Chronic Sinusitis ~ a Clinical Study

Homeopathic treatment of patients with chronic sinusitis:
A prospective observational study with 8 years follow-up!

Background:
An evaluation of Homeopathic treatment and the outcomes in patients suffering from sinusitis for ≥12 weeks in a usual care situation.

Results:
The study included 134 adults (mean age 39.8 ± 10.4 years, 76.1% women), treated by 62 physicians. Patients had suffered from chronic sinusitis for 10.7 ± 9.8 years. Almost all patients (97.0%) had previously been treated with conventional medicine. For sinusitis, effect size (effect divided by standard deviation at baseline) of complaint severity was 1.58 (95% CI 1.77; 1.40), 2.15 (2.38; 1.92), and 2.43 (2.68; 2.18) at 3, 12, and 24 months respectively. QoL improved accordingly, with SF-36 changes in physical component score 0.27 (0.15; 0.39), 0.35 (0.19; 0.52), 0.44 (0.23; 0.65) and mental component score 0.66 (0.49; 0.84), 0.71 (0.50; 0.92), 0.65 (0.39; 0.92), 0.74 (0.49; 1.00) at these points. The effects were still present after 8 years with SF-36 physical component score 0.38 (0.10; 0.65) and mental component score 0.74 (0.49; 1.00).

Conclusion:
This observational study showed relevant improvements that persisted for 8 years in patients seeking Homeopathic treatment because of sinusitis.

Source: Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Centre, D-10098 Berlin, Germany. Karl and Veronica Carstens-Foundation, Am Deimelsberg 36, D-45276 Essen, Germany.
Published by: BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders 2009, 9:7doi:10.1186/1472-6815-9-7

...another Clinical Trial

Background: The efficacy of homeopathic medicines for maintaining human health and treating disease has been extensively examined in clinical trials. However, there is a paucity of preclinical evaluations of the effects of homeopathic medicinal preparations on cellular signaling pathways relevant to the applications of these preparations.

Materials and methods: In this study, the immune-modulatory effects of Phase 6 (for the stimulation of the nonspecific defense system) and Flu Terminator® (for influenza and viral diseases) (Be Well Homeopathics Inc. Miami, FL), two homeopathic preparations developed for the purpose, were evaluated in normal human leukocyte cultures in vitro.

Results:Both Phase 6 and Flu Terminator stimulated the production of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines by human leukocytes, although higher doses often produced a weaker response than lower doses. The carrier solvent (20% ethanol) failed to elicit any cytokine synthesis.

Conclusions: The results of the in vitro studies suggested that ultra-low concentrations of ingredients in Phase 6 and Flu Terminator were capable of eliciting a human immune response.

Source: Cheppail Ramachandran, P.K.Raveendran Nair, Richard T. Clèment, Steven J. Melnick. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 13(4): 403-408. doi:10.1089/acm.2007.6292.

Homeopathic Remedies for Nails

Brittle, rough and yellow nails: Sil.
Crippled, discolored and crumbling off: Thuj.
Brittle nails and brittle skin on tips of fingers: Alum.
Slow growth: Ant. crud.
Pains under nails: Sep.
Cracked nails: Ars.
Thickened or corrugated nails: Graph.
Ulcers around nails: Phos.

Homeopathic Immunization in Cuba

Source: many thanks to Tim Rogers
Credit: GoodScience. / Image: Dr. C.J. Finalay, Credit: History of Camaguey City.


Greetings all,
A historical and inspiring event took place 10-12 December 2008 in Havana Cuba that I had the honour to attend. There, the Carlos J Finlay Institute under the guidance of its director-general, Dra. Conception Campa Huergo and Dr. Gustavo Bravo and others hosted NOSODES 2008, an International Meeting on Homeoprophilaxis, Homeopathic Immunization and Nosodes against Epidemics.

Homeopaths from Cuba, S America, Canada, Australia, UK, and Kenya (yours truly) made presentations on the wide varieties of successful disease prevention using homeopathy and more specifically, nosodes.

Each presentation was more amazing than the previous. All were very remarkable and notable in the field of research and science. Some of the topics included Childhood Disease Prevention, Homeopathic prophylaxis as an aspect of gov’tal programs, Nosodes Genus Epidemicus and Compexes, Homeoprophylaxis on Agronomy, Homeoprophylaxis on Veternary, Homeoprophylaxis in TB, Homeoprophylaxis in Chagas disease, Homeoprophylaxis in hepatitis, Homeoprophylaxis in Malaria (yours truly, again) and the list of presentations goes on.

