November 26, 2010 – People with rheumatoid arthritis who see a homeopath may owe their pain relief to consultation rather than homeopathic remedies.
A team of British researchers1 determined that the remedies prescribed by a homeopath to relieve pain caused by inflammation of the joints would be ineffective, that is to say, comparable to taking a placebo.
In return, the simple fact of consulting a homeopathic specialist, who listens and shows empathy, would be enough for patients to feel a reduction in arthritis pain.
The study1 involved 83 people who were receiving conventional medication to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The participants were divided into 2 groups: with consultations and without consultations. In each of these groups, they unwittingly received either a placebo or a complex remedy, that is to say a mixture of 5 plant extracts and minerals. An individualized remedy was also prescribed for a subset of patients in consultation. Only 56 patients completed their treatment.
Results? Participants who had a series of 5 homeopathic consultations over a 24-week period reported significant clinical benefit regardless of whether they ingested a complex or individualized remedy, or a placebo.
Patients who were prescribed the complex remedy, but without consulting a homeopath, reported no decrease in pain, inflammation and swelling associated with their disease, nor any improvement in their mood.
Speaking and listening with empathy, understanding and hope, according to the study’s authors, explains why a personalized consultation would be enough to help a sick patient feel better. In this regard, homeopathic consultation is relevant for both patients and clinicians, they point out.
The opinion of a homeopath
Michel Groleau
For the pharmacist and homeopath Michel Groleau, the study is interesting insofar as it separates things between the consultation and the homeopathic remedy. “The consultation process is the basis of homeopathy. It makes it possible to choose the right remedy based not only on the symptoms of the disease, but also on the physical constitution of the patient, ”he explains.
This homeopathic specialist, however, has reservations about the demonstration of the ineffectiveness of homeopathic remedies in the present study. On the one hand, the sample is small; which does not allow, according to Mr. Groleau, to draw a clear conclusion on their effectiveness or not.
On the other hand, the complex remedy used by the researchers – Rheumaselect, which is not sold in Canada – may have played a role in the results of their work.
“There are a hundred remedies for inflammation. The main challenge for a homeopath is to find the right remedy or complex for a patient. Using another complex could have given completely different results, ”he says.
The effectiveness of homeopathic remedies has been the subject of much research with conflicting results. None to date, however, had considered the importance of consultation during homeopathic treatment.
According to the Arthritis Society, 300,000 Canadians have rheumatoid arthritis. It appears especially around 25 to 50 years old and affects 3 times more women than men.
Louis M. Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
1. Brien S, Lachance L et al. Homeopathy has clinical benefits in rheumatoid arthritis patients that are attributable to the consultation process but not the homeopathic remedy: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2010 Nov 13.
