Homeopathy:

This is an alternative medical system that subscribes to several unvalidated and unscientific concepts as the basis of its foundation.  Samuel Hahnemann, a poorly trained German physician wandering vagabond that had given up medicine and had taken up translating medical books, in 1796 noted that the drugs of the day (we would call them supplements today) were toxic and frequently led to increased sickness and that bloodletting did more harm than good.   He developed the doctrine of “like cures”,  “that which can produce a set of symptoms in a healthy individual, can treat a sick individual who is manifesting a similar set of symptoms”.  This bizarre concept came out of his notation that cinchona bark (used to treat malaria) induced malaria like symptoms when he took the bark, therefore the bark could be used in the sick to treat the sick.  He then did a series of experiments on different medicines, cataloging the side effect profiles of the different drugs, then finding disease that had similar symptoms, drawing the incorrect conclusion that these drugs could be used to treat the sick since their side effects were the same as the symptoms produced by the disease.  In 1800 he began diluting the medicines to the extreme, a process he called incorrectly “potentization”.  He developed the notion that even though the dilution was so extreme that there were statistically no molecules of the original drug left in the final solution, that the water had “memory” of the healing power of the diluted drug.  The process of dilution was denoted by the term “C” to denote the number of dilutions 1:100 of the original substance (Hahnemann developed this scale he called the centesimal scale).  Therefore a 30C on a bottle means he has diluted the original 1 part to 100 parts distilled water, then repeat this process 29 more times.  This is equivalent to 10-60 concentration or no molecules at all of the original substance.  Anything with higher dilution factor than 12C has no molecules of the original substance remaining.  After each dilution and mixing, the container is struck against an elastic piece, somehow locking in the memory of the original molecule. Hahnemann believed without any scientific or mathematical justification, that with each dilution the solution becomes more potent.  Scientifically this process results in the existence of sterile water alone in the final dilution and homeopathic stores charge significant money for this sterile water.  Hahnemann also believed that the “dynamization or shaking of the solution” produced a “spirit-like” healing force to be released from within the substance.  In 1828 Hahnemann fixed 30C as the standard potency for all homeopaths.

 

In addition to the other bizarre concepts embraced by Hahnemann, he developed his theory of diseases that are caused by “miasms”.  A miasm is a word meaning a cloud or fog in the being.  Homeopathy teaches (via Hahnemann) that all diseases are caused by one of three miasms and that 85% are caused by the Psora miasm.  All non venereal chronic diseases are Psoric including most diseases of a chronic nature, all skin diseases, most mental illness other than syphilitic ones, allergies, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and organ dysfunctions.  Hahnemann claimed that Psora is the most ancient and insidious miasm, derived from skin eruptions of various types in the past such as scabies, leprosy, and psoriasis that were contracted by ancestors.  Remedies include sulphur, graphite, phosphorus, mezereum, causticum, hepar sulph, petroleum, silica, zinc, psorinum, arsen alb, lycopodium, calc carb, natrum mur, etc.

It appears in many of the writings of homeopaths, it is believed Psora is a state of susceptibility to disease from willing evils, and that effectively most disease exists because of the sins of mankind.

Sycosis is a miasm responsible for many sexual and urinary disorders, arthritis, and mucous membrane diseases, including asthma, bronchitis, and warts.  This miasm was thought to derive from gonorrhea. Remedies are Thuja, Lycopodium, Natrum sulph, Causticum, Kali sulph, Staphysagria, Calc and Sepia amongst others.

Syphilis is the third miasm and is responsible for diseases of the nervous system, blood, skeleton, and psychological disorders, deafness, blindness, and ulcerations and nocturnal skin eruptions.  Remedies are Arsenicum, Aurum, Mercury, Phosphorus and Lycopodium, nitric acid

 

He also developed a theory in 1803 that many diseases were caused by coffee.  This medical system uses minute doses of natural substances- called remedies-to stimulate a person's immune and defense system. A remedy is chosen individually for a sick person based on its capacity to cause, if given in overdose, physical and psychological symptoms similar to those a patient is experiencing.

 

Homeopathy remedies are readily available over the counter now and all drug stores and many grocery stores.  Some have been adulterated by using high concentrations of standard medical drugs such as corticosteroids and theophylline since the homeopathic remedies doe not work according to most scientific studies.  The FDA does not regulate homeopathic remedies, does not require safety or efficacy studies, and does not require analysis of the products being sold to the public for toxins or adulterants.  Homeopathy fits the definition of quackery established by the US House of Representatives. 

 

Homeopathy and Pain:  Homeopathy not significantly different than placebo studies: Double blind randomized placebo controlled trial for knee osteoarthritis J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med 2015 Jan 30.   Homeopathy remedies doe not help with rheumatoid arthritis (Rheumatology (Oxford) 2011 Jun: 50(6);1070-82)   Topical arnica was found to make muscle pain worse rather than better (Ann Pharmacother 2010 Oct;44(10):1579-84)   Traumeel S is no better than placebo for post operative pain (BMC Clinic Pharmacol 2010 Apr 12;10:9).  Homeopathy does not reduce morphine consumption after knee ligament surgery (Br J Clin Pharmacol 2008 Feb;65(2):180-7)

 

Painbytes assessment:  Two thumbs down.  This bizarre antiquated system lacks any support in science and adopts ideas and treatments that have been disproven.  Disease is considered due to the sins of mankind.  The National Council Against Health Fraud recommends consumers not to buy homeopathic products or to patronize homeopathic practitioners.