Ullman

The Case FOR Homeopathic Medicine: The Historical and Scientific Evidence by Dana Ullman

The Homeopathic Revolution by Dana Ullman

How are Homeopathic Medicines Prepared?

All of our homeopathic remedies are made by reputable homeopathic pharmacies. The homeopathic pharmacies prepare the medicines by grinding a very small amount of the original substance (usually a plant, mineral or animal) for many hours with a mortar and pestle in milk sugar, a process called trituration. The triturated mixture is then repeatedly diluted and shaken (succussed) for hours or days, depending on the potency or strength of the remedy. This process of diluting and succussing is called potentization. The potentized homeopathic medicine is then added to lactose tablets or pills. Lactose-free remedies are also available to those who are allergic to lactose.

Over-the-counter homeopathic medicines that you can buy in health food stores tend to be in either the 6c or 30c potency. 6c means that the substance has undergone 6 steps in a series of dilutions, where each step involves diluting 1 part medicine to 99 parts alcohol/water.

The more stages of dilution and succussion the preparation has gone through, the more potent the medicine is – so a 30c medicine is more potent than a 6c medicine.

How do Homeopathic Medicines Work?

The Dilutions and Memory of Water Theory

Homeopathic medicines are often diluted to the point where there may be no molecules of original substance left. One of the leading current proposals for how such ‘ultramolecular’ dilutions work is that water is capable of storing information relating to substances with which it has previously been in contact.1

The structure of water

Recent research on hydrogen bonds in water provides some support for this ‘memory’ theory. The Swiss chemist, Louis Rey, found that the structure of hydrogen bonds in homeopathic dilutions of salt solutions is very different from that in pure water.2 He reached the conclusion that the phenomenon results from the vigorous shaking of solutions that takes place during homeopathic ‘succussion’. Moreover, using the laboratory technique called spectroscopy, other researchers have found that different homeopathic medicines and different dilutions of the same medicine can be distinguished from each other, even though all should contain nothing but water.3

Molecular clusters

An alternative mechanism is suggested by the results of research from South Korea. Studies on molecular clustering in water solutions showed that as a solution is made more and more dilute, very stable and larger ‘clumps’ of material develop in dilute solutions rather than in more concentrated solutions.4 This means that residual molecular clusters of the original substance might just be present in homeopathic dilutions. Succussion might also be responsible for creating very tiny bubbles (nanobubbles) that could contain gaseous inclusions of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and possibly the homeopathic source material.3

Highly Diluted Substances Exert an Effect

There is increasing evidence that homeopathic dilutions have a demonstrable effect on living organisms examined under laboratory conditions. Researchers in Germany have observed an inhibitory effect of an ultra-diluted chemical on the bacterium Vibrio fischeri.5 And there is important work from a consortium of European laboratories showing that very high dilutions of histamine may exert a biologically significant effect on the white blood cells that take part in the immune response.6

Positive outcomes in 75% of studies

Viewing the evidence overall, there is experimental support for the idea that ultra-molecular homeopathic dilutions possess unique physical properties and can exert physiological effects. A systematic review evaluated 67 in-vitro experiments in 75 publications of research on homeopathic dilutions.7 A majority of papers reported measurable effects from highly diluted substances. Positive findings were obtained in nearly three-quarters of all replicated studies.

Two studies published in 2009 by 2008 Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier proves that homeopathic remedies are active

Professor Luc Montagnier is a French virologist and joint recipient  of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his co-discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). He and  his team of researchers have been doing rigorous experiments (8, 9) using homeopathically prepared biological substances. They have conclusively shown that homeopathically prepared biological substances give off electromagnetic waves and therefore have effects. Read more about Professor Montagnier’s work on the Homeopathy Resource blog or on Dana Ullman’s blog.

New 2010 Study by Chikramane et al. Demonstrates the Presence of Physical Entities in Homeopathic Dilutions

Homeopathy is controversial because medicines in high potencies such as 30c and 200c involve huge dilution factors (10⁶⁰ and 10⁴⁰⁰ respectively) which are many orders of magnitude greater than Avogadro’s number, so that theoretically there should be no measurable remnants of the starting materials. Using market samples of metal-derived medicines from reputable manufacturers, it has been demonstrated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction and chemical analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), the presence of physical entities in these extreme dilutions, in the form of nanoparticles of the starting metals and their aggregates. (10)

Nobel Laureate Gives Homeopathy a Boost

In the summer of 2010, Montagnier stunned his colleagues at a prestigious international conference when he presented a new method for detecting viral infections that bore close parallels to the basic tenets of homeopathy.

