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Homeopathic Treatment of Migraine in Children: Results of a Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Study
Abstract
Objectives:
The study objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines for the prevention and treatment of migraine in children.
Design:
This was an observational, prospective, open, nonrandomized, noncomparative, multicenter study.
Setting/location:
The study was conducted in 12 countries worldwide.
Subjects:
Fifty-nine (59) physicians trained in the prescription of homeopathic medicines and 168 children, aged 5-15 years, with definite or probable migraine diagnosed using International Headache Society 2004 criteria were the subjects in this study.
Interventions:
Physicians were given complete freedom in terms of treatment prescription; thus, prescriptions were individualized for each patient.
Outcome measures:
The frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks in the 3 months prior to inclusion were compared with those during the 3-month follow-up period. Pertinent data were collected using questionnaires completed by the doctor and the patient or his/her parent/guardian. The secondary outcome measure was the impact of homeopathic medicines on education, measured as absence from school.
Results:
The frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks decreased significantly during the 3-month follow-up period (all p<0.001). Preventive treatment during this time consisted of homeopathic medicines in 98% of cases (mean=2.6 medicines/patient). Children spent significantly less time off school during follow-up than before inclusion (2.0 versus 5.5 days, respectively; p<0.001). The most common preventive medicines used were Ignatia amara (25%; mainly 9C), Lycopodium clavatum (22%), Natrum muriaticum (21%), Gelsemium (20%), and Pulsatilla (12%; mainly 15C). Homeopathy alone was used for the treatment of migraine attacks in 38% of cases. The most commonly used medicines were Belladonna (32%; mainly 9C), Ignatia amara (11%; mainly 15C), Iris versicolor (10%; mainly 9C), Kalium phosphoricum (10%; mainly 9C), and Gelsemium (9%; mainly 15C and 30C).
Conclusions:
The results of this study demonstrate the interest of homeopathic medicines for the prevention and treatment of migraine attacks in children. A significant decrease in the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks was observed and, consequently, reduced absenteeism from school.
... The aim of another study was to assess the efficacy of homeopathic remedies for the prevention and treatment of migraine in children [28]. It was an observational, prospective, open, non-randomized, multicenter study. ...
... The most ordinarily used medicines were Belladonna (32%; 9C), Ignatia amara (11%; 15C), Iris versicolor (10%; 9C), Kaliumphosphoricum (10%; 9C), and Gelsemium (9%; 15C, and 30C). The results of this study showed the efficacy of homeopathic preparations for the prevention and treatment of migraine attacks in children [28]. ...
... Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of homeopathic remedies based on Bryonia were demonstrated in animal studies [28]. Bacteriostatic, immune modulating, anti-inflammatory and analgetic effects of homeopathic mono-preparations Aconitum D4, Phytolacca D1, Bryonia D and D4, Lachesis D8, Mercurius solubilis D4 were investigated in a study on fifty cows with acute mastitis. ...
Background. Acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI) is accompanied by a general intoxication syndrome and respiratory mucosa predominant damage. A significant number of viral nature pathogens from various nosological groups (influenza viruses, parainfluenza, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, coronaviruses, picornaviruses, rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, herpesviruses, etc.) could cause development of ARVI at human respiratory tract. Methods of ethnoscience and non-traditional medicine can be used as part of integrated treatment and prevention of influenza and ARVI. With the help of anti-cold homeopathic remedies, people can be treated from the very beginning of the disease when an elevated temperature is observed and there are all signs of intoxication and inflammation.
Objective. Scientific justification for the safety and efficacy of a complex homeopathic formulation in tablet form (Aconitum napellus D6, Ammonium bromatum D4, Atropa belladonna D6, Bryonia D6, Cinchona pubescens D6, Echinacea D3, Hydrargyrum bicyanatum D8, Rhustoxicodendron D6) intended to enhance the natural immunity in influenza and respiratory diseases, to normalize the functional state of the immune system and upper respiratory tract.
Results. Most patients have acute febrile respiratory syndrome, and some population groups have an increased risk of complications in the form of severe illness or death. These groups include elderly people, very young people, and people with concomitant illnesses. Annually, every third inhabitant of the planet suffers from acute respiratory infections. We have conducted a scientific substantiation of the safety and efficacy of a complex homeopathic tablet formulation (Aconitum napellus D6, Ammonium bromatum D4, Atropa belladonna D6, Bryonia D6, Cinchona pubescens D6, Echinacea D3, Hydrargyrum bicyanatum D8, Rhustoxicodendron D6), which can be used to treat and prevention of these diseases.
