Homeopathy and Integrative Medicine: a scientific and logical choice
According to the Integrative Medicine Consortium, Integrative Medicine (IM) and health reaffirm the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focus on the whole person, are informed by evidence, and make use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare professionals and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.
This statement is in accordance with the duty of every physician to seek to cure and potentially heal in the safest, quickest, least harmful and most permanent way. In order to achieve this, physicians need in-depth experimental and practical knowledge of the curative effects of medical substances and of any therapeutic method they choose to use. They must have good clinical knowledge and an understanding of what needs to be treated in each individual case and practice medicine in accordance with the principles of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM). The principles of EBM are that the physician needs to rely on the best-available evidence and on his or her clinical experience and respects the preferences and needs of each patient.
An experiment in Tuscany, Italy, clearly showed that outcomes improved, when homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine and diet, with lifestyle adaptations were added to the normal services offered in two public hospitals. Due to its success, this IM project has since been made available in three more hospitals.
High-quality research is available which clearly demonstrates that integrating homeopathic medicine can help with the treatment of premenstrual syndrome, irritable bowel, lung and breast cancers (improving outcomes of breast surgery); it is also demonstrably helpful in aquaculture and pig farming.
These improved outcomes were possible only due to constructive and respectful cooperation between physicians with different specialties and by adapting mainstream real-life medicine models such as the Edmonton and VAS scales in the public health setting. Such successful cooperation is to be expected since the mission of every physician at the bedside of the patient is the same, whatever their specialism.
New knowledge from system-biology, system thinking and the recognition of quantum physics phenomena in biology clearly shows that there is more to life than can be understood through classical biochemistry and physics. Modern medicine has made huge progress based on classical biochemistry and physics but there is now a widespread recognition of its limitations, especially in the treatment of chronic conditions. This has resulted in the development of Integrative Medicine (IM), personalised medicine and One Health (OH).
Furthermore, a substantial section of the population wishes to use traditional and complementary medicines, homeopathy being one of the more popular. It is a requirement of Evidence-Based Medicine that the preferences and values of the patient be considered. Non-conventional approaches may also play a role in reducing the negative effects of medication on both patients and the environment.
ECH represents medical doctors (both GPs and specialists), dentists, veterinary surgeons, pharmacists, researchers and agronomists, with additional qualifications and expertise in homeopathy, acquired in order to increase their ability to help patients and to improve agricultural methods. The homeopathic community seeks to build on existing high-quality research and to further establish the role which homeopathic prescribing can play in a clinical setting. Since the physical and biological effects of highly diluted homeopathically prepared medicines have been clearly demonstrated, such research need not encounter any obstacles. The World Health Organisation and the One Health High-Level Expert Panel state that, following One Health principles, all disciplines and sectors must come together to foster health in people, animals and the environment.
The expert application of homeopathic principles should be examined to further establish its effectiveness in patients with both acute and chronic diseases, aiming at reducing the level of illness and discovering the benefits it brings to the science of the patient-doctor relationship.
ECH believes that, in the interest of the population, it is necessary to strive towards the development of One Medicine, where all available medical approaches cooperate collaboratively, based on high-quality research including real-world data, basic laboratory and translational research, in order to deliver the best possible medical approach for each patient. One Medicine should aim to build bridges between the biochemical realities and non-linear complexities of life and the individualities of patients, while at the same time recognizing that both realities are valuable but may need essentially different approaches. Existing illness models can be used to underpin this process.
One Medicine is a concept where medicine can be practiced as an art, supported by good research and science aimed at improving treatment outcomes, reducing the burden of chronic illness and ensuring better health for all.
This executive summary highlights some of the reasons why the medical and research communities should consider the benefit that homeopathy can bring to the health sector. The WHO states that the contribution of traditional and complementary medicines needs to be maximized in order to improve health. This is recognized in the Gujarat declaration of August 2023.
The following articles provide background, evidence and narratives to explain and support the statements made above.