Montagnier told the conference that solutions containing the DNA of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, including HIV, “could emit low frequency radio waves” that induced surrounding water molecules to become arranged into “nanostructures”. These water molecules, he said, could also emit radio waves.

He suggested water could retain such properties even after the original solutions were massively diluted, to the point where the original DNA had effectively vanished. In this way, he suggested, water could retain the “memory” of substances with which it had been in contact — and doctors could use the emissions to detect disease.

For more information about how homeopathic medicines work, read Dana Ullman’s article: How Homeopathic Medicines Work: Nanopharmacology at its Best

References

1. Bellavite P, Signorini A. The Emerging Science of Homeopathy, 2e. 2002: North Atlantic, Berkeley.
2. Rey L. Thermoluminescence of ultra-high dilutions of lithium chloride and sodium chloride. Physica A, 2003; 323: 67–74.
3. Rao ML, Roy R, Bell IR, Hoover R. The defining role of structure (including epitaxy) in the plausibility of homeopathy. Homeopathy, 2007; 96: 175–183.
4. Samal S, Geckeler KE. Unexpected solute aggregation in water on dilution. Chem Commun, 2001; 21: 2224–2225.
5. Brack A, Strube J, Stolz P, Decker H. Effects of ultrahigh dilutions of 3,5-dichlorophenol on the luminescence of the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Biochim Biophys Acta, 2003; 1621: 253–260.
6. Belon P, Cumps J, Ennis M, et al. Histamine dilutions modulate basophil activation. Inflamm Res, 2004; 53: 181–188.
7. Witt CM, Bluth M, Albrecht H, et al. The in vitro evidence for an effect of high homeopathic potencies – a systematic review of the literature. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2007; 15: 128–138.
8. Montagnier L, Aïssa J, Ferris S, Montagnier JL, Lavallée C. Electromagnetic signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial DNA sequences. Interdiscip Sci. 2009 Jun;1(2):81-90. Epub 2009 Mar 4.

9. Montagnier L, Aïssa J, Lavallée C, Mbamy M, Varon J, Chenal H. Electromagnetic detection of HIV DNA in the blood of AIDS patients treated by antiretroviral therapy. Interdiscip Sci. 2009 Dec;1(4):245-53. Epub 2009 Nov 14.
10. Chikramane PS, Suresh AK, Bellare JR, Kane SG. Extreme homeopathic dilutions retain starting materials: A nanoparticulate perspective. Homeopathy. 2010 Oct;99(4):231-42.
11. Nobel Laureate Gives Homeopathy a Boost. The Australian Sunday Times. July 5, 2010.

By Sonya McLeod
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Do Studies Prove that Homeopathy is Effective?

Yes, there are many studies that prove the effectiveness of homeopathy, as well as its safety and cost-effectiveness. Studies also show that homeopathic treatment is often effective after orthodox treatment has failed. General studies proving the effectiveness of homeopathy are listed below. Studies on homeopathy’s effectiveness for specific health conditions can be found on their specific corresponding pages (see specific health conditions listed on the top of the website).

Bornhoft G, Wolf U, Ammon K, et al. Effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of homeopathy in general practice – summarized health technology assessment. Forsch Komplementarmed. 2006;13 Suppl 2:19-29.

This was an effectiveness and safety study on homeopathy carried out for the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health. Using Internet-based resources, manual search and contact with experts, and assessed according to internal and external validity criteria, investigators found that the trend was in favour of a therapeutic benefit from homeopathic intervention. In addition, it was stated by the authors of the study that, “…effectiveness of homeopathy can be supported by clinical evidence and professional and adequate application be regarded as safe. “

Goldstein MS, Glik D. “Use of and satisfaction with homeopathy in a patient population.” Altern Ther Health Med. 1998 Mar;4(2):60-5.

Carried out in 9 homeopathic clinics in the Los Angeles area, this study was done to determine the success or otherwise of constitutional homeopathic practice as assessed by the people who’d undergone this therapy. The study also looked at the characteristics of the people involved in the study. Information was provided by 77 clients. At 4 months after treatment, 71% of clients reported improvement in their health status. This is contrasted with the fact that 80% of all clients enrolled in this survey had had previous orthodox medical treatment for their condition which they had found unsuccessful. The most common presenting complaints involved the respiratory, gastrointestinal and female reproductive systems and most clients were highly educated but had little knowledge of homeopathy prior to their treatment with it.