Conclusions. Components of developed homeopathic preparation are used in medical practice as anti-cold and immunomodulating mono- and complex homeopathic preparations for more than 100 years. There are no restrictions on the use of the drug in the context of its safety profile, since the active ingredient concentrations used are completely non-toxic. The preparation enhances the body’s protective responses and promotes the relief of symptoms of acute respiratory infections and flu (headache, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, body aches, fever) and rapid recovery.
... Furthermore, they found that ignatia amara, lycopodium clavatum, natrum muriaticum, and gelsemium were the most commonly reported homeopathic medicines used to prevent migraines, and belladonna, ignatia amara, iris versicolor, kalium phosphoricum, and gelsemium were the most commonly used for treatment of acute migraine attacks. 22 ...
... In addition, it was mentioned that each of the intensity levels (ie, mild, moderate, severe, unbearable) "was described with the symptoms associated with the attack so that a correlation (and a score) could be established between each level of intensity." 22 It was not clear how the association was done, nor how a coefficient was derived and then used in the data analysis; these were important details to leave out of the article. ...
... Most of the analyses were t-tests, Chi-squares, and summaries/ tallies. The sample size of 168 was reported; however, as seen in Tables 1 and 2 of the original article, 22 varying sample sizes were reported for each of these analyses. It was not clear why the sample sizes changed; no information was provided discussing such aberrations. ...
David E Vance,1 Michele Talley,1 Andres Azuero,1 Patricia F Pearce,2 Becky J Christian1 1School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; 2Loyola University School of Nursing, New Orleans, LA, USA Abstract: The ability to critically evaluate the merits of a quantitative design research article is a necessary skill for practitioners and researchers of all disciplines, including nursing, in order to judge the integrity and usefulness of the evidence and conclusions made in an article. In general, this skill is automatic for many practitioners and researchers who already possess a good working knowledge of research methodology, including: hypothesis development, sampling techniques, study design, testing procedures and instrumentation, data collection and data management, statistics, and interpretation of findings. For graduate students and junior faculty who have yet to master these skills, completing a formally written article critique can be a useful process to hone such skills. However, a fundamental knowledge of research methods is still needed in order to be successful. Because there are few published examples of critique examples, this article provides the practical points of conducting a formally written quantitative research article critique while providing a brief example to demonstrate the principles and form. Keywords: quantitative article critique, statistics, methodology, graduate students
... Natural remedies are increasingly viewed as potentially valuable complements to conventional drugs in integrated treatment strategies for a number of disorders, and many consumers use natural health products alongside prescription medications [51]. Anxiety and depression are among the ailments most frequently reported by patients seeking complementary and alternative medical remedies and/or naturopathic care [9,52,53]. Gelsemium s. is a traditional remedy used in complementary and alternative therapies for treating patients who exhibit neurological complaints such as headache and anxiety-like symptoms [9,52,53], but evidence-based clinical studies are few and with contrasting results [53,54]. Homeopathy is a 200-year-old therapeutic system that uses extremely small doses of various substances to stimulate auto-regulation and self-healing processes [55]. ...
... Anxiety and depression are among the ailments most frequently reported by patients seeking complementary and alternative medical remedies and/or naturopathic care [9,52,53]. Gelsemium s. is a traditional remedy used in complementary and alternative therapies for treating patients who exhibit neurological complaints such as headache and anxiety-like symptoms [9,52,53], but evidence-based clinical studies are few and with contrasting results [53,54]. Homeopathy is a 200-year-old therapeutic system that uses extremely small doses of various substances to stimulate auto-regulation and self-healing processes [55]. ...
... Anxiety and depression are among the ailments most frequently reported by patients seeking complementary and alternative medical remedies and/or naturopathic care [9,52,53]. Gelsemium s. is a traditional remedy used in complementary and alternative therapies for treating patients who exhibit neurological complaints such as headache and anxiety-like symptoms [9,52,53], but evidence-based clinical studies are few and with contrasting results [53,54]. Homeopathy is a 200-year-old therapeutic system that uses extremely small doses of various substances to stimulate auto-regulation and self-healing processes [55]. ...
