Ok so this post has nothing to do with homeopathy but everything to do with health - so in an indirect way it does connect to homoepathy.
I haven't allowed a microwave in my house in over 10 years. They freak me out - who knows what all those invisible waves are doing to the molecules of my food, and are they really illegal in Russia? I've seen what can happen when you "nuke" an egg - boom! And is it any coincidence that we refer to microwaving food as nuking?
Anyways here's an interesting little article someone wrote
enjoy!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Fevers
So after teaching a workshop on Homeopathy for infants with a focus on fevers I found my little one sick, and slowly after a few days developing a fever. Being a first time mom faced with my first frightening fever I forgot all that I taught in my class, threw common sense out the window and started fretting over the "very high" 40 degree fever the baby was expressing.
I called my colleague and child's homeopath like 10 times that day, and despite his comforting words and warnings not to use any remedies unless the fever got really high (isn't 40 really high?). Of course I did not listen, and soon she was getting doses of chamomila, and belladonna. Eventually in fear of another sleepless night (as I also caught the cold and the fever) I resorted to Tylenol.
I'm happy to say baby has an vibrant life force which resisted all my attempts to suppress the fever. And after a couple of exhausting days and sleepless nights the fever resolved itself. Hurray! I hope I've learned my lesson and will avoid such silly parent behaviour next time I'm confronted with a fever.
So here's my advice in the face of a fever in an infant. Stay calm. According to the telehealth nurse there is no need to worry about a fever less than 40.6 degrees Celsius. And even then you're probably ok, but contact a Dr. just in case. And of course there are the common fever remedies such as Belladonna for a sudden high fever (yes higher than 40), Aconite for first stages of a cold or fever after exposure to cold and Ferrum Phos. for a low or medium fever that comes on slowly.
But if you can help it let the fever do its thing. This is a tool the body uses to heal itself, and who knows what can happen when you try to stop the body's innate ability to heal.
I called my colleague and child's homeopath like 10 times that day, and despite his comforting words and warnings not to use any remedies unless the fever got really high (isn't 40 really high?). Of course I did not listen, and soon she was getting doses of chamomila, and belladonna. Eventually in fear of another sleepless night (as I also caught the cold and the fever) I resorted to Tylenol.
I'm happy to say baby has an vibrant life force which resisted all my attempts to suppress the fever. And after a couple of exhausting days and sleepless nights the fever resolved itself. Hurray! I hope I've learned my lesson and will avoid such silly parent behaviour next time I'm confronted with a fever.
So here's my advice in the face of a fever in an infant. Stay calm. According to the telehealth nurse there is no need to worry about a fever less than 40.6 degrees Celsius. And even then you're probably ok, but contact a Dr. just in case. And of course there are the common fever remedies such as Belladonna for a sudden high fever (yes higher than 40), Aconite for first stages of a cold or fever after exposure to cold and Ferrum Phos. for a low or medium fever that comes on slowly.
But if you can help it let the fever do its thing. This is a tool the body uses to heal itself, and who knows what can happen when you try to stop the body's innate ability to heal.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Homeopathy, Scientific?
The following is a link to a letter written by Brian D. Josephson, a Nobel laureate and Welsh physicist. Here he succinctly critiques criticisms of Homeopathy, such as the idea that serial dilution is ridiculous while in fact the alleged power of the remedy is not contained in the original substance but rather in the modification of the water.
http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~bdj10/water.memory/ns/homeopathy.html
Monday, February 23, 2009
Save Homeopathy in the UK
Homeopathy is under attack in the UK. Why in the UK more than other places? I believe it's because Homeopathy is covered by the health care system and because it is one of the few western nations with Homeopathic Hospitals.
Many believe that pharmaceuticals have too much to loose to cheaper more effective Homeopathy, and are therefore fighting a dirty battle to discredit the work we do. They feed the public lies claiming that there is no evidence that Homeopathy works when there is a large amount of research available that shows Homeopathy has significant effects in vitro and in people. Check out www.homeonetresearch.ca
Others say that Big Pharma is retaliating in England for profit losses they have suffered in India thanks to the increasing popularity of Homeopathy there. In the United Kingdom they have more influence and can use their massive lobby presence as well as carefully planted naysayers in the public media to minimize access to and support for Homeopathy.
What this comes down to in the end is the right of the individual to choose the type of care they want, even if you don't believe in Homeopathy allow those who do have access to their choice of health care.
