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The placebo response is about far more than the pills - it is about the cultural meaning of a treatment, our expectation, and more. So we know that four sugar pills a day will clear up ulcers quicker than two sugar pills, we know that a saltwater injection is a more effective treatment for pain than a sugar pill, we know that green sugar pills are more effective for anxiety than red, and we know that brand packaging on painkillers increases pain relief.
There's nothing wrong with it, unless you're sick then there's that whole messy ethical argument about giving people false hope and stuff...
As long as they can't get married, I'm fine with it.
As long as they can't get married, I'm fine with it.
Wonderful column.
"Homeopathy was invented before we knew what atoms were, or how many there are, or how big they are. It has not changed its belief system in light of this information."
It's going to be tough for me to prescribe antibiotics for something like a sinus infection. I know that homeopathic medicines work great and do not have the side effects antibiotics have. Can I tell you why? No. But as long as it works I'm happy.
This is a very interesting question. I was born and raised in a European country where homepathy is big. Homeopaths first have to have a medical degree and residency and then specialize in homeopathy. I have been cured with hoemopathy for my whole life, influenzas, colds, skin rushes, infections of any kind, and so on. Homeopaths also do not believe in vaccinations for the youngs (besides obviously hepatitis, polio, and the such). So I never got vaccinated for the flu, measles, mumps, rubella chicken pox and had all of them. The only time I took an antibiotic was after kidney stones.
I have been working in a public school for the last 4 yrs and never got the influenza (even when the whole school was out with it), never had to call out sick. I do believe that letting the body fight against diseases early in life makes its immune system a lot stronger (well of course within certain limits).
It's going to be tough for me to prescribe antibiotics for something like a sinus infection. I know that homeopathic medicines work great and do not have the side effects antibiotics have. Can I tell you why? No. But as long as it works I'm happy.
This is a very interesting question. I was born and raised in a European country where homepathy is big. Homeopaths first have to have a medical degree and residency and then specialize in homeopathy. I have been cured with hoemopathy for my whole life, influenzas, colds, skin rushes, infections of any kind, and so on. Homeopaths also do not believe in vaccinations for the youngs (besides obviously hepatitis, polio, and the such). So I never got vaccinated for the flu, measles, mumps, rubella chicken pox and had all of them. The only time I took an antibiotic was after kidney stones.
I have been working in a public school for the last 4 yrs and never got the influenza (even when the whole school was out with it), never had to call out sick. I do believe that letting the body fight against diseases early in life makes its immune system a lot stronger (well of course within certain limits).
It's going to be tough for me to prescribe antibiotics for something like a sinus infection. I know that homeopathic medicines work great and do not have the side effects antibiotics have. Can I tell you why? No. But as long as it works I'm happy.
What I'd like to point out though is that a lot of people, especially abroad, take homeopathic drugs for a wide spectrum of diseases and they work well.
This is a very interesting question. I was born and raised in a European country where homepathy is big. Homeopaths first have to have a medical degree and residency and then specialize in homeopathy. I have been cured with hoemopathy for my whole life, influenzas, colds, skin rushes, infections of any kind, and so on. Homeopaths also do not believe in vaccinations for the youngs (besides obviously hepatitis, polio, and the such). So I never got vaccinated for the flu, measles, mumps, rubella chicken pox and had all of them. The only time I took an antibiotic was after kidney stones.
I have been working in a public school for the last 4 yrs and never got the influenza (even when the whole school was out with it), never had to call out sick. I do believe that letting the body fight against diseases early in life makes its immune system a lot stronger (well of course within certain limits).
It's going to be tough for me to prescribe antibiotics for something like a sinus infection. I know that homeopathic medicines work great and do not have the side effects antibiotics have. Can I tell you why? No. But as long as it works I'm happy.
Getting chicken pox the normal way sets you up for shingles when you are older and that's not a good thing.
What I'd like to point out though is that a lot of people, especially abroad, take homeopathic drugs for a wide spectrum of diseases and they work well.
Getting chicken pox the normal way sets you up for shingles when you are older and that's not a good thing.
The fact that they are widely used, I can accept.
The fact that they work well? Bollocks.
Well, I am here telling you they work on me. I have no reason to lie to you.
I'm trying to find the % of people using them in different countries to see actually how widely spread hoemopathic drugs are. If I find good sources I'll post them.
It doesnt matter what % of people do something. Most people are uneducated and not espically intelligent.
Edit: And the fact that you assure us all that it works, and expect us to believe you, show you have no idea how the scientific process, and medicine work. Ive seen patients come in and tell the surgeon I was shadowing that "no way did my smoking cause my heart attack. Smoking relaxes me!"
It seems to me that you want to hear only what you think it's right. You are entitled to your opinion. I don't expect you to believe anything. I am just describing my experience. If you think that homeopathic medicines never work you are in denial though.
I doubt you're going to get anyone on here to agree with you on this one.
I'm not here to put down your beliefs or what you seem to have experienced in the past, but unless you're going to say that it works by magic or through spiritual mechanisms, there there is no scientific basis or evidence that it works beyond just the usual possible placebo effect. Studies looking at the studies that DID show some effect have found numerous design flaws in them.
I'll also add that if it is supposed to work through the mechanisms that people say it works through that it should be able to be put through the properly designed tests and trials and show a significant effect.
I personally am religious and like to think that I have a fairly open mind, but when it comes religion and someone's beliefs there's a point where something just can not be "scientifically" tested due to the nature of it.....you're getting into faith and beliefs. So if homeopathy wants to be lumped into that "category" then fine, but I think it's silly to insist that it works the way it does and to market the remedies as true "drugs" with no scientific basis.
I was leafing through a 'principles of psychiatric diagnosis' book (which included lots of pretty pictures of pills and such), and it was funny...in the 'alternative medicine and therapy' chapter, it had osteopathy listed right underneath oriental medicine. lol.
Just keep in mind that there are people out there who succesfully use homeopathic drugs for many everyday diseases. And we are not all stupid and uneducated....
Does the vaccine avoid the possibility of shingles? I had two professors who couldn't agree on this. It's a live attenuated vaccine, the question is, is it attenuated enough so that reactivation isn't possible?
It seems to me that you want to hear only what you think it's right. You are entitled to your opinion. I don't expect you to believe anything. I am just describing my experience. If you think that homeopathic medicines never work you are in denial though.