Gelsemium sempervirens L. (Gelsemium s.) is a traditional medicinal plant, employed as an anxiolytic at ultra-low doses and animal models recently confirmed this activity. However the mechanisms by which it might operate on the nervous system are largely unknown. This work investigates the gene expression of a human neurocyte cell line treated with increasing dilutions of Gelsemium s. extract.
Starting from the crude extract, six 100 x (centesimal, c) dilutions of Gelsemium s. (2c, 3c, 4c, 5c, 9c and 30c) were prepared according to the French homeopathic pharmacopoeia. Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed for 24 h to test dilutions, and their transcriptome compared by microarray to that of cells treated with control vehicle solutions.
Exposure to the Gelsemium s. 2c dilution (the highest dose employed, corresponding to a gelsemine concentration of 6.5 x 10-9 M) significantly changed the expression of 56 genes, of which 49 were down-regulated and 7 were overexpressed. Several of the down-regulated genes belonged to G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathways, calcium homeostasis, inflammatory response and neuropeptide receptors. Fisher exact test, applied to the group of 49 genes down-regulated by Gelsemium s. 2c, showed that the direction of effects was significantly maintained across the treatment with high homeopathic dilutions, even though the size of the differences was distributed in a small range.
The study shows that Gelsemium s., a medicinal plant used in traditional remedies and homeopathy, modulates a series of genes involved in neuronal function. A small, but statistically significant, response was detected even to very low doses/high dilutions (up to 30c), indicating that the human neurocyte genome is extremely sensitive to this regulation.
... Migraine. [15,16] days, respectively; p<0.001). [16] Randomised controlled trails (RCTs) [17,18,19] and metaanalysis [20] of RCTs have shown that homeopathy had an effect over placebo; however, the evidence was not convincing because of methodological inconsistencies. ...
... [15,16] days, respectively; p<0.001). [16] Randomised controlled trails (RCTs) [17,18,19] and metaanalysis [20] of RCTs have shown that homeopathy had an effect over placebo; however, the evidence was not convincing because of methodological inconsistencies. ...
Migraine is a syndrome of acute recurrent episodes of headaches, has a high prevalence and is the third cause of disability in under 50s population. Migraine commonly affects age group between 35 to 45 years, is twice as more common in females and a positive family history is present in 60% of the cases. Migraine causes impaired quality of personal and social life of the patient. It also has significant financial cost in terms of disability-adjusted life years. The present study was conducted to evaluate the combined efficacy of Homeopathic medicine and Yoga therapy in the management of Migraine in 10 patients. Homoeopathic medicines were prescribed in 30/200/1M potency after detailed case taking, case analysis and repertorization. The medicines dosage was as per case requirement. A Yoga module was prescribed to the patients to be practiced daily. Patients reported statistically significant decrease in number of Headache days per month (P=0.0037) as well as HIT-6 score (P=0.0001) from baseline to six months. The results of this study suggest that a combination of Individualized Homoeopathy and Yoga could be a valid treatment option for migraine, particularly in patients who cannot tolerate standardized drug therapy or remain un-responsive to it.
... 18 Furthermore, homeopathic therapies, also commonly used in the treatment of migraine have been also suggested to result in a significant decrease in frequency, severity, and duration of pediatric migraine attacks. 19 Notably, however, both acupuncture and homeopathic interventions do not seem to perform better than placebos in controlled clinical trials. 20,21 The observable beneficial responses resulting from these interventions most likely are a reflection of the placebo effect, perhaps enhanced by a more elaborate administration ritual bordering on spiritual beliefs in the efficacy of the remedy, a close patient-practitioner interaction, and the practitioner's belief in the treatment. ...
... 23 Placebo pills decrease the average occurrence of headaches to fewer than three a month from a starting point of nearly six a month. 2 Moreover, as stated above, the non-pharmacological and alternative interventions considered to be driven by placebo mechanisms, seem to be particularly effective in pediatric populations. 19 Therefore, instead of focusing on eliminating placebo responses in clinical migraine trials, the focus should be redirected towards understanding the underlying mechanism responsible for high placebo response rates in children with migraine (after excluding confounding factors such as spontaneous remission) in order to maximize that mechanism and use it therapeutically. ...
