Homeopathy (2683 words) Essay Example For Students

Homeopathy (2683 words) Essay HomeopathyRunning head: HOMEOPATHY Theory of HomeopathyAbstractA large portion of the United States population believes that alternative approaches to health care are less evasive and more effective than so-called Western medicine. This report looks at the efficacy of homeopathy. As this therapy moves into the mainstream there is a need for doctors and nurses to understand its benefits and possible adverse effects. Theory of HomeopathyHomeopathy is a type of medical treatment that is based on the theory of treating certain diseases with very small doses of drugs that, in a healthy person and in large doses, would produce symptoms like those of the disease (Webster, 1982). From the transcripts of ?Talk of the Nation? (National Public Radio), the question of,What is Homeopathy? was asked to Dr. Judith Reichenberg-Ullman. She is naturopathic physician, board certified in homeopathic medicine, president of the International Foundation for Homeopathy, and author of, ?Homeopathic Self-Care ?. Her reply was:Its an approach that treats the whole person, and it uses the law of similars, which means that we use the same substance which would cause symptoms in a person in a healthy person to treat those same symptoms in a person who has them. Homeopathy is one of the fastest growing areas of alternative medicine. Homeopathic remedies are sold in pharmacies over the counter although some homeopathic drugs can be obtained by prescription only. Since homeopathy is attracting more interest and therefore an ever-increasing number of patients, it is also appealing to a large and quickly growing number of practitioners as well. Some of these are medical doctors who are frustrated by what they view as the limitations of conventional medicine. These professionals, who are utilizing homeopathy as an alternative medical treatment to offer their clients, are seeking methods that emphasize treating the entire patient as opposed to focusing on just the illness, as conventional medicine tends to do. Homeopathy closes the distance between healer and patient. A gap that some argue mainstream medicine not only created but continues to widen with its tendency towards coldness and indifference to its patients. Homeopathic is effective for a wide range of ailments such as colds, flu, arthritis, allergies, and sprains to name just a few of the maladies for which there are homeopathic treatments for. But even homeopathys most devoted supporters can not explain why it works, only that it does work. Critics of the homeopathic methods argue that the fundamental ideas behind homeopathy defy the laws of chemistry and physics and that its theory makes no sense in the scientific world. (Langman, 1997). They also claim that homeopathic cures are due to the so-called placebo effect; that the patients and professionals of homeopathy believe so strongly in their treatment that their belief system is actually the cure, not the homeopathic method used. (Langman, 1997). Homeopathys newfound success also dismays many physicians, scientists and consumer advocates who regard the homeopathic formulas as ineffective, at best, and dangerous, at worst. Theyre especially concerned that by attempting to cure their ills with the homeopathic method, patients will not seek assistance from established treatments for very serious, perhaps life threatening ailments. Whether the treatment is mainstream or alternative medicine, as is the homeopathic method, there will always be critics as well of converts. Regardless of the criticism, as alternative medicine becomes more prevalent in western society there is a need to further educate nurses and other healthcare providers as to the advantages and possible disadvantages of homeopathy. Homeopathy is an alternative system of medicine that was founded in the early nineteenth century by a German physician, Dr. Hahnemann. It had its greatest popularity in the late nineteenth century in the United States. During that time as many as fifteen percent of the doctors in this country were homeopathic practitioners. However, with the advent of modern medicine, homeopathy began to appear out dated and primitive. Modern medicine seemed more advanced and probably more civilized as well. The popularity of homeopathy greatly diminished. (World Book Encyclopedia, 1998). Homeopathy has seen a resurgence of interest in the United States and other areas in Europe in just the last fifteen to twenty years as patients have began questioning the effectiveness of modern medicine. Homeopathic books can be found in many bookstores and homeopathic physicians in most towns and cities.(World Book Encyclopedia,1998). As the practice of homeopathy become more prevalent in these modern times, it seems apparent that patients are seeking more than the current practices of medicine have been providing; treatment that is safer, less evasive, and which treat the disease and the patient simultaneously. Classical homeopathy rests on three principles: the law of similars, the single medicine, and the minimum dose. As mentioned earlier, the law of similars states that a disease is cured by a medicine that creates symptoms similar to those the patient is experiencing in a healthy person. Therefore an important part of the prescription of a homeopathic medicine is a lengthy interview to determine all the symptoms the patient is experiencing. The homeopathic physician then determines which medicine that best matches the symptoms that the patient is experiencing and prescribes it to the patient. The principle of the single remedy states that a single medicine should cover all the symptoms the patient is experiencing mentally, emotionally, and physically. For example, a classical homeopath would not prescribe one medicine for a headache