How Does Homeopathy Work:

No one has been able to prove how homeopathy works scientifically but it does produce result. There have been allegations that homeopathy medicines are so dilute that they are just water but in 2009, after analysing over 2000 samples of homeopathy medicine, Dr. Martin Chaplin concluded that homeopathy medicines are not the same as ordinary drinking water. Even the preparation of homeopathic medicines is subject to speculation. Popular speculations include:

1. Effects of Silicon Particles:

It was observed that when homeopathic medicines and water are shaken vigorously in a glass bottle, some parts of silicon break off and mix with the medicine. It is believed that these silicon particles help preserve the unique nature of homeopathy medicines.

2. Difference in Pressure:

Another theory believes that when a glass bottle is shaken vigorously, it creates a difference in pressure inside the unscrewed bottle. The pressure is akin to what the water surface faces on a mountain top, it is this change in pressure which maintains the uniqueness of the homeopathy medicine.

3. Formation of Bubbles:

A really popular theory states that the formation of bubbles after the vigorous shaking of the glass bottle ensures that the medicine does not lose its identity in water.

While it is difficult to ascertain what makes a homeopathic medicine unique there are several ways in which homeopathic medicine could be used and it works differently for different time periods.

4. Homeopathy as First Aid:

As in case of Arnica, Homeopathic medicines can be used as first aid medicines, providing immediate relief from ankle sprain or any other kind of muscular injury.

5. Homeopathy for Acute Diseases:

Acute diseases are diseases which are short lived and could be treated in a short span of time. Diseases like cough, cold and flu require immediate relief and cure and homeopathy plays a role in effectively healing the body from these diseases.

6. Homeopathy for Permanent Cures:

Homeopathic medicines believe that a certain person reacts to a disease causing element only because he/she is susceptible to it, by introducing safe and trace amounts of the same disease causing elements, a person’s tolerance could be increased till he/she stops reacting to the agent. This long term cure may go on for year at end, where a person’s body is allowed to grow resistance gradually. Illnesses like kidney stones, acidic reflux, insomnia can be cured through homeopathy.

Does Homeopathy Really Work:

There have been several scientific studies and results both in favour of and against homeopathy as medicine science. It is one of the most intensely researched fields, however what one needs to remember is that certain researcher biases also lead to separate conclusions. Some of these studies include:

1. In clinical studies conducted on homeopathic cures vs placebos for children with warts (1966, followed by 1998), the results were similar, which was that homeopathy performed slightly better than placebos as far as the response rate of children was considered. However, since the results only focused counting the number of people who responded to the medicines applied, no account of the healing rate were considered. The data for the 1966 clinical trial shows that homeopathy medicines cured more than 20% of a child’s warts, whereas, placebo only cured 3.3%.
2. In 1991, The British Medical Journal published a report submitted by three scientists from Netherlands, who had analysed meta-data from 25 clinical trials on homeopathy. Their end results proved that homeopathy successfully treated over 90% cases of respiratory infections, hay fever, digestive system diseases, abdominal surgeries, stress, and anxiety among other physiological and psychological illnesses.
3. Banerji Protocol: Indian researchers Dr. Sen Pathak collaborated with Banerjis to study two homeopathic medicines Ruta 6 and Calcarea Phosphorica 3X on patients with brain tumor. Their studies displayed astounding results, these medicines were able to kill off cancer causing cells without harming the other living and growing cells, even incurable cancerous brain tumor responded to these medicines. In 1991, The National Cancer Institute (NCI) of United States of America evaluated the Banerji Protocol on 10 patients with different kinds of cancers. Four patients showed signs of some response, after further inspection the Cancer Institute declared that homeopathic medicine does work and can be employed as alternative medicine to treat cancer. Today, there are several guide books on understanding and implementing Banerji Protocol to cure several diseases including eczema, thyroid, and acne.