... In-vitro studies on immune cells reveal an increase in leucocyte counts and stimulate macrophage activity in animals as well as humans. [24,33,34] Gelsemium Antianxiety, analgesic, antiinflammatory, cytotoxic, neurotropic and antitumor ...
Background
The current outbreak of respiratory disease due to SARS-CoV-2 has received global attention, and recent studies show various limitations, including treatment. Phytomedicine has played a prominent role in the treatment and prevention of various epidemic and pandemic diseases.
Objective
Here, we attempt to focus on a safe and feasible approach for Thuja occidentalis to manage and alleviate the panic of respiratory viral infection infections including COVID-19 by strengthening an individual’s immunity. The relevant information was collected from the web-based databases Pubmed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE as well as internet sources.
Conclusion
As an important phytomedicine and king of antipsychotics, T. occidentalis possesses a plethora of immunological properties that not only can be used effectively in the management of respiratory viral infection infections, but also have the potential to prevent the further progression of the disease. Importantly, this is only part of the approach to treatment for the current outbreak that should be considered along with other measures.
... In the treatment of diseases, especially where other treatment options are limited, individualised homeopathy could play a major complementary medicine role. [5][6][7][8] Described below is a case of a woman in her mid-thirties treated with individualised homeopathy for NVP in her first trimester, and for COVID-19 symptoms in her third trimester three and a half weeks prior to her scheduled delivery via Caesarean section. She gave her informed consent for anonymised data of her case to be used for academic purposes including publication. ...
Introduction/background:
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy are common physiological disturbances, causing physical, social and psychological symptoms in the affected women. Though it is difficult to draw absolute conclusions on whether or not pregnant women are at high risk of acquiring severe consequences from corona-virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), clinical experience has shown them to be potentially vulnerable to other coronaviruses. Lack of specific conventional therapy for these conditions called for a complementary and individualised homeopathy approach in the presented case.
Methods:
The homeopathic medical management of early symptoms of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) and the beginning of COVID-19 symptoms shortly before a scheduled Caesarean section is described. No ongoing specific treatments were discontinued. The connection between intervention with individualised homeopathy and clinical improvement was assessed by two independent reviewers using the MOdified NARanjo Criteria for Homeopathy (MONARCH) inventory.
Results:
There was improvement of NVP symptoms in early pregnancy and in later-onset COVID-19 symptoms following an individually prescribed unipotent homeopathic medicine, Sepia officinalis, after tele-consultation during lockdown. The agreed MONARCH score was +8 points, suggesting that homeopathy contributed to clinical improvement.
Conclusion:
Individualised homeopathy may be a helpful complementary medical approach for managing symptoms associated with NVP and COVID-19 during pregnancy.
... 12,13 For instance, a detailed analysis of an homeopathic treatment used for treating children suffering from strong headache, with their success and their failure in leading to health amelioration, has been made by four researchers. 14 Most of the treated children less suffered from migraine and the authors conclude that one can wonder if the homeopathic alternative medicine may not have, in some cases, some slight beneficial effects. Another scientific work, made in 2014, also showed that homeopathy is not always inefficient. ...
Homeopathic treatments are considered by the vast majority of the scientific community as non-effective, apart from a well-documented placebo effect. Nevertheless, some experimental results raise questions about their efficiency, and numerous practitioners still consider homeopathy as an efficient alternative treatment instead of usual pharmaceutical drugs. Homeopathy is thus nowadays debated among the general public, practitioners and medical schools, and is still used by many patients in search for “natural” treatments. It is therefore relevant to bring information to feed this debate and to investigate the efficiency and safety of homeopathic drugs. We examined on ants, used as biological models, the effects of a homeopathic drug, Ignatia amara, advocated to ease symptoms of stress. We tested the effects of thus drug on ant’s ethological and physiological traits (1) under normal condition, then (2) under a stressing situation. We found that (1) this drug was not without adverse effects but slightly impacted some ants’ traits; (2) this drug could reduce the adverse effects caused by the stressing situation. It nearly fully restored the ants’ locomotion, orientation ability, audacity, tactile perception, brood caring, social relationship, escaping behavior, cognition, and slightly the memory. No adaptation and no habituation to the effects of Ignatia amara occurred, and no dependence on its consumption developed. The causes and mechanisms of these effects remain unknown to us, but our results support the hypothesis that, in some given cases, for some specific health problems, and using adequate product(s) and dose(s), a homeopathic treatment based on Ignata amara extracts could help patients to recover from stress symptoms.
