As Dana Ulman reports in the Huffington post, "homeopathy is widely recognized as one of the safest methods of medicine". Now a report from the Swiss government has also confirmed "the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of homeopathic treatment".
The Swiss "Health Technology Assessment" has performed a thorough analysis of a wide variety of clinical studies and laboratory research. The study examines the relative costs and most cost effective choice for treating a range of illnesses and problems. It is described as "the most comprehensive review to date of any governmental body on the scientific evidence on homeopathic medicine".
Homeopathy is 15% more cost effective than other treatments
The study concludes the total costs for practitioners who specialised in homeopathic medicine showed, overall, a 15.4 percent reduction in overall health care costs compared with those who practiced conventional medicine as well as those who practiced complementary and alternative medicine treatments other than homeopathic.
A wide range of illnesses treated
The study looked at the use of homeopathy compared with other treatments across a wide range of illnesses and problems. Specific health problems addressed more cost effectively by homeopathy included:
- female fertility
- rheumatoid arthritis
- otitis media
- respiratory allergies
- dyspepsia.
The effectiveness of homeopathic treatment of women experiencing fertility problems as compared with women seeking conventional medical care was particularly notable. Furthermore, a study of children with upper respiratory tract infections had fewer recurrences and lower antibiotic consumption than children using conventional treatment.
Rheumatic disorders
"An economic assessment of 569 patients with rheumatic disorders found that 29 percent could stop taking their conventional medications, 33 percent could reduce their dependence on drugs, and only 6 percent chose to increase their medication once homeopathic treatment began."
Other benefits
As well as being cost effective, the Swiss study found other benefits of homeopathic treatement for patients.
The report also noted reductions in indirect costs, including fewer days off from sickness and better quality of patient-physician relationships. There were also fewer adverse side effects with physicians who practiced CAM.
Overall this 2011 Swiss government study is a strong endorsement of homeopathy. It echoes the findings of one of the first studies to compare homeopathic and conventional medical treatment (Bradford, 1900). This also found that patients benfitted from homeopathic medicines in the treatment of the many feared infectious diseases of the day, including cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, scarlet fever, pneumonia, and influenza.
Read more at the Hufffington Post https://www.huffpost.com/entry/homeopathic-medicine-_b_1258607
