HOMEOPATHIC MYTHS, PLACEBO, SCIENTIFIC FACTS ETC.

Myths: not in the sense of a fairytale, but in the sense of something falsely believed

'It's Placebo'..
The placebo effect exists, no one is denying that, but homeopathy does not rely on it.
Give someone the wrong remedy and it doesn't work. Give them the right one and it does.
If you have ever treated a screaming child in the middle of the night you will know this when the first remedy doesn't work (no placebo effect) but (when right remedy is chosen) the second choice does, and fast.
You have to select the correct remedy (unlike placebo)
It works if the recipient doesn't know they're taking it.(unlike placebo)
It works on babies and on animals.(unlike placebo)

'It's too dilute to be scientific'..
Those that decry homeopathy as unscientific are unqualified to make the judgment. Some scientists of a certain calibre say homeopathic remedies are too dilute for it to be scientifically possible to have any effect. They state this in ignorance of modern science, (and despite radium being detectable up to the 60th potency!) and base their understanding on outmoded paradigms. Homeopathy is not unscientific by dint of their inability to understand it. Speak to those that deal with quantum physics and they will tell you that not only is homeopathy plausible but it is perfectly in accord with modern science, specially in regard to resonance.

'Homeopathic remedies act slowly'..
Homeopathy can act dramatically and within seconds in urgent or high energy situations. The speed of cure will always depend on the patient and the nature of the problem.

'Homeopathy is just for mild or emotional conditions'...
Cholera, Typhus or Yellow fever are among conditions treated effectively by homeopathy. See 'quotes'

'Homeopathy isn't for first aid'..
Oh yes it is! It works wonders in cases of sprains and strains, contusions and concussions, burns and scalds, sunburn, bites and stings, blister, toothache, bleeding, hiccoughs etc.
See the Ailments section.

'Homeopathy only treats certain diseases'..
The scope of homeopathic therapy is so vast that it's difficult to think of any condition that cannot benefit from it.

'Homeopathy can cure everything under the sun'
Homeopathy can certainly cure a lot of illness, at least a wide a range as any other medical system, and some conditions that other systems cannot treat (obviating the need for surgery), but with such a good track record it would be unfair to criticise it for not solving every case put before it. No medical system can claim that.

'Homeopathy is like herbalism'...
No it isn't.
See the WHAT MADE LINK.

'Homeopathy is expensive'...
The cost of homeopathy compares favourably with other forms of private health care e.g. acupuncture, dentistry.

'Vaccination is the same as homeopathy'..
No it isn't.
For any given disease, vaccination uses the same identical disease to try to prevent it.(with the one exception of smallpox). Homeopathy uses substances with a similar sphere of action, not an identical substance.
Vaccinations use physical quantities of disease material, whereas homeopathic remedies are diluted beyond Avogadro's limit (i.e. don't contain any molecules of the original substance)
Vaccinations contain foreign substances (e.g. egg albumin, felt, mercury) necessary in the production of the vaccine plus excipients and preservatives. Homeopathy doesn't.
Vaccinations are injected directly into the body, bypassing several of the body's defence mechanisms. Homeopathy isn't
Vaccinations have the potential for allergic reaction, Homeopathy doesn't.

'Homeopathy uses dowsing'..
Some homeopaths may use an additional therapy or technique which is not homeopathy, but the public may think it is, because it's a homeopath using it.
e.g. dowsing, kinesiology, allergy testing, iridology, nutritional supplements, etc.
These are extra therapies offered by the homeopath but they are not strictly homeopathy and shouldn't be confused with homeopathy. Homeopathy is the matching of a patient's symptoms to a homeopathic remedy according to principles laid down in the Organon

'Homeopathy is some vague term that can be applied to sell alternative things'..
If something does not fit the criteria laid down in the Organon then it is not homeopathy. If someone does not fit the criteria laid down in the National Occupational Standards UK for a homeopath then they are not a homeopath.

'It's quackery'
I can forgive those that make such comments out of simple ignorance, but those who deliberately set out to denigrate homeopathy likely do so from the same blind arrogance that existed in Hahnemanns time; they find homeopathy too much of a threat to their narrow-mindedness. Don't they realise how silly they look to homeopaths when they pompously try to make fun of homeopathy with examples that betray their inability to grasp fairly simple concepts?

'It's hokem pokem, mumbo jumbo,'
Born of ignorance and fear of the unknown.

'It's anti-christian, spawn of the devil'
See above. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that people express such views even in our 'modern' times, but I have actually heard it proclaimed and am baffled by the contradiction and hypocrisy of the assertion. Surely a belief based on love and faith should not be so easily overruled by fear?

'It's not scientifically proven'..
Are 'scientific' trials on homeopathy valid? The so called 'scientific' trials undertaken to date to determine the efficacy of homeopathy have been flawed in their methodology. They have been based on allopathic precepts and conducted either with complete disregard for homeopathic principles, or with pseudo homeopathic methodology employed. One can easily make homeopathy appear to be scientifically ineffective by engaging methods to test it which are diametrically opposed to the principles upon which it is based. Incidentally quite a proportion of allopathic medicines fail the same scientific trials even though they do subscribe to the same paradigm, so the only thing these tests do prove is that scientific validity has never been the yardstick for medicine. Perhaps it's time to look at the real evidence - cured patients.
ps. 'scientists' are always in contention anyway so if there's no agreement there how can we guage 'scientific' opinion?

'Alternative medicine is unregulated and potentially dangerous'..
Do research on the internet and see how many people are killed each year by legally prescribed allopathic medicines; are the figures cause for concern?*** You tell me. Yet in the press and other media, the safety of homeopathy and the integrity of its practitioners are being questioned. Doesn't that strike you as odd as no one has been killed by homeopathy?

Ask yourself what the real agenda is here; who is it exactly that sponsors these mud slinging exercises, which industry is losing money to alternative medicine, and are the media that report it, independent? Ask whether these studies are being funded out of a genuine interest to further understanding of homeopathy for the public's benefit or whether they're disingenuous and sponsored by those with a vested interest. Ask who would benefit from discrediting it, by any means? Then ask yourself whether you want these people to make your mind up for you or whether you're not controlled by others.

Homeopathy is self regulated by members of CORH , who have strict codes of ethics and practice, and are working toward statutory regulation.

'I can't use something I don't understand'..
Do we insist on understanding everything before we accept it? What about Gravity? We know it keeps us on the ground but do any of us understand gravity at the level of particle physics? What about things we use everyday: electricity, microwave ovens, cell phones, do we really understand how they work?

Does aspirin work? How do we know, where did we get the information from? Someone told us then we tried it. Simple, nothing to do with understanding how it actually works. Our life is full of things we use but don't understand but use anyway, we just accept them.

So why this need to 'understand homeopathy' before trying it? If we don't want to try it -fine! But are we sure it's because we need to understand it first? If we really do want to understand it, the solution's simple: really study it!

And so on in the media..

***According to Robin Murphy ND‘allopathic prescribed drugs kill 120,000 people a year, and these are the reported cases only’.in ’Homeopathic Toxicology’ - Homeopathy in Practice October 2002 (presumably referring to the USA-Ed)
Acording to a recent article in the Journal of the Americam Medical Association the figure is nearer 250,000 <http://www.mercola.com/2000/jul/30/doctors_death.htm>