To support the movement to save Homeopathy in the UK please go to Homeopathy Worked For Me
To see some answers to typical criticisms of Homeopathy please click here
Answers to some objections to homeopathy
taken from Homeopathy worked for me
"There are no tests which have shown homeopathy to work"
To begin with we need to be clear about what we mean by tests, since homeopathy has been shown to work in a number of different types of test, and this myth generally refers only to randomised control trials (RCTs).
And this is where the lack of logic kicks in. Some conventional medical treatments cannot be tested using the RCT model, and so evidence of effectiveness is based on the clinical evidence of cases. One example is surgery, another is psychiatry, and it is even the case that some drugs are prescribed on the basis of clinical evidence, rather than on the evidence from RCTs. In addition, drugs are usually withdrawn on the basisof the clinical evidence revealing dangers not identified in the RCTs, so clinical evidence is actually considered more important in the evaluation of treatent than RCTs. Homeopathy has an unequaled level of detail in its case histories which makes it possible to verify the success of treatment by study of clinical practice, and there are also good reasons for it not being easily tested using RCTs. As a result the demand for evidence from RCTs is inappropriate and intended to distort the truth.
There are two particular reasons why homeopathy cannot be tested properly in RCTs:
The remedy has to be individualised. RCTs are based on giving the same treatment to a large number of people and looking at the results, compared with those for a group which has been given an "inactive" treatment. If you give the same remedy to a large number of people who nominally have the same illness, but whose individual symptoms do not indicate that the remedy is appropriate, then it is an "inactive" treatment for some proportion of those people. The result is that you are comparing an "inactive" treatment not with an "active" one, but with a combination of "active" and "inactive" treatments. This will dilute the difference between the groups and make the treatment appear ineffective.
The sequence of remedies has to be individualised. The best RCTs are generally conducted so that neither the patient nor the practitioner knows who is getting the "active" treatment and who the "inactive" one (double blind). In homeopathy, however, the practitioner needs to assess the patient's reaction to the previous remedy in order to decide how to proceed with the case. A lack of reaction to the remedy is important information as it may indicate that the wrong remedy or the wrong potency has been prescribed. Study of the case will lead to a decision about whether to change the remedy or potency. If the practitioner does not know whether the patient actually received the remedy, then it is impossible to make any accurate assessment of the case, and so the treatment becomes confused. This again will dilute the difference between the groups and make the treatment appear ineffective.
It is a measure of the power of homeopathy that even so there are trials which show it to be successful. A study of clinical trials of homeopathy by Kleijnen et al. (BMJ 1991; 302:316-323) concluded: ‘Overall, of the 105 trials with interpretable results, 81 trials (77%) indicated positive results.’ They also stated: ‘At the moment the evidence of clinical trials is positive but not sufficient to draw definite conclusions.’
"Homeopathy kills people"
This is a very new myth, and is literally impossible. Since the remedies stimulate the body's own healing processes, their action is precisely opposed to that of fatal illness. What is actually meant - is that homeopaths prevent or delay the use of "real" medicine, leading to a patient dying sooner than they might have done. In other words it is simply the argument that homeopathy is ineffective, dressed up in a more dramatic and particularly aggressive form. Only hypothetical evidence is ever produced to support this myth, since the truth is that generally patients come to homeopaths AFTER conventional treatment has failed, rather than before conventional treatment.
The truth is that even in the teeth of death, when nothing can be done to stop what is happening or to extend life, homeopathy can give relief and dignity to a person's last moments.
Many believe that pharmaceuticals have too much to loose to cheaper more effective Homeopathy, and are therefore fighting a dirty battle to discredit the work we do. They feed the public lies claiming that there is no evidence that Homeopathy works when there is a large amount of research available that shows Homeopathy has significant effects in vitro and in people. Check out www.homeonetresearch.ca
Others say that Big Pharma is retaliating in England for profit losses they have suffered in India thanks to the increasing popularity of Homeopathy there. In the United Kingdom they have more influence and can use their massive lobby presence as well as carefully planted naysayers in the public media to minimize access to and support for Homeopathy.
What this comes down to in the end is the right of the individual to choose the type of care they want, even if you don't believe in Homeopathy allow those who do have access to their choice of health care.
To support the movement to save Homeopathy in the UK please go to Homeopathy Worked For Me
To see some answers to typical criticisms of Homeopathy please click here
Answers to some objections to homeopathy
taken from Homeopathy worked for me
"There are no tests which have shown homeopathy to work"
To begin with we need to be clear about what we mean by tests, since homeopathy has been shown to work in a number of different types of test, and this myth generally refers only to randomised control trials (RCTs).
