And what if we talk about homeopathy …

Below is an article on homeopathy, entitled “What if we talk about homeopathy…” and signed by two experts: Christiane Laberge, MD, family physician, communicator and health speaker and, in research collaboration, Rachel Roberts, CEO of the Homeopathy Research Institute (HRI) in the United Kingdom.

This article was just published in the Winter 2023 edition of Montréal en Santé magazine. It can be found on pages 12 and 13. V15N1 Hiver | Winter 2023 by Montréal enSanté – Issuu

 

Today, let’s address homeopathy in the integrative approach of health and vision of diseases. Indeed, how many of our patients dare not talk about the use of complementary approaches such as acupuncture, osteopathy, naturopathy or homeopathy, to our conventional treatments, for fear of our exclusive judgment.

What is the most widely used homeopathic medicine, for several centuries, by the general public, because of its effectiveness? Of course, we are talking about Arnica Montana. What is it used for? In all traumas, injuries or surgery that may cause hematoma or ecchymosis, i.e., any type of blood effusion.

First, let us recall that the word homeopathy originates from the Greek “homeos pathos”, meaning “the similar suffering”. The substances that cause this “similar suffering” are chosen as medicines and typically derive from the plant, mineral or animal sources. They are then potentized in centesimal Hahnemannian, i.e., 1 ml must be potentized in 99 ml then 1 ml of this dilution in 99 ml and so on for each subsequent CH¹. In addition, the liquid product must be vigorously shaken (the succussion) at each step of dilution to obtain the potentization. This is where the difficulty lies in proving its effectiveness from a chemical point of view. Yet, many studies provide evidence of the biological action of homeopathy and its effectiveness.²

Indeed, it surprises many people to discover that there is high quality scientific evidence showing homeopathy to be effective – not only in humans³ but also in animals⁴ and plants⁵. Considering homeopathic Arnica specifically, a number of promising studies have been carried out on this well-known medicine. ^6-9

So our patients will use Arnica Montana prior to undergoing surgery with the potential for bleeding or bruising, a prime example being rhinoplasty or other nasal repair, where black eyes in patients are a common side effect. Arnica is given in 9CH, 12CH or 15CH, depending on the patient’s history, in 5 pellets according to the indication and the patient will adjust dosages according to improvement. So, we could say 5 pellets every 15-30 minutes for the first 2 hours then every 2 hours for the first day and 4 times per day as needed for the pain on the following days. Arnica Montana is also widely used in plastic surgery and for all types of trauma. If you have a sprained ankle or a fall with contusion, you can take Arnica Montana, unlikely to cause side effects or drug interactions and thus reduce bruising and internal bleeding.

The pellets can also be dissolved in water and absorbed through the mucous membrane of the mouth. No intoxication is possible due to the dilution. This type of treatment is suitable for both children and the elderly. In addition, a study has shown that no delay in traditional medical consultation was observed following the use of the use of homeopathic treatment.¹⁰

In conclusion, homeopathic treatment can be used safely with any other type of treatment. This is the beauty of integrative medicine, which allows the combination of several approaches for the ultimate well-being of the patient.  

About the author:

CHRISTIANE LABERGE, M.D. Family physician since 1977, broadcaster in writing, radio and television with Videotron, Radio-Canada, Cogéco 985 fm and its regional stations since 1999, Dr. Laberge is also a speaker on global health, traditional family medicine and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), both for the health professional community and the general public.

 

Collaboration en matière de recherche

RACHEL ROBERTS, BSc(Hons) MCH RSHom FSHom FFHom(Hon) The Chief Executive of the Homeopathy Research Institute (HRI), Ms. Roberts has a First-Class Honours degree in Biological Sciences specialising in Physiology from the University of Birmingham. She graduated from the College of Homeopathy, London in 1997 and was in private practice as a homeopath until 2012. She subsequently lectured in homeopathy and medical sciences at various colleges in the UK and overseas before joining HRI. Since then, Ms Roberts has been awarded Honorary Fellowships by the Society of Homeopaths and Faculty of Homeopathy (UK), in acknowledgement of her highly regarded work in the fields of homeopathy and homeopathic research respectively.

Homeopathy Research Institute | HRI (hri-research.org)  

 

Here is the article in detail Article Montréal en Santé  

 

Sources :

1. Histoire de L’homéopathie / Qu’est-ce-que l’homéopathie ? – Syndicat professionnel des homéopathes du Québec – Histoire – Syndicat Professionnel des homéopathes du Québec (sphq.org) ; Qu’est-ce que l’homéopathie? – Syndicat Professionnel des homéopathes du Québec (sphq.org) ; « Homeopathy: what is it? ? » – Quebec Coalition for Homeopathy (QCFH) – https://cphq.ca/en/2022/11/23/homeopathy-what-is-it/
2. HRI Essential Evidence : https://www.hri-research.org/resources/essentialevidence/experimental-research/
3. HRI Homeopathy FAQs: https://www.hri-research.org/resources/homeopathy-faqs/scientific-evidence-for-homeopathy/
4. Harrer B. Replication of an experiment on extremely diluted thyroxine andhighland amphibians. Homeopathy,2013; 102(1):25-303
5. Ücker A, Baumgartner S, Martin D, Jäger T. Critical evaluation of specific efficacy of preparations produced according to European Pharmacopeia monograph 2371. Biomedicines 2022 Feb 25;10(3):552.
6. Marzotto M, Arruda-Silva F, Bellavite P. Fibronectin Gene Up-regulation by Arnica montana in Human Macrophages: Validation by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay. Homeopathy. 2020 Aug;109(3):140-145.
7. Das S, Saha SK, De A, Das D, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Potential of the homeopathic remedy, Arnica Montana 30C, to reduce DNA damage in Escherichia coli exposed to ultraviolet irradiation through up-regulation of nucleotide excision repair genes. Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2012 Mar;10(3):337-46.
8. Sorrentino L, Piraneo S, Riggio E et al. Is there a role for homeopathy in breast cancer surgery? A first randomized clinical trial on treatment with Arnica montanato reduce post-operative seroma and bleeding in patients undergoing total mastectomy. J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2017 Jan 3;6(1):1-8.
9. Lotan, A.M, Gronovich, Y, Lysy, I et al.Arnica montanaand Bellis perennis for seroma reduction following mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction: randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled trial. Eur J Plast Surg. 2020. 43, 285–294
10. La pratique médicale homéopathique démontre son utilité : la preuve par EPI3, EGORA, Février 2015. Homéopathie : l’étude EPI 3 prouve son efficience | egora.fr