According to a EurekAlert! public release, research from the University of Southampton has shown that arthritis patients can improve from homeopathic treatment along with conventional treatment. The study was published on November 15, 2010 in the journal Rheumatology.
Researchers speculated that it may not be the remedies themselves that brought improvement so much as the homeopathic consultation process. Homeopathic consultations focus on treating the whole person, unlike conventional treatments that focus on the illness.
The patients' health improved safely suffering no adverse side effects. Decreases in symptoms were noted, with fewer swollen joints and sores, while pain levels went down and moods lifted.
According to the Mayo Clinic, about 40 percent of adults in the U.S. are exploring and many are embracing alternative and complementary medicines. Alternative therapy refers to any treatment outside of conventional Western medicine practices. Complementary therapy would be an alternative therapy used along with conventional medicine.
Homeopathy on its own is an alternative therapy. When used in conjunction with traditional Western medicine it is a complementary therapy.
The Mayo Clinic website explained that conventional doctors have been and may continue to be cautious in accepting some of these less familiar practices. They traditionally rely on research and test results, and many of these other therapies have not yet been through the batteries of tests, or the results are not yet clearly understood.
Homeopathic medicine's foundation is that whenever possible, the body can and will heal itself. Symptoms of illness are viewed as the body's normal responses as it moves towards health.
According to homeopathy, like cures like. A substance that might cause a particular symptom in a healthy person, is considered as a possible cure in very small amounts for an ill person. The idea is to support and enhance the body's natural abilities to heal and regulate itself.
Remedies may be pills or liquid solutions with a very small amount of an active ingredient. These usually come from a plant or mineral.
According to eMedicineHealth.com, homeopathic medicines are considered safe, having been regulated in the U.S. since 1938, and may have helpful effects.
Critics doubt that any treatment using such small doses can make a difference and assume that any improvement must be due to the placebo effect.
But eMedicineHealth.com stated that studies to this end have concluded that while how homeopathic solutions work was not readily apparent, evidence clearly indicated that the effects of homeopathic solutions differed from the effects seen from placebos.
For those seeking relief from arthritis symptoms, homeopathy may be beneficial.
Resources:
Homeopathy consultations can benefit arthritis patients, say scientists
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/uos-hcc111510.php
Complementary and alternative medicine: What is it?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alternative-medicine/PN00001
What is homeopathy?
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/homeopathy-health/article_em.htm
Evaluating the Evidence in "Evidence-Based" Integrative Medicine Programs: Homeopathy
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711463_4
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