And this is where the lack of logic kicks in. Some conventional medical treatments cannot be tested using the RCT model, and so evidence of effectiveness is based on the clinical evidence of cases. One example is surgery, another is psychiatry, and it is even the case that some drugs are prescribed on the basis of clinical evidence, rather than on the evidence from RCTs. In addition, drugs are usually withdrawn on the basisof the clinical evidence revealing dangers not identified in the RCTs, so clinical evidence is actually considered more important in the evaluation of treatent than RCTs. Homeopathy has an unequaled level of detail in its case histories which makes it possible to verify the success of treatment by study of clinical practice, and there are also good reasons for it not being easily tested using RCTs. As a result the demand for evidence from RCTs is inappropriate and intended to distort the truth.
There are two particular reasons why homeopathy cannot be tested properly in RCTs:
The remedy has to be individualised. RCTs are based on giving the same treatment to a large number of people and looking at the results, compared with those for a group which has been given an "inactive" treatment. If you give the same remedy to a large number of people who nominally have the same illness, but whose individual symptoms do not indicate that the remedy is appropriate, then it is an "inactive" treatment for some proportion of those people. The result is that you are comparing an "inactive" treatment not with an "active" one, but with a combination of "active" and "inactive" treatments. This will dilute the difference between the groups and make the treatment appear ineffective.
The sequence of remedies has to be individualised. The best RCTs are generally conducted so that neither the patient nor the practitioner knows who is getting the "active" treatment and who the "inactive" one (double blind). In homeopathy, however, the practitioner needs to assess the patient's reaction to the previous remedy in order to decide how to proceed with the case. A lack of reaction to the remedy is important information as it may indicate that the wrong remedy or the wrong potency has been prescribed. Study of the case will lead to a decision about whether to change the remedy or potency. If the practitioner does not know whether the patient actually received the remedy, then it is impossible to make any accurate assessment of the case, and so the treatment becomes confused. This again will dilute the difference between the groups and make the treatment appear ineffective.
It is a measure of the power of homeopathy that even so there are trials which show it to be successful. A study of clinical trials of homeopathy by Kleijnen et al. (BMJ 1991; 302:316-323) concluded: ‘Overall, of the 105 trials with interpretable results, 81 trials (77%) indicated positive results.’ They also stated: ‘At the moment the evidence of clinical trials is positive but not sufficient to draw definite conclusions.’
"Homeopathy kills people"
This is a very new myth, and is literally impossible. Since the remedies stimulate the body's own healing processes, their action is precisely opposed to that of fatal illness. What is actually meant - is that homeopaths prevent or delay the use of "real" medicine, leading to a patient dying sooner than they might have done. In other words it is simply the argument that homeopathy is ineffective, dressed up in a more dramatic and particularly aggressive form. Only hypothetical evidence is ever produced to support this myth, since the truth is that generally patients come to homeopaths AFTER conventional treatment has failed, rather than before conventional treatment.
The truth is that even in the teeth of death, when nothing can be done to stop what is happening or to extend life, homeopathy can give relief and dignity to a person's last moments.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
2.5 Million Cubans Successfully Vaccinated with Homeopathic Remedies
At a recent conference in Cuba (Dec.2008) Homeopaths from around the world presented cases of successful homeopathic prophylaxis. One of the most impressive cases presented came from Cuba itself, thanks to trade embargoes, a country free from the pressures of the pharmaceutical lobby.
Cuba suffers from yearly epidemics of Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that can cause a variety of symptoms including: high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or a rash. If the disease is not treated, the patient could develop kidney damage, meningitis , liver failure, and respiratory distress. (according to the CDC)
According to a preliminary report by the Finlay Institute:
"On October November 2007, three provinces of the eastern region of Cuba were affected by strong rainfalls causing floods of big areas and several damages to sanitary and health systems. The risk of leptospirosis infection raised extremely dangerous levels with about 2 million of peoples exposed to potentially contaminated water.
Considering this situation, the Finlay Institute prepared a leptospira nosode 200 CH using 4 circulating strains and following international quality standards. A multidisciplinary team travelled to the affected regions to conduct the massive administration of the nosode. Coordinated action with public health system infrastructures allowed the administration of a preventive treatment consisting in two doses (7- 9 days apart) of the nosode to about 2,4 million of people (4,8 million of doses). The coverage of the intervention rose up to 95% percent of total population of the three provinces at risk."
The typical expectancy of illness would have been in the thousands even with allopathic vaccinations, along with many deaths. The problem with dispensing the usual allopathic vaccination was the high cost which prevented getting the vaccination to those most at risk, namely children, pregnant women and the elderly. The usual cost for vaccinating the population is around 3 million dollars for 2.5 million people.
