THEL April 10 is World Homeopathy Day. And yet, despite its recognition in 2018, there are still some doubts around it: «I realize that there is a lot of confusion around the subject. Homeopathy is a holistic discipline and, despite having been recognized by allopathic medicine, and therefore by the national health system, there is still a lot of confusion in peopleso much so that it is considered invalid and effective,” he explains Francesca Maffeo, Naturopath and Food Educator.
Homeopathy, a recognized medicine that struggles to be taken seriously
The term “homeopathy” comes from the Greek and means “similar to disease”. «For the Italian and European law, with Homeopathy means a diagnostic and treatment method, based on the natural law according to which “like cures like”. That is, a disease can be cured by administering to the person a substance which in healthy humans causes symptoms similar to those of the disease”.
Born in the late eighteenth century and founded German physician Samuel Hahnemann, in Italy and in Europe it was officially recognized by Allopathic Medicine only in 2018, thus allowing it to be carried out only by a professional graduated in medicine and surgery; a homeopathic doctor is officially included in integrative medicines, as indicated by the World Health Organization.
Despite this, however, there is still a lot of confusion around the subject: «The many passages of the law and the recognitions that have taken place over time have created a lot of confusion also in the vision that people have of homeopathy. Even today, many people consider it unreliable, ineffective or even linked to superstition. In reality, not only is it effective but it also has centuries of history behind it».
Homeopathic treatments, the differences with the “traditional” ones
Despite the acknowledgments, little is known yet, so let’s try to clarify. Homeopathy is one “soft medicine”, in the sense that it does not cause any intoxication and cures by stimulating the body to defend itself. It puts the individual at the center and a protocol is established which is not limited to treating the disease but the whole person. In this sense, although homeopathic treatments are considered safe and effective, they are not suitable for surgical pathologies or serious infections or in the case of oncological diseases, but in these cases they offer support by side by side.
«There is still friction between “traditional” medicine and homeopathic medicine. The first is to consider the patient not on the basis of a single symptom but in its entirety. On a holistic level, in fact, the evaluation is made on the whole. For this i Homeopathic medicines work differently from those we are used to taking and obviously they are not indicated for every type of symptom »explains the expert.
The action of homeopathic medicines
Homeopathic medicines are produced using substances of mineral, chemical, vegetable, animal and biological origin processed through specific production methods, defined in the official pharmacopoeias. Recognized by Aifa, they can be found in pharmacies upon prescription and are often presented in granular form, to be dissolved in the mouth, or to be administered in drops.
But they act differently: «In fact, they have slower effects than the usual 20-30 minutes of the classic drug, and often there is a flare-up of the symptom before the full result is seen. This is because, in holistic medicine it is said that the body needs support during illness, and sometimes has to “purge” before it can fully heal.
The placebo effect: what is it?
It is often believed that theefficacy of homeopathic medicines is linked to the placebo effect. It is true? «Often it is said that homeopathy also has a placebo effect because by analyzing the chemical and biological compositions of drugs, sufficient quantities are not found to be able to induce science to declare them effective or on a par with synthetic drugs. The problem behind this discourse arises from wanting to seek results with mechanisms unfit for the purpose. Homeopathy has different mechanisms than conventional medicine therefore it cannot be “measured” according to traditional standards. Surely the placebo effectwhich occurs when the person has a suggestive conditioning with respect to taking something such as a homeopathic medicine, for example, leads to a substantial improvement, physical and mood than before. Very often this improvement even reaches 80%» explains the expert who concludes «It remains essential to underline that it is the integration between the two areas, allopathy and holism, that guarantees the person adequate care and the best support in his recovery or path of the disease”.
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