New study proves
effectiveness of homeopathy
In frustration with conventional therapies, many
women have been turning to complementary or alternative medicine for help with
PMS and menopausal symptoms. However, due to the lack of unbiased clinical
studies, many of those women have found themselves at odds with their
conventional doctor on the effectiveness and safety of such therapies. These
women now have some concrete data to support their use of alternative medical
approaches.
In late Fall of 2005, the findings of a clinical study
were released, comparing the
effectiveness of homeopathic remedies to conventional medical therapies for
common women's complaints. The study was conducted by Dr. Valérie Reus and Dr. Michael Weiser
of Germany and results were reported in the medical journal, Biologische Medizin (Volume 28).
This
study was conducted in several European countries and involved documentation
by 41 physicians and some 345 cases. It compared results of
various therapies for treating complaints like: hot flashes, profuse sweating,
sleeping problems, nervousness, irritability, depression, mood swings,
vertigo, inability to concentrate, joint pain, headaches, and heart
palpitations. The study also monitored the impact on blood plasma levels of
17-β estradiol
(a form of estrogen that is naturally produced by a healthy female body). Group
B was given homeopathic and homotoxicology remedies for their complaints while
Group P was treated with conventional drug therapies like HRT (Hormone
Replacement Therapy) and antidepressant drugs.
The women were evaluated and given
standardized questionnaires prior to beginning the program and again at 6
weeks and 12 weeks of therapy. The study found that at 6 weeks, both groups had
significant reduction of PMS and menopausal symptoms. However, the homeopathic
Group B participants reported none of the typical side effects of conventional
drug treatments such as increased depression and a further decrease in sex
drive. At 12 weeks, the number of symptoms and side-effects were significantly
lower with the Homeopathic Group B with the majority of women symptom free. The most dramatic difference was the
number of women still using the therapies and reports of depression. The drug
Group P had increases in complaints of depression and a need for more
antidepressant medications which resulted in their discontinuing HRT therapy.
The rate of depression in the homeopathic Group B was rare and there was a
slight increase in libido with the majority of women.
Over all the study proved that PMS and Menopausal
complaints could be treated with homeopathic protocols more effectively and
safely than conventional drug and HRT protocols with none of their typical
side effects.
