Homeopathy For Women Today

I came across a study done by  Dr. Edzard Ernst, Director of Complementary Medicine  and Dr. Max H Pittler, Senior Research Fellow, Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Exeter, UK. (Source: www.mja.com.au/public/issues/185_11_041206/ern11072_fm.html )

To summarize the study, 

Objective: To collect contemporary accounts of celebrity use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), to aid clinicians in determining which CAM treatments patients are likely to use.

Design: Articles published during 2005 and 2006 reporting celebrity use of CAM.

Results: 38 celebrities were found to use a wide range of CAM interventions. Homeopathy, acupuncture and Ayurveda were the most popular modalities.

The doctors claimed that as the media did not report what the celebrities were using CAM for, “It is thus difficult to assess whether or not the therapies are employed wisely by celebrities”.

Conclusion: ”There may be many reasons why consumers use CAM, and wanting to imitate their idols is one of them.”

My take on this -

As a homeopath and user of homeopathy, I applaud the celebrities for using Homeopathy to maintain or restore their health and for having that fact reported in the media.  While I do not say that celebrities know best or that whatever they do should be emulated,  using Homeopathy is one celebrity-based trend that I can encourage.

Looking at the list of celebrities and well-known personalities who are said to use Homeopathy, I am sure they choose their healthcare options “wisely”. The impressive list includes not just actors, artists, musicians who may be into “new-age therapies”, but fairly conservative people like Queen Elizabeth II and former UK premier Tony Blair. 

Mahatma Gandhi, father of India, whom no one can accuse of peddling quackery, supported homeopathy strongly. In fact, he reportedly said ”Homeopathy cures a larger percentage of cases than any other method of treatment.”

Past advocates of Homeopathy included Yehudi Menuhin (violinist), Mark Twain (author, humorist), William James (pioneering psychologist), H W Longfellow (poet, educator), Nathaniel Hawthorne (writer) and Daniel Webster (politician, lawyer).  These were not people who would have supported quackery.

I do not agree with 2nd part of the study’s conclusion. Most people who choose Homeopathy do not do it to imitate their idols. While we may choose clothes or make-up or cars or some such things trying to imitate our idols, we do not choose to use Homeopathy because celebrities do so. Even if that does happen, it would be a very small percentage of the millions of people all over the world who use Homeopathy.

In India, homeopathy enjoys considerable popularity not because celebrities endorse it, but because it has proven itself beneficial and effective. Look into any Indian homeopath’s website and you will see case studies and testimonials even video cases and laboratory investigation reports of people with chronic diseases who have regained health with Homeopathy.

Who would you rather believe - real people who got good results using Homeopathy or some hard-nosed “scientist” who claims that there is no way homeopathy can work because till date we do not know how it works?  I am happy to believe the former…..

Three cheers for the famous supporters of Homeopathy and for us common folk who choose a safe option like  Homeopathy !

COMMENT: Michael Ellis and Julie Zilko | September 27, 2008

from: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24402620-23289,00.html#tools-share

COMPLEMENTARY medicine regularly receives sceptical treatment in the media. An example followed the announcement by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in June that it planned to introduce a sub-faculty for “integrative medicine” — combining both Western and complementary methods — which would accredit and educate doctors.
 

Illustration: Michael Perkins

Yet many of the articles that appeared covering this news pointed out that nearly 70 per cent of Australians have sought at least one type of alternative solution to their medical problem each year. These include acupuncture, mind-body medicine such as hypnosis and meditation, and evidence-based nutritional and environmental medicine.

The most common users are higher-educated and higher-earning women in their middle years who are suffering from chronic or painful conditions. In fact, one story reported that in 2005 Australian spending on alternative medicine was $4.13 billion — more than was spent on prescription drugs in that year.

The question is, if western medicine works, then why do nearly three-quarters of the population seek alternatives? The answer is simply because there are no real solutions to chronic medical problems apart from drugs that mostly provide intermittent relief at best, and rarely cure the problem.

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