Special Dossier: “Scientific Evidence for Homeopathy” – Revista de Homeopatia, São Paulo Homeopathic Medical Association (APH) – Portuguese and English Editions

Special Dossier: “Scientific Evidence for Homeopathy”

In July 2017, to demystify the fallacy – or post-truth – asserting “there are no scientific evidence for homeopathy”, the Technical Chamber for Homeopathy, Regional Medical Council of the State of São Paulo (CREMESP, Brazil) published the Special Dossier “Evidências Científicas em Homeopatia”, available online in the scientific journal of the São Paulo Homeopathic Medical Association (APH), Revista de Homeopatia.

After this publication, in view of the request of homeopathic doctors and institutions from other countries, the Technical Chamber for Homeopathy, CREMESP, produced an edition of the dossier in English, “Scientific Evidence for Homeopathy”, which has just been made available online in the Revista de Homeopatia.

Encompassing 9 revisions (and 2 randomized clinical trials) on several lines of homeopathic research, containing hundreds of scientific articles published in various journals, this dossier highlights to the scientific and medical class, as well as to the general public, the state of the art of homeopathic research:

Content of the Portuguese Edition

• “Editorial: Aos que clamam pelas evidências científicas em homeopatia”
• “Homeopatia: um breve panorama desta especialidade médica”
• “Panorama mundial da educação médica em terapêuticas não convencionais”
• “Fundamentação científica do princípio de cura homeopático na farmacologia moderna”
• “A solidez da pesquisa básica em homeopatia”
• “Efeito de ultradiluições homeopáticas em modelos in vitro: revisão da literatura”
• “Efeito de ultradiluições homeopáticas em plantas: revisão da literatura”
• “Pesquisa clínica em homeopatia: revisões sistemáticas e ensaios clínicos randomizados controlados”
• “Estrogênio potencializado no tratamento homeopático da dor pélvica associada à endometriose: Um estudo de 24 semanas, randomizado, duplo-cego e placebo-controlado”
• “Estudo clínico, duplo-cego, randomizado, em crianças com amigdalites recorrentes submetidas a tratamento homeopático”
• “O medicamento homeopático provoca efeitos adversos ou agravações medicamento-dependentes?”
• “O medicamento homeopático provoca sintomas em voluntários aparentemente sadios? A contribuição brasileira ao debate sobre os ensaios patogenéticos homeopáticos”

Content of the English Edition

• “Editorial: To those who demand scientific evidence for homeopathy”
• “Homeopathy: a brief description of this medical specialty”
• “Medical education in non-conventional therapeutics in the world (homeopathy and acupuncture)”
• “Scientific basis of the homeopathic healing principle in modern pharmacology”
• “The soundness of homeopathic fundamental research”
• “Effects of homeopathic high dilutions on in vitro models: literature review”
• “Effects of homeopathic high dilutions on plants: literature review”
• “Clinical research in homeopathy: systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials”
• “Potentized estrogen in homeopathic treatment of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain: A 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study”
• “Randomized, double-blind trial on the efficacy of homeopathic treatment in children with recurrent tonsillitis”
• “Do homeopathic medicines cause drug-dependent adverse effects or aggravations?”
• “Do homeopathic medicines induce symptoms in apparently healthy volunteers? The Brazilian contribution to the debate on homeopathic pathogenetic trials”

Despite the ongoing difficulties and limitations opposing the development of research in homeopathy – partly due to methodological aspects, and partly to lack of institutional and financial support – the experimental and clinical studies described in this dossier, which ground the homeopathic assumptions and confirm the efficacy and safety of this approach to therapeutics – provide unquestionable proof for the “availability of scientific evidence for homeopathy”, against the false and prejudiced opinion that is widely divulgated.

With the divulgation of the present dossier, prepared with the support of Technical Chamber for Homeopathy, CREMESP, we hope to dispel doubts and sensitize our colleagues as to the validity and relevance of homeopathy as adjuvant treatment complementary to all other medical specialties according to ethical and safe principles. Our overall goals are to broaden the understanding of human disease, increase the therapeutic resources, contribute to the definition and effectiveness of medicine in chronic diseases, minimize the adverse effects of modern drugs and strengthen the patient-doctor relationship, among other aspects. In this way, we will be able to work together, since “The physician’s high and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure, as it is termed (Samuel Hahnemann, Organon of medicine, § 1).

Marcus Zulian Teixeira

www.homeozulian.med.br