Guthlin C., Lange O., Walach H. “Measuring the Effects of Acupuncture and Homeopathy in General Practice: An Uncontrolled Prospective Documentation Approach.” Biomed Central Public Health, 2004, 4, 1, 6.

5000 people were treated for various ailments using acupuncture, and 900 people were treated using individualised homeopathy, by medical practitioners in a number of clinics throughout Germany. Most of these people had previously been treated using conventional drugs. After treatment, of those being treated using acupuncture, 36% stated that they felt “very much better” and 49% felt, “somewhat better”. Of those being treated using homeopathy, 39% stated that they felt “very much better” and 38% felt, “somewhat better”.

Kayne S. “A Pilot Trial to Study the Perceived Effectiveness of Homoeopathic remedies bought Over The Counter (OTC) in British Pharmacies.” Journal of the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital NHS Trust, 1997, January 23-24, 90-94.

1000 questionnaires were sent to 8 UK pharmacies, requesting them to pass the questionnaires to customers. These, questionnaires asked the customers whether or not they found OTC homoeopathic medicines effective for the conditions for which they were purchased. A total of 257 users responded, and the accumulated results showed that 83% of respondents felt better after taking the product.

Marian F, Joost K, Saini KD, von Ammon K, Thurneysen A, Busato A. “Patient Satisfaction and Side Effects in Primary Care: An observational study comparing Homeopathy and Conventional Medicine.” BMC Complement Altern Med. 2008 Sep 18;8(1):52.

This was a study carried out by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health designed to determine levels of patient satisfaction and the perception of side effects following the use of homeopathic medicine. It was part of a national program designed to evaluate complementary and alternative medicine use in Switzerland. The bulk of the data used in the study came from questionnaires filled in over a specific 4 day period supplied by physicians using conventional medicine, physicians using homeopathic medicine, and from patients who’d filled in questionnaires mailed to them 1 month after treatment. 170 practitioners were involved in the study. A total of 3126 questionnaires were received by the researchers and analysis of these revealed the following.  21% of those treated with homeopathy reported “complete resolution” of the presenting complaint versus 28% of those on conventional therapy and 53% reported “complete satisfaction” with homeopathic treatment versus 40% of those given conventional therapy. The rate of side effects reported by those using homeopathy was less than those given conventional medicine.

Riley D, Fischer M, Singh B, Haidvogl M, Heger M. “Homeopathy and Conventional Medicine: An Outcomes Study Comparing Effectiveness in a Primary Care Setting.” Journal of Alternative and  Complementary  Medicine, 2001, Apr, 7, 2, 149-59.

In this study, carried out by 30 investigators, at 6 clinics in 4 countries, 456 patients suffering from upper respiratory allergies, lower respiratory allergies or ear disorders were assigned to one of two groups- those prescribed homeopathic medicines (group A) or those prescribed standard medical treatment (Group B). The outcome measure was the response to treatment after 14 days, as well as the speed of recovery, rate of side effects, level of general satisfaction and length of consultation. The response to treatment within 14 days was 82.6% in Group A and 68% in Group B. For recovery speed, 67% of Group A recovered within 3 days and 57% of Group A recovered at this speed. The side effect rate for Group A was 8% compared to 22% for Group B. Those claiming to be very satisfied with their respective treatments were 79% of Group A and 65% of Group B. The majority (60%) of both groups received consultations that lasted for between 5 and 15 minutes.

Robinson T. “Responses to homeopathic treatment in National Health Service general practice.” Homeopathy. 2006 Jan;95(1):9-14.

This study was designed to determine the level of effectiveness of homeopathy as used in a general practice clinic where the standard 10 minute consultation time applies. To do this, 5,331 patient files, taken from one 12 month period in one general practice clinic, were examined and those files that described a consultation where a homeopathic medicine was given were separated out for analysis. This produced a total of 489 consultations that resulted in a homeopathic medicine prescription. Of these, 78% of patients had a positive response to their treatment with homeopathy, 19% had no response, and 3% had a negative response.

Sevar R. “Audit of outcome in 829 consecutive patients treated with homeopathic medicines.” British Homeopathic Journal, 2000, 89, 178- 187.

In this study, consecutive patient files in a single homeopathic clinic were examined to determine the success or otherwise of this form of treatment. Of the 829 patients surveyed, 61% had a sustained improvement from their constitutional homeopathic treatment.

Sevar R. “Audit of outcome in 455 consecutive patients treated with homeopathic medicines.” Homeopathy. 2005 Oct, 94, 4, 215-21.