Following the use of the homeopathic profilaxis made from the leptospirosis bacteria in August 2007 (a time of typical high incidence thanks to hurricane season)there were only 10 cases of leptospirosis and no deaths resulting from the disease. In all of 2008 there were no deaths and rates of infection never went over 10 people per month.
This is an important historical event as such immunization would not have been allowed anywhere else.
We eagerly await the full report.
For more information check out http://homeopathyresource.wordpress.com
Cuba suffers from yearly epidemics of Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that can cause a variety of symptoms including: high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or a rash. If the disease is not treated, the patient could develop kidney damage, meningitis , liver failure, and respiratory distress. (according to the CDC)
According to a preliminary report by the Finlay Institute:
"On October November 2007, three provinces of the eastern region of Cuba were affected by strong rainfalls causing floods of big areas and several damages to sanitary and health systems. The risk of leptospirosis infection raised extremely dangerous levels with about 2 million of peoples exposed to potentially contaminated water.
Considering this situation, the Finlay Institute prepared a leptospira nosode 200 CH using 4 circulating strains and following international quality standards. A multidisciplinary team travelled to the affected regions to conduct the massive administration of the nosode. Coordinated action with public health system infrastructures allowed the administration of a preventive treatment consisting in two doses (7- 9 days apart) of the nosode to about 2,4 million of people (4,8 million of doses). The coverage of the intervention rose up to 95% percent of total population of the three provinces at risk."
The typical expectancy of illness would have been in the thousands even with allopathic vaccinations, along with many deaths. The problem with dispensing the usual allopathic vaccination was the high cost which prevented getting the vaccination to those most at risk, namely children, pregnant women and the elderly. The usual cost for vaccinating the population is around 3 million dollars for 2.5 million people.
Following the use of the homeopathic profilaxis made from the leptospirosis bacteria in August 2007 (a time of typical high incidence thanks to hurricane season)there were only 10 cases of leptospirosis and no deaths resulting from the disease. In all of 2008 there were no deaths and rates of infection never went over 10 people per month.
This is an important historical event as such immunization would not have been allowed anywhere else.
We eagerly await the full report.
For more information check out http://homeopathyresource.wordpress.com
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Immortal Jellyfish
If a remedy of this little creature - Turritopsis nutricula - hasn't been proven I believe it's time. Who knew an animal actually exists that defies death and reverts to a colonial polyp stage to start again. Incarnation without demise!
Rajan Sankaran has recently put out a book on mollusks, and though this creature isn't a mollusk it would be an interesting addition to the book.
This remedy could be the ultimate sea remedy combining the themes. According to Massimo Mangialavori the link between sea life and the uterus is clear - how does an animal who lives in the sea and keeps reverting to infancy relate homeopathicaly to a human? Would it have medusa themes as the two creatures are related?
Sea remedy themes include isolation, difficulty communicating, aversion to company, desire for solitude, mood swings, issues of independence and dependence, grief, sadness, and depression
I challenge someone to do a proving of this remedy and I would love to help you out.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Ultimate Holiday Remedy
Technorati Profile
Nux Vomica, also known as Colubrina in Canada, is the most fantastic remedy made especially for the holidays. Not only is it hailed for its ability to cure hangovers it is well known to ease your tummy troubles after an evening of over indulgence. Heart burn, constipation, burping, tummy aches be gone!
One of the prescribing keynotes for nux vomica is ailments from stress - and what is more stressful than the holiday season - shopping, preparing loads of edibles, office parties, and dealing with demanding family members like that crazy uncle Bob or your overly critical mother.
So carry a vial of Nux Vomica 30C with you at all times and take in case of upset stomach due to overindulgence. To avoid the nasty hangover the next morning take 3 pellets under the tongue before bed and once again when you wake up in the morning. And when you stay cool under holiday pressures and avoid that horrific post party headache you'll know who to thank.
Happy Holidays
Nux Vomica, also known as Colubrina in Canada, is the most fantastic remedy made especially for the holidays. Not only is it hailed for its ability to cure hangovers it is well known to ease your tummy troubles after an evening of over indulgence. Heart burn, constipation, burping, tummy aches be gone!
One of the prescribing keynotes for nux vomica is ailments from stress - and what is more stressful than the holiday season - shopping, preparing loads of edibles, office parties, and dealing with demanding family members like that crazy uncle Bob or your overly critical mother.
So carry a vial of Nux Vomica 30C with you at all times and take in case of upset stomach due to overindulgence. To avoid the nasty hangover the next morning take 3 pellets under the tongue before bed and once again when you wake up in the morning. And when you stay cool under holiday pressures and avoid that horrific post party headache you'll know who to thank.
Happy Holidays
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