A study reported in the British Medical Journal found that homeopathy is a far more effective treatment than conventional medical practitioners are willing to admit. The study investigated the effectiveness of homeopathic treatments in cases of allergic rhinitis (nasal congestion). Results revealed that of the 50 patients who completed the study, those who received homeopathy had a 28 percent improvement in their nasal air flow, whereas those in the placebo group experienced a 3 percent improvement.
The author of the study, Dr. David Reilly of the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital, explained in an interview with Reuters Health how homeopathy works: Homeopathy is "a method of stimulating or provoking the body to defend itself (rather than the usual methods of blocking body responses by drugs)." It goes against some basic tenets of science and so the method is simply unacceptable to "modern" scientists, no matter how well it works.
Reilly and his co-workers studied 51 patients who suffer from perennial allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Twenty-four of the study subjects received daily homeopathy and 27 received a daily placebo treatment during the four-week study period. In addition, all of the subjects kept a diary in which they recorded twice daily their nasal air flow measurements and symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and eye and chest problems.
The study was conducted according to scientific standards, including using a placebo for comparison purposes, randomly assigning participants to either treatment or placebo groups, and making the study "double blind," that is, making sure that neither participants nor researchers knew who was taking the homeopathic drug.
Acute conditions, such as colds and allergies, will often respond to homeopathic treatment. However, treating yourself with health food store homeopathic remedies is not advised. It takes years of training to become a qualified homeopath.
To find a doctor in your area, contact the International Foundation for Homeopathy at (206)776-4147 or the National Center for Homeopathy at (703)548-7790.
Dr. William Campbell Douglas