and another for an upset stomach if a patient were in his office with complaining of both. He or she would find a single medicine that covered both symptoms and prescribe it. (Encarta, 1998). The Applications Of Technology In The First Decade EssayAnother strong example of the successful integration of conventional and homeopathic treatment was demonstrated in the study on Nicaraguan children suffering from diarrhea. (Jennifer 1994). The children were given oral rehydration therapy, a special salt solution that keeps children from dying by helping them retain water, but does not cure the underlying infection of which the diarrhea is a symptom. The study showed that the administration of individually chosen homeopathic medicines sped up the underlying healing processAnother integrative approach is exemplified in the treatment of asthma. A study published in the Lancet showed that conventional allergy testing was useful in selecting a homeopathic medicine that provided benefit (Khuda-Bukhsh, 1991). Researchers used conventional allergy testing to determine what substance people with asthma were most allergic to. They then gave this substance in homeopathic doses to the su bjects, and these subjects had significantly fewer symptoms of asthma than those subjects given a placebo. The researchers called this approach homeopathic immunotherapy. An integrative approach may sometimes mean that homeopathic medicines are used first, and then, only if they were ineffective, would conventional therapies be used. The reverse approach is also possible and is presently more common; most people have already used many conventional treatments without adequate success and are now seeking homeopathic care for their conditions. As people become increasingly familiar with homeopathy, it is likely that they will use these natural and safer medicines prior to the more risky therapeutic interventions offered by conventional physicians. Part of the trick to making either homeopathic or conventional treatments work is to seek the care of well-trained professionals and to give their treatments reasonable time to act. Sometimes a person is in severe pain, and while it may be po ssible to find the correct homeopathic remedy, he or she wants a higher degree of certainty that relief will be rapid. In such instances, it makes sense to use conventional medicines at least temporarily, while homeopathic medicines are recommended after the acute crisis is diminished or over. Homeopathists utilize highly diluted forms of a substance which causes particular symptoms in healthy people, can be given to someone ill with those symptoms. Once stimulated by the substance, the body goes on to heal. There are over 2000 homeopathic remedies, made from plant, mineral and animal sources. They are prescribed on the basis of health history, body type, and physical and emotional symptoms. (World Book Encyclopedia,1998). The focus is to treat people who are unwell rather than the diseases. The first visit is likely to be an hour or so long, and involve lots of questions and answers as the homeopath gets your background. Ten people with headaches may each get a different remedy. Th ese patients tend to be skeptical of the so-called homeopathic remedies found in health shops and chemists, where one bottle containing a combination of remedies supposedly treats the same condition in everyone. The theory of homeopathy has no known scientific basis. It is true that small amounts of a substance may stimulate the body to fight against larger doses of that substance since this is how many vaccinations work. But in homeopathy, the amounts used are so diluted, the remedy may not contain even a single molecule of the original substance. Science says it therefore it cannot be effective. One response by homeopaths is to suggest that the diluting liquid must contain a memory of the original substance. Some published trials have found no support for homeopathy, but others suggest it has an effect on problems as diverse as diarrhea and mosquito bites. Medical conditions that patients most utilize homeopathic methods for:General malaise 15%Allergy 11%Gynecology/obstetrics 7%Stress/anxiety 7%Advantages most commonly quotedHarmless, no side effects Natural The disadvantage most commonly quoted regarding homeopathy is that the treatments, particularly the drugs can be expensive and the ti me for the treatments to work can sometimes be long. (Consumer Online). Although the concept of integrative medicine makes sense, one should not have a narrow viewpoint about the subject. It is not always easy, therapeutically effective or cost efficient to use homeopathic and conventional therapies concurrently or even in sequence. Sometimes a patient, with the advice of his or her physician, must decide to use one approach or the other. As is the case with all medical treatments the patient should be properly informed and educated about the illness they suffer as well alternatives in therapies. Ultimately it is the role of the clinician to inform patients of the risks and benefits of the various prospective treatments available. Unfortunately, while there may be a body of research to show that certain conventional medical treatments are effective in treating a specific disease, symptom, or laboratory reading, this does not necessarily mean that this treatment actually improves the overall health of people. The same limitation can be said about homeopathic research to date. There is presently inadequate research regarding true cures that isnt easily disputable. It is indeed difficult for clinicians to provide patients with concrete evidence and obvious data to ease the decision making process. Clinicians must therefore be humble, and they should remember the words of Hypocrites who insisted that physicians should: First, do no harm. Medicine Essays