Homeopathy, does it work?

[pjclinch]

Here's a good piece on homeopathy, discussion of it, and placebos

[reohn2]

I read the wykepedia article about homeopathy, it is likened to religion, something else we do not understand

It's possible we understand both, but we can't be totally sure the hypothesis of "imagining mechanisms to help our world make sense to us" is correct.

It is entirely likely that the real thing Samuel Hahnemann hit on was that the "medicine" of the day was quackery and minimising the amount of intervention would improve matters from where they stood. It is also on the cards that there is no therapeutic effect involved in the homeopathic process in particular.

We don't understandhow placebos work, but we do know that they do work. However, you don't need to do lots of extreme dilution, hit things with sticks etc. to get a useful placebo. While homeopathy might be a placebo, a placebo can be anything stood in for a notionally therapeutic agent/process. There would still be placebos without homeopathy, but making the reverse claim would be on rather thin ice.

Pete.

AFAICS homeopathy is like religion in that there's someone with "the knowledge" the answer to the problem,the solution is belief in the knowledge.
The problems begin when "the knowledge" that someone has doesn't overcome the problem,the placebo may work for some who believe,but when it doesn't the house falls down.
The case of homeopathy being of it's time in a world of quackery by presenting the patient with more believable quackery,and worse still the knowledgeable one may even believe it themselves without a solid scientific basis means that either homeopathy has plugged into something science hasn't understood yet or it's a placebo for believers in it.
IMO it's the latter and me being a none believer it won't work unless it really is the former

[roubaixtuesday]

IMO it's the latter and me being a none believer it won't work unless it really is the former

Fascinatingly, as posted above, placebos can be shown to have an effect even when both doctor and patient both know they are placebos!

[pjclinch]

IMO it's the latter and me being a none believer it won't work unless it really is the former

Fascinatingly, as posted above, placebos can be shown to have an effect even when both doctor and patient both know they are placebos!

Indeed. The more you look at placebos the more they are very deeply odd, and so it's probably unwise to make too many assumptions about them. I suspect this is true about a lot of psychology.

Pete.

[Mike Sales]

I am thinking of treating my knee inflammation according to Hippocrates's Theory of Humours.
Does anyone know of a good practitioner? Though perhaps it does not matter whether s/he is any good and just going to see them would do the trick.
Perhaps I should use crystals instead. I hear they are very fashionable at the moment.

[roubaixtuesday]

I am thinking of treating my knee inflammation according to Hippocrates's Theory of Humours.

Should sort out your funny bone at least.

[Vorpal]

I am thinking of treating my knee inflammation according to Hippocrates's Theory of Humours.

Should sort out your funny bone at least.

[Mike Sales]

I am thinking of treating my knee inflammation according to Hippocrates's Theory of Humours.

Should sort out your funny bone at least.

You make me wish the problem was in my elbow.

[horizon]

I am thinking of treating my knee inflammation according to Hippocrates's Theory of Humours.
Does anyone know of a good practitioner? Though perhaps it does not matter whether s/he is any good and just going to see them would do the trick.
Perhaps I should use crystals instead. I hear they are very fashionable at the moment.

It would be genuinely interesting if you actually did visit a homeopath and then report back on the experience. It would cost about £80.00 I think plus perhaps a follow-up appointment. I would certainly be interested in what you have to say about it.

[Mike Sales]

It would be genuinely interesting if you actually did visit a homeopath and then report back on the experience. It would cost about £80.00 I think plus perhaps a follow-up appointment. I would certainly be interested in what you have to say about it.

You remind me of a long past episode when I knew an Acid victim who thought he was Jesus.
He said, "You don't need those crutches, Mike, walk without them."
I could only tell him that I lacked enough faith.
£80 plus travel etc. is more than I would spend on a whim. Maybe I could find another type of charlatan in Boston, and get there on my bus pass.

[belgiangoth]

1 - Placebos have proven efficiency, they work better if there is more ceremony to them (e.g. consultation as opposed to "over the counter") and injections work better than pills.
2 - Homeopathy relies on "the memory of water" which is "hocum". It can be an effective placebo however.
3 - Homeopathy is not the same thing as herbal/natural remedies. There are a number of natural/herbal remedies that basically provide medicine in an un-refined form.
4 - If "complimentary medicine" were proven to work it would just be called "medicine".
5 - any long established "complimentary medicine" is probably a good placebo.

[horizon]

It would be genuinely interesting if you actually did visit a homeopath and then report back on the experience. It would cost about £80.00 I think plus perhaps a follow-up appointment. I would certainly be interested in what you have to say about it.

You remind me of a long past episode when I knew an Acid victim who thought he was Jesus.
He said, "You don't need those crutches, Mike, walk without them."
I could only tell him that I lacked enough faith.
£80 plus travel etc. is more than I would spend on a whim. Maybe I could find another type of charlatan in Boston, and get there on my bus pass.

I wasn't suggesting that you try it and be pleasantly surprised, I was suggesting that we all on here might be genuinely interested in any experience/observations you might have, negative or whatever.

[Mike Sales]

I think you missed my point.

Not really.

[horizon]

1 - Placebos have proven efficiency, they work better if there is more ceremony to them (e.g. consultation as opposed to "over the counter") and injections work better than pills.
2 - Homeopathy relies on "the memory of water" which is "hocum". It can be an effective placebo however.
3 - Homeopathy is not the same thing as herbal/natural remedies. There are a number of natural/herbal remedies that basically provide medicine in an un-refined form.
4 - If "complimentary medicine" were proven to work it would just be called "medicine".
5 - any long established "complimentary medicine" is probably a good placebo.

(In bold, point 3) Yes, this is correct.

BTW, homeopathy is generally referred to as a complementary medicine. "Complimentary medicine" is what you get on the NHS.

[horizon]

I think you missed my point.

Not really.

Post edited.