... 15 However, sometimes, doubt is emitted as for a total inefficiency. 16,17 Researchers experimenting on humans are confronted to the placebo effect. Therefore, experiments on biological models unable to present placebo effect is of interest. ...
Since 2012, we used ants as models for examining the effects of products used by humans. Here, we summarize our seven last studies which concerned green clay, glucosamine, sildenafil, a homeopathic drug, as well as diclofenac, meloxicam and etoricoxib, three anti–inflammatory drugs. Green clay appeared to be an excellent product without adverse effects. In humans, it allows reducing gastric hyperacidity and should thus be used instead of aluminum hydroxide or calcium + magnesium carbonates which present adverse effects. Glucosamine was also safe. It only increased the ants’ locomotion and this effect might explain, at least partly, its efficiency. Sildenafil has many adverse effects, the cause of which being probably a decrease of sensitive perception. Such an impact may result from the activity of sildenafil: it inhibits phosphodiesterases and increases amounts of cGMP and cAMP. The homeopathic drug Ignatia amara, used for decreasing stress symptoms, had no adverse effects and unexpectedly reduced the ants’ state of stress. Even if its functioning stays unknown, this drug could help stressed persons. Diclofenac had several adverse effects and may lead to dependence; meloxicam had far less adverse effects and did not lead to dependence; etoricoxib had some adverse effects and did not lead to dependence. Obviously, meloxicam was the safest of the three anti–inflammatory drugs. Experimentation on ants can thus inform practitioners and pharmacists on potential harmful effects of products before providing them to humans.
... The study was constrained by 1) time 2) budget 3) the fact it was not a clinical trial and 4) it relied on self-reporting. Future studies will explore how best to measure and assess these complex matters and we acknowledge the substantial literature available assessing treatment effectiveness in the main complaint areas that were shown in this study [33][34][35][36] . ...
While the research team for the First National Survey of Homoeopaths in Australia would like to bring encouraging news about the state of homoeopathic practice, the news is dire. The profession is ageing and vulnerable to extinction. It needs to put in place measures to
ensure sustainability through education, research, training and professional cohesion. These measures cannot be left to speculation and action needs to be swift and focussed. All of us can contribute to the effort to keep the profession personally and collectively present. This National Survey does provide some good news. It shows the support we are providing in our communities. Baseline data are now available for homoeopaths and patient demographics in Australia. We can see ‘who we are, where we are,’ and ‘how we are’ supporting the health needs of our community. Homoeopaths see patients of all ages from birth to their late 80s. The health needs of our community are supported in areas spanning mental health, general needs, gastrointestinal and skin conditions. The core issue is sustainability. If we don't exist as a profession how will the community continue to receive the support homoeopathy offers? Our discussion examines some key areas to consider to enhance sustainability including education, regulation, training, and research, and we pose some unanswered questions for future studies.
... Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine 2013;19(2):119-123. 15 Patients enrolled: 168, duration of trial: 4 months The objective of this Prospective, multicenter, observa- tional study was to evaluate the effectiveness of homeo- pathic medicines for the prevention and treatment of migraine in children. Total 168 children having definite or probable migraine diagnosis using International Headache Society 2004 criteria were enrolled in this trial. ...
Migraine is usually a genetic disorder. In the United States, every 10 seconds someone with a migraine goes to the emergency room. Approximately 1.2 million annual visits to the emergency room occur due to acute migraine attacks. About 90% of migraine patients have a family history of this illness. More than 90% of sufferers are unable to work or function normally during their migraine episode, affecting their quality of life and medical expenditure. While the majority of patients experience attacks once or twice a month, more than four million people suffer due to a chronic migraine with at least 15 migraine days per month. Migraine is often undiagnosed and undertreated and remains a poorly understood disease. In spite of the high prevalence of migraine and its effects on patients, research into migraine is still underfunded. In this article, the author reviewed facts about migraine, the best possible suggested treatments and the scope of homeopathy for its treatment. More research and clinical trials with improved trial designs are warranted. Publications of large numbers of homeopathic case studies worldwide, long-term observational studies of treated migraine patients having no further migraine recurrences are needed to see the role of homeopathy for the complete cure.
... Homeopathic agents accounted for 36% of all exposures and 97% of those exposed were among children younger than 6 years old. Homeopathic agents are frequently used to treat conditions such as respiratory problems, eczema, pain, colic, migraines, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and asthma among children [23][24][25][26][27][28]. The rate of exposure to homeopathic agents increased by more than 200% from 2000 to 2010 and then decreased by 18% from 2010 to 2012. ...
Introduction:
The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of dietary supplement exposures in the USA.
Methods:
A retrospective analysis was conducted of out-of-hospital dietary supplement exposures reported to the National Poison Data System from 2000 through 2012.
Results:
There were 274,998 dietary supplement exposures from 2000 through 2012. The annual rate of dietary supplement exposures per 100,000 population increased by 46.1% during 2000-2002, decreased 8.8% during 2002-2005, and then increased again by 49.3% from 2005 to 2012. These trends were influenced by the decrease in ma huang exposures starting in 2002. Miscellaneous dietary supplements accounted for 43.9% of all exposures, followed by botanicals (31.9%), hormonal products (15.1%), and other supplements (5.1%). The majority of dietary supplement exposures (70.0%) occurred among children younger than 6 years old and were acute (94.0%) and unintentional (82.9%). Serious medical outcomes accounted for 4.5% of exposures and most (95.0%) occurred among individuals 6 years and older. Ma huang products, yohimbe, and energy products were the categories associated with the greatest toxicity.
Conclusions:
There was an overall increase in the rate of dietary supplement exposures from 2000 through 2012. Although the majority of these exposures did not require treatment at a health care facility or result in serious medical outcomes, exposures to yohimbe and energy products were associated with considerable toxicity. Our results demonstrate the success of the FDA ban on ma huang products and the need for FDA regulation of yohimbe and energy products in the USA.
... In homeopathy, highlydiluted preparations of substances that cause symptoms in healthy individuals are used to stimulate healing reactions in patients who display similar symptoms when ill [1]. Homeopathy is applied to treat various diseases and conditions such as cancer [2][3][4][5][6][7], allergies [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16], mood disorders [17][18][19], cardiovascular diseases (CVD) [20,21], osteoarthritis [22], hemophilia [23], headache [24,25], and pain [26,27]. ...
Introduction: Homeopathy can be applied to treat various diseases and conditions such as cancer, allergy, mood disorders, headache and pain. This case showed that homeopathic medicine can be a treatment modality for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an autoimmune-mediated hematologic disorder.
Case Presentation: The patient was a 5.5–year-old child with ITP who referred to the homeopathic clinic with extensive petechiae and purpura on her body. Her platelet count was 15000/mcL and her anti-dsDNA and ANA were negative on her first visit. Her disease had first been diagnosed at the age of 2.5 years. She had undergone routine therapy for ITP; however, despite 15 months of corticosteroid therapy and IVIG injections, her platelet count was still low. After treatment with homeopathic remedies, her platelet count increased and signs of ITP disappeared.
Conclusion: Homeopathic remedies can be considered as complementary and alternative medicines for ITP treatment protocols.
... We identified different papers on homeopathy in headaches and migraine. Seven observational studies were identified; four considered only homeopathy [25][26][27][28], and three others included homeopathy as one CAM therapies [29][30][31]. Four RCTs were conducted [32][33][34][35] and a protocol was found suggesting appropriate methods to use individualized homeopathy in treatment of headaches [36]. ...
Background: Homeopathy seems scientifically implausible and is the most controversial forms of CAM therapies. This review aims to summarize treatment effects of individualized homeopathy in headaches and migraine. Methods: Relevant studies were identified by a comprehensive literature search in electronic databases, reference list of relevant papers, and contacts with experts. Randomized controlled trials comparing individualized homeopathic treatment strategy with placebo were eligible. Information on patients, methods, interventions, outcomes, and results was extracted in a standardized manner and quality was assessed using a checklist and scoring system. Trials providing sufficient data were pooled in a quantitative meta-analysis. Risk ratio above 1 indicated benefit. Bias effects were examined in funnel plot model. Results: A total of four randomized placebo-controlled trials involving 390 patients were considered for the analysis. Methodological quality of the trials was variable. The combined risk ratio for the four studies entered into the meta-analysis was 1.58 (95% CI 0.8 to 3.1) [when corrected for publication bias it becomes 0.98 (0.5, 1.9), i.e. negative], showing positive trend, but no statistically significant difference in favor of homeopathy. Conclusion: The results of our meta-analysis are not compatible with the notion that homeopathy has significant effect beyond placebo. However, the evidences are not convincing because of methodological inconsistencies and are too insufficient to arrive at a definite conclusion. Further replications are warranted provided the trials are rigorous and systematic.
... This observational, prospective, noncomparative, multicenter study showed a significant decrease in the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks and reduced absenteeism from school during 6 months of treatment. 28 Within the last 20 years two observational headache studies have been published with adults patients 29,30 and four RCT headache studies with adults patients. [31][32][33][34] The observational studies showed significant improvements of the homeopathically treated patients, the second one likewise a marked decrease of the use of conventional treatment and health services. ...
Objective: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used in patients with primary headache syndromes. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the current evidence concerning CAM use in children with headache. Methods: Medline and Cochrane library were systematically searched for articles dealing with CAM in children with headache taking into account articles published within the past 20 years. Results: Despite increasing CAM use in the multidisciplinary treatment of headache in children and adolescents, only very few clinical trials of higher quality exist. Only in acupuncture a certain level of evidence concerning efficacy for headache prophylaxis in children exists. Conclusion: There is still limited evidence concerning efficacy of CAM methods in children with headache. Randomised controlled trials with adequate numbers of cases are highly warranted.
... It is a common notion that sleep is associated with relief of migraine attacks, and especially in children, sleep, spontaneous or induced by hypnotics, is thought to be an important protective factor and constitutes the decisive factor for resolution of a migraine attack (70,71). While headache management requires an individualized approach, there are some general guidelines that can be applied to most of the patients (72). ...
Background
The existence of a correlation and/or comorbidity between sleep disorders and headache, related to common anatomical structures and neurochemical processes, has important implications for the treatment of both conditions.
Methods
The high prevalence of certain sleep disorders in children with migraine and the fact that sleep is disrupted in these patients highlight the importance of a specific therapy targeted to improve both conditions.
Findings
The treatment of sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, sleep bruxism and restless legs syndrome, either with behavioral or pharmacological approach, often leads to an improvement of migraine. Drugs like serotoninergic and dopaminergic compounds are commonly used for sleep disorders and for migraine prophylaxis and treatment: Insomnia, sleep-wake transition disorders and migraine have been related to the serotonergic system abnormality; on the other hand prodromal symptoms of migraine (yawning, drowsiness, irritability, mood changes, hyperactivity) support a direct role for the dopaminergic system that is also involved in sleep-related movement disorders.
Conclusions
Our review of the literature revealed that, beside pharmacological treatment, child education and lifestyle modification including sleep hygiene could play a significant role in overall success of the treatment. Therefore comorbid sleep conditions should be always screened in children with migraine in order to improve patient management and to choose the most appropriate treatment.
... This observational, prospective, noncomparative, multicenter study showed a significant decrease in the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks and reduced absenteeism from school during 6 months of treatment. 28 Within the last 20 years two observational headache studies have been published with adults patients 29,30 and four RCT headache studies with adults patients. [31][32][33][34] The observational studies showed significant improvements of the homeopathically treated patients, the second one likewise a marked decrease of the use of conventional treatment and health services. ...
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used by both physicians and patients with primary headache syndromes. Despite a considerable number of articles addressing CAM in primary headache syndromes, the overall evidence for CAM is still poor. The aim of this review was to give an overview of the current evidence of the main alternative therapies used in the treatment of primary headache syndromes of childhood. MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for articles dealing with complementary and alternative treatment or prophylaxis of headache and migraine published within the past 20 years.
Zusammenfassung
Kopfschmerzen sind im Kindes-und Jugendalter ein häufiger Vorstellungsgrund in der pädiatrischen Praxis. Dazu werden aktuelle Empfehlungen zu Diagnostik und konventioneller Therapie erläutert. Anschließend werden anