Thursday 9 February 2012

Homeopathy defends itself from vested commercial interests

Wherever homeopathy is practiced, and it is now practised throughout the world, it is coming under attack. But where the commercial interests of the Conventional Medical Establishment (CME), led by Big Pharma, are strongest, the attacks are strongest. In the UK, anti-homeopathy rhetoric takes many forms:

* Attacks on the scientific evidence base for homeopathy, which is now quite extensive, and increasing.
* Attacks on the evidence of its effectiveness in dealing with sick people, which is now huge.
* Attacks on university course that seek to teach homeopathy.
* Attacks on the ability of homeopaths to advertise what they do.
* Attacks on the handful of homeopathic hospitals in the UK.
* Attacks on homeopathy via the mainstream media, without being given the opportunity to respond.

It is clear that CME, and the Big Pharma companies, just don't want you to know how effective, how safe, and how inexpensive homeopathy is!

Dr Brian Kaplan defends homeopathy in this video - although it is probably true that homeopathy needs defending only against one thing - ignorance!

Certainly, if it was left to patients to determine the medical treatment they wanted, the growth of homeopathy would be even more rapid. This is why Dr Andrew Sikorski, in this article, argues that there should be more public consultation about homeopathy and 'complementary' therapies. Of course, CME will not permit this as they realise not only the ConMed is failing (see series of blogs on this website), but that homeopathy is gaining in popularity.

When people are asked about homeopathy, they are usually impressed. This article covers several situations in which this has been done in recent years. The experience of the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital, described here, is important - because this hospital is now facing two local Primary Care Trust who have unilaterally, and without consultation, decided to refuse to refer patients here anymore. So much for the Government's policy of 'Patient Choice', and the idea that there should be 'do decision about me without me'!

Yet despite the best efforts of CME to undermine it, homeopathy continues to thrive, with increasing numbers of people moving away from drug-based medicine to homeopathy, and other safer, more effective medical therapies.

These figures, from the USA, the home of the largest Big Pharma companies, demonstrate something of this increase in popularity.

And in response to attacks on Australian universities, which offer courses on CAM therapies, this professor states that 80% of people in Australia are seeking alternative treatments.

And no wonder. This Canadian article suggests that some 70% of patients using homeopathy 'experienced improvement'. Most homeopaths I have met have suggested the same sort of percentage - something I suspect the CME would die for!

And it is not just humans that can discover the benefits of homeopathy - animals too respond well. Indeed, as this article states, many vets are now turning to homeopathy.

And again, no wonder. Antibiotics are now failing on our farms. And homeopathy is now being put forward as a safer (for animals, and meat consumers), more effective replacement to them. And see here too.

The time for homeopathy is coming. There is nothing in homeopathy, our detractors often tell us. But there very definitely is something, and something very important, in homeopathy - and despite being under constant attack, more and more people are finding out for themselves! Perhaps the attacks draw attention to us. After all, there is no such thing as bad publicity!