Homeopathy is a natural system of medicine that
uses highly diluted doses of substances to stimulate the body’s own healing
mechanism to promote health.
The use of homeopathic medicines – popularly known
as remedies – is based on the discovery that natural substances are capable of
curing the same symptoms that they can cause. By studying the symptoms
that develop when a healthy person tests or “proves” a remedy, homeopaths can
determine which symptoms the remedy is capable of curing. This is called
the Law of Similars or “like cures like.”
A simple example of this principle can be seen
with the common onion. Slicing an onion can cause symptoms of burning and
watery eyes, as well as sneezing and a runny nose. Many hayfever
sufferers with symptoms of burning, watery eyes, sneezing, and runny nose have
found dramatic relief after taking homeopathic Allium cepa (the remedy made from red onion). Thus the
substance that can cause symptoms can, as a remedy, also cure them.
– Canadian Society of Homeopaths, “What is Homeopathy?”
After assessing more than 1,800
studies on homeopathy, Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council
was only able to find 225 that were rigorous enough to analyze. And a systematic review of
these studies revealed “no good quality evidence to support the claim that
homeopathy is effective in treating health conditions.”
The Australian study, which is
the first position statement relying on such an extensive review of medical
literature, strikes the latest blow at a 200-year-old alternative treatment developed
by a German physician with “no interest in detailed pathology, and none in
conventional diagnosis and treatment.” The Washington Post reports that
the study’s authors are concerned that people who continue to choose
homeopathic remedies over proven medicine face real health risks—including the
nearly 4 million Americans who use homeopathic “medicines.”
– Erin Blakemore, “1,800
Studies Later, Scientists Conclude Homeopathy Doesn’t Work”
Over the weekend, hundreds of
skeptics in more than 25 countries took megadoses of the
remedies to demonstrate they do nothing. It was the second
annual event organized by the 10:23 Campaign.
One bunch in West Virginia took 1 million times the recommended dose of a
homeopathic sleep remedy and didn’t die — or even fall
asleep.
Now, there’s a $1 million
challenge on the table to makers of homeopathic remedies from magician and
professional skeptic James Randi.
If a rigorous double-blind, controlled study finds the remedies work better
than plain water, Randi’s educational foundation will fork over the money.
Check out the video for details and the other part of his challenge to
retailers to label the remedies accurately.
– Scott Hensley, “Homeopathic
Medicine Overdosers Survive Unscathed”
Certain
homeopathic products (called “nosodes” or “homeopathic immunizations”) have
been promoted by some as substitutes for conventional immunizations, but the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there’s no credible
scientific evidence to support such claims. The National Center for
Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) supports the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s recommendations for immunizations/vaccinations.
– National Center for Complementary and
Integrative Health, “Homeopathy“
Homeopathy is a “treatment” based on
the use of highly diluted substances, which practitioners claim can cause the
body to heal itself.
A 2010 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee
report on homeopathy said that homeopathic remedies perform no
better than placebos (dummy treatments).
The review also said that the principles on
which homeopathy is based are “scientifically implausible”.
This is also the view of the Chief Medical
Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies…
…There’s been extensive investigation of
the effectiveness of homeopathy. There’s no good-quality evidence that
homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition.
– United Kingdom
National Health Service, “Homeopathy”
Chief among medical ignorance comes
homeopathy. The descriptions from a legitimate source endorsing of homeopathy
provides an overview of the practice proposed as medical, at the top. The
further descriptions from legitimate medical authorities present the opposing
position.
Something to which individuals
aim for some medical care. They’re people in need. They’re people sincerely
searching for help with a medical ailment. The question raised by legitimate
authorities on this particular health matter: Does homeopathy work?
Based on the substantive research
in Australia (and elsewhere), and through the official statements made public
by major organizations, homeopathy fails to pass the same medical standards of
evidence as others proposed.
So, why is homeopathy pervasive?
As it turns out, the answer isn’t complicated, it’s something entirely
parochial, common, and unfortunate. People desiring some medical assistance in
times of normal medical concern and extreme health distress will pursue
alternative treatments.
Those treatments, over time,
become a norm of practice for individuals concerned about personal health. Now,
in Canadian society, homeopathy is pervasive; in British Columbia, and in Township
of Langley, it is in many places, too. Something with the same efficacy and
power of prayer, which is to state: None.
Five sets of homeopathic centres,
practitioners, or places incorporative the homeopathic remedies appear present
in British Columbia alone. These are items needing tackling because this is one
of the most obvious failed practices in the world, as with the example of the
individuals taking ‘overdoses’ of homeopathic remedies as a skeptic test.
These don’t work. With the principle of the more diluted the substance, then the
more effective the substance, it, in some manner, inverts the idea of modern
science. More of a substance in, for example, a vaccine helps with the delivery
of an innocuous version of a virus for the body to build immune resistance to
the virus.
Which is to say, vaccines work.
Homeopathy, by this deduction, does not work. Now, in a preliminary search,
five sets were found to endorse homeopathy in the province. As follows, these
five sets.
The first set: Vitale Homeopathy, Vancouver
Centre for Homeopathy, Haney Homeopathy Clinic, Little Mountain Homeopathy, Zettl
Homeopathy Vancouver, Rising Sun Homeopathy, Vancouver Homeopathic Academy
Ltd., Ethos Sante Homeopathy and Mineral Therapy, Healing with Homeopathy,
Bless Homeopathy Clinic, White Rock Homeopathy Clinic, Amie’s Homeo Care
(Homeopathic Doctor), Natural Homeopathic Solutions Inc., Canadian Homeopathic
Clinic, Pacific Homeopathic Clinic, Healing Solutions & Homeopathy,
Aggarwal Health & Wellness Centre, Pure Healing With Homeopathy, Lifecare
Homeopathy, and Qasim’s Homeopathic Clinic.
The second set: Serenity Homeopathic Clinic,
Capilano Homeopathy (North Shore and Burnaby locations), Trinity Homeopathy
Clinic, Ryan Carnahan (Homeopathy), Action Homeopathy, Arnica Homeopathy Centre,
Gary Manngat’s Holistic Health Restoration Centre, Lauren Trimble Homeopathy,
Restore Homeopathic Clinic, Scott Homeopathic Clinic, Dr. Flores Luis, Optimum
Health Homeopathy, Sidhu Homeopathic Clinic, Anke Zimmerman, BSc, FCAH,
Classical and Modern, Colin Gillies, Cynthia Shepard Homeopathy, Okanagan
Centre for Homeopathy, Family Health Clinic: Naturopathic Medicine and
Midwifery Care, Integrated Health Clinic, and Dr. Jiwani Naturopathic
Physician Surrey.
The third set: Shuswap Homeopathy Clinic,
Opti Balance, Shuswap Homeopathy Clinic, Reviviscent Health, Dr. Heathir Naesgaard,
Naturopathic Doctor, H&W House – Acupuncture, Herbs & Homeopathy, Dr.
Martin Kwok, ND, Dr. TCM, Dinas Homeopathic Clinic, Surlang Medicine Centre
Pharmacy, Jericho Integrated Health Clinic, Practice for Homeopathy, Dr.
Jennifer Doan, ND, HOM, RAc., Barbara Gosney (Homeopath), Pangaea Clinic of
Naturopathic Medicine Inc. (Dr. Eric Chan & Dr. Tawnya Ward), Richmond
Alternative Medical Clinic, Dr. Tonia Winchester, Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor,
Hemkund Remedies Inc., Dr. Tasneem Pirani-Sheriff, ND, Dr. Peter Liu, ND, and
Longevity Compounding Pharmacy.
The fourth set: Dr. Penny Seth-Smith, East
to West Holistic Pharmacy, Be Well Now Centre for Bowen Technique, Seraphina
Capranos, Electra Health, Northern Centre for Integrative Medicine, Broadway
Wellness, Finlandia Pharmacy & Natural Health Centre, Euphoria Natural
Health, Gibsons Chiropractic, Health and Wellness Centre, Hummingbird Naturopathic
Clinic, Be Well Now Centre for Pain & Chronic Disease, Dr. Lise Maltais,
Pharmasave Elgin, Coast Therapy, Aaronson’s Compounding Pharmacy, Dr. Michael
J. Foran, DC, DCCJP, Animals Body Mind Spirit, Lani Nykilchuk, ND, and Dr.
Melissa Carr, Registered Dr. TCM.
The fifth set: Dr. Megan Kimberley,
Naturopath, PURA, Transformative Health, Thompson Valley Naturopathic Clinic
Inc., Dr. Michael Smith, Kamloops Naturopathic Clinic, Vital Energy Homeopathy,
Remedy (Homeopathic Pharmacy), Balance Natural Health Clinic, Dr. Lawrence
Brkich, Dr. Michael Tassone, ND, MOVE Therapies, Harpaws Holistic Veterinary
Services, The Sppagyricus Institute, and Medpure Natural Pharmacy.
The tragedy is two-fold in the practice of and
endorsement of homeopathy. On the one hand, it proposes something efficacious
as if it was, when it is known, scientifically and on principle, not to
function as hypothesized.
Yet, it is widely available, even pervasive.
This nature of homeopathy as a fraudulent is not only a fact about it; it’s a
commonly repeated and spread falsehood throughout the province. It should be
questioned, dismantled, and dismissed ubiquitously in the province, because it
wastes the public’s hope and confused fake medicine, homeopathy, with real
medicine, non-alternative medicine.
Furthermore, it is a waste on people’s money.
So, not only wasting people’s hopes in regards to a functional medical
technology, which isn’t; it’s, as well, wasting time and money on the potential
to spend on proper treatment if truly ill.
These treatments can be expensive as another
formulation of waste. It’s a travesty medical authorities do not explicitly not
simply regulate that which does not work, but ban it, because of false
advertising in any way, shape, or form. It doesn’t work, never has, not only on
principle, but according to the legitimate medical authorities and the
systematic reviews of the literature.
Our province can and should take a lead in directly combatting pseudoscience and pseudomedicine, as it is an ignorance-creeping in the areas of sensitive parts of life – health and wellness.
Photo by Jong Marshes on Unsplash