This study examined the effect of individualised homeopathic treatment of 455 consecutive patients in a homeopathic medical clinic who’d previously had unsuccessful orthodox medical treatment or were considered to be unsuitable for orthodox medical treatment. Of these, 67% derived benefit from homeopathic therapy, and 33% were able to stop or maintain a substantial reduction in their pharmaceutical drug therapy.

Spence DS, Thompson EA, Barron SJ. “Homeopathic treatment for chronic disease: a 6-year, university-hospital outpatient observational study.” J Altern Complement Med. 2005 Oct, 11, 5, 793-8.

This study looked at the effectiveness of individualised homeopathic therapy over a 6 year period in a UK homeopathic hospital outpatient department. The results from 6544 consecutive patients were examined, and when compared to baseline observations it was found that of these patients, 70% reported an improvement in their conditions.

Steinsbekk A, Ludtke R. “Patients’ assessments of the effectiveness of homeopathic care in Norway: a prospective observational multicentre outcome study.” Homeopathy, 2005, 94, 1, 10-6.

In this prospective uncontrolled observational multi-centre outcome study, 654 people who’d visited 80 Norwegian homeopaths were asked to assess, via a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) the effectiveness of this form of treatment comparing the VAS score at their first consultation with the VAS score 6 months later. After the results were collated it was found that 70% of those people visiting a Norwegian homeopath reported a meaningful improvement in their main complaint 6 months after the initial consultation.

Van Wasserhoven M., Ives G. “An Observational Study of Patients receiving Homeopathic Treatment.” Homeopathy, 2004, 93, 3-11.

782 people suffering from a wide range of diseases who had visited 80 general medical practices in Belgium were treated with individualised homeopathic medicines over an average period of 9 years and 2 months. Most of these people had previously been treated using conventional drugs. The outcomes from this treatment were assessed both by the patients and the practitioners via questionnaires. 13% of the patients assessed in the study expressed satisfaction with previous conventional treatment and 89% of patients expressed satisfaction with their homeopathic treatment.

Witt CM, Ludtke R, Baur R, Willich SN. Homeopathic medical practice: long-term results of a cohort study with 3981 patients. BMC Public Health. 2005 Nov, 3, 5, 115.

In this study, 3981 patients being treated in private homeopathic medical clinics in Germany and Switzerland were assessed for the effectiveness of their homeopathic treatment over a 2 year period. When compared to baseline assessments taken immediately before treatment had begun, the adults in the study experienced a reduction in disease severity of 52% and children by 64%.

Witt C, Keil T, Selim D, Roll S, Vance W, Wegscheider K, Willich SN. “Outcome and costs of homoeopathic and conventional treatment strategies: a comparative cohort study in patients with chronic disorders.” Complement Ther Med. 2005 Jun;13(2):79-86.

This cohort study, carried out in Germany, examined the outcomes of homeopathic treatment compared to the orthodox medical treatment of 493 people suffering from a range of chronic illnesses including headache, lower back pain, insomnia, depression, bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis. The patients’ assessments, taken at 6 months and 12 months from the beginning of the treatment, found that homeopathy provided a greater level of improvement in their illnesses than orthodox medical intervention. This difference appeared to be more pronounced in children than in adults. In regard to the cost of each type of therapy, this study showed these costs to be similar to each other.

Witt CM, Ludtke R, Mengler N, Willich SN. “How healthy are Chronically Ill Patients after Eight years of Homeopathic Treatment? – Results from a long term observational study.” BMC Public Health 2008, 8:413.

German academic and researcher Professor Claudia Witt has been responsible for a number of excellent papers on homeopathy and in this, she and co-workers drew data from 103 Swiss and German homeopathic medicine clinics in an effort to determine the level of change to the health status of patients over periods of 2 and 8 years, as a result of homeopathic intervention, over these times. Data was collected from 3709 patients who were asked to assess the level of change to the severity of their medical complaints and quality of life, at the time of first consultation, at 2 years, and at 8 years from that point. The data from adults and children were assessed separately and the former experienced an average reduction in disease severity from 6.2 at baseline to 2.9 at 2 years to 2.2 at 8 years. For children, a reduction from a baseline disease severity of 6.1 to 2.1 at 2 years was noted and then to 1.7 at 8 years. Physical and mental quality of life scores for both groups increased significantly over the study period and interestingly, researchers found that, within the confines of this study, the younger the patient and the more severe the medical condition, the better the potential for the therapeutic success of homeopathy.

 

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