Some of the speakers (known to our English speaking homeopaths) were Martine Jourde, Issac Golden (Aus), Kate Birch (Canada), Tony Pincus (Ainsworth, UK), Leo Van Gelder (NL) & Lindsay Hickey (UK). A number of Cuban & SAmerican homeopaths also presented their work. All have done unique work in the field of homeopathy & epidemic disease.

THE PREVENTION OF EPIDEMIC LEPTOSPIROSIS IN CUBA
But none of these remarkable speakers, each presenting their amazing work in disease prevention and use of nosodes could not hold a candle to the historical accomplishment of the Cubans in their presentation of controlling the local endemic-epidemic disease of Leptospirosis.

Now, the Finlay Institute is primarily the Cuban research institute that produces allopathic vaccinations for their country. Since Cuba is outcasted by the USA government, they have come to depend on themselves for the making of medicines, health care programs, etc. And since the Cuba is not under the yoke of the international pharmaceutical juggernaut, they are not held back from adopting homeopathy and other alternative medicines wholeheartedly into their national health programmes. The Finlay director-general herself is very pro-homeopathy (not to mention, besides, a macrobiotic vegetarian).

To put it simply, what they presented is this:

Cuba goes through a yearly cycle of Leptospirosis epidemic, especially after the hurricanes flood the countryside and water pollution reaches its height. (Leptospirosis: infectious disease caused by the spirochaete Leptospira transmitted to humans from rats, giving jaundice and kidney damage. Can cause death).

Annually the population is exposed to the disease, most especially after hurricanes.

Until Aug 2007, the Finlay Institute (a part of the Ministry of Public Health, Cuba) has been distributing its own allopathic Lepto vaccination. August is the height of the hurricane season. Annually, many are left homeless, flooded out and under the stress of disaster situation. There is a sharp rise in the lepto epidemic.

The usual expectacy of infection even with allopathic vaccination would have been around a few thousands, with some deaths included.

Part of the reason for this is that the high cost of vaccination prevents putting but the most at-risk populations (ie children, pregnant women, elderly) on vaccination. The cost of such limited vaccination is about US$3,000.000.

But in Aug 2007, Finlay put approximately 5,000,000 people (yes! 5 million!) in 2 provinces on homoepathic nosode prophylaxis at the cost of about only US$ 200,000.

That figure represents the entire population of the 2 provinces. The prophylaxis consisted of 2 single doses about 2 weeks apart. Included in the dose was the Lepto nosode + some Bach flower remedies to address the mental distress of the disaster situation.

How very amazing it was to watch this presentation being made. Up to the point, the presenters were showing us graph after graph of the usual rise of the epidemic, year after year, even with the use of allopathic vaccination. Each year the graphs would edge higher and higher towards the year-end, reaching up to the thousands of infected.

But this time, within 2 weeks after Aug 2007, the rising lines literally dropped off the chart to ZERO-Ten infections only! Yes. Near-zero infections, zero deaths from leptospirosis after Aug 2007. And in 2008, no deaths, infections less than 10 a month.

HISTORY MADE for Homeopathy
This mass treatment of 5 million people with homeopathy, I don’t believe, has been done anywhere else in the world, not even in India, where homeopathy enjoys the shelter of the government.

And the awesome results of going from hundreds of infected to near-zero in the period of a few weeks, also is historical. My jaw dropped as I watched the graphs demonstrate their success.

The Cuban team readily admits that they have not invented anything new as far as homeopathic philosophy or application. They have simply followed what we homeopaths know to work. And since they have no pharmaceutical multi-nationals to stop them, they were able to do it on a massive scale unknown in the history of homeopathy.

What is remarkable is their application to such a large population, and its dramatic success, with full scientific verification. The results are incontrovertible and undeniable even by the most rabid of anti-homeopaths.

I’m eagerly awaiting their formal publication in the medical journals of this remarkable event. I’m sure once these medical results are published, homeopaths will have more “weapons” in our “arsenal” to fight for our existence and for the adoption of homeopathy in national health programmes in industrialized and developing countries.

As a word or two about Dra Heurgo, Dr. Bravo and the rest of the Cuban team. Truly remarkable people. “Concita” as Dra Heurgo is lovingly known by the people of Cuba, is well known and loved as a woman who has done remarkable work to improve the health of the population. I found her to be a remarkable person – untiring, passionate about her work and compassionate in her motivation to serve her fellow human beings.

Homeopathy Proven Successful for ADHD

By: Randall Neustaedter OMD, LAc, CCH
Holistic Pediatric Association.

The number of children put on drugs for attention problems is staggering, and school authorities pressure parents to use dangerous stimulant medications and antidepressants to keep children behaving in specific desirable patterns in the classroom. The approach of holistic pediatrics offers an effective management system for attention problems (so-called ADD and ADHD). An important component of this system includes the prescription of constitutional homeopathic medicines according the principles of classical homeopathy.

Clinical Study Design:

Now a carefully controlled clinical trial has shown that homeopathy does significantly improve attention. This study was published in the July 27, 2005 online edition of the European Journal of Pediatrics. The study, conducted in Switzerland, followed 62 children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). All children were carefully diagnosed with a number of screening instruments to verify the diagnosis of ADHD, excluding other diagnoses. The study involved three phases. First the children were treated with a constitutional homeopathic medicine individualized to their case. Only the children who improved by at least 50 percent on an ADHD rating scale were included in the second phase of the study, a crossover trial with a placebo group. Following that crossover phase, the children were then treated again with their homeopathic medicine in an open label phase.

The medicines used included Calc-carb (15), Sulphur (8), Chamomilla (5), Lycopodium (5), Silica (5), Hepar-sulph (4), Nux-vom (4), China (3), Ignatia (3), and Mercurius (3). Each of the following were used in one case only: Capsicum, Causticum, Hyoscyamus, Phosphorus, Phosphoric-acid, Sepia, and Staphysagria. Each was used on a daily bases in the Q3 to Q42 potency (LM). No other treatment of any kind was permitted during the course of the study.

Study Results:

Results showed that children did not improve while taking placebo, but continued to improve while taking the homeopathic medicine during the blinded phase of the trial and in the post-crossover phase. The median Conners rating for ADHD symptoms dropped from 19 at the start of treatment to a median of 8 within 6 weeks after the crossover phase of the trial. During the blinded trial the children receiving placebo had a high CGI rating of 12 compared to the homeopathic group with a rating of 9. After all children were returned to their homeopathic medicine, both groups returned to the low symptom level they had achieved before the crossover phase (median of 8).

The authors formed a definitive conclusion from this study. “The results of this trial point to the effectiveness of homeopathy in the treatment of ADHD.”

Homeopathy in respiratory tract complaints

By: Alexandria, VA

Homeopathy versus conventional treatment in respiratory tract complaints:
Homeopathy gets 82.6% response, conventional gets 67.3% response.

In an outcome study, 30 practitioners in four countries enrolled 500 consecutive patients with at least one of three complaints: upper respiratory tract complaints including allergies; lower respiratory tract complaints including allergies; or ear complaints. Of 456 patients, 281 received homeopathy and 175 conventional treatment. The primary outcomes criterion was response to treatment, defined as cured or major improvement after 14 days of treatment. Results showed a response rate of 82.6% in the homeopathy group compared to 67.3% in the group receiving conventional medicine. The authors concluded that homeopathy appeared to be at least as effective as conventional treatment of patients with the three conditions studied.

(Riley D, Fischer M, Singh B, Haidvogl M, Heger M. Homeopathy and conventional medicine: an outcomes study comparing effectiveness in a primary care setting.)

Homeopathy in Cardiac Arrhythmia

Source: Korrespondierender Autor: Larysa Hutsol, Mykola Hutsol, Irene Tsymbal, Vinnitsa National Medical University, Vinnitsa Clinical Town Hospital, PO Box 10, Vinnitsa 21004, Ukraine.

The management of arrhythmias is known to be one of the key problems of modern cardiology because this pathology often results in sudden death. However, according to numerous clinical trials, the allopathic remedies at present used for arrhythmias control are reported to have many serious side effects and contraindications.
This investigation aims to study the efficacy of homeopathic treatment of atrial fibrillation which is one of the most severe forms of cardiac rhythm disorders.

Methods: For several years we have studied 23 elderly patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. The patients were treated only with homeopathicc drugs which were chosen according to Similarity Law. The patients took 1 to 3 remedies in high potency periodically or constantly for 1 to 7 years.

Results: In 87,3% of the patients clinical improvement was marked by the end of the third week of the treatment. 2 months after the beginning of the homeotherapy all the patients reported a stable normalization of cardiac rhythm as well as a stable improvement in their ability to work, a reduction of cardialgia frequency and intensity and a significant decrease of the number of concomitant pathology symptoms.

This work is illustrated with interesting results of the homeopathic management of a patient suffering from atrial fibrillation, Ischemic Heart Disease and Essential Hypertension.

Conclusion: We believe that Classical Homeopathy is an effective way to control atrial fibrillation even in elderly patients having severe organic cardiovascular pathology. As this method is free of any side effects, it seems to be an ideal choice for therapeutical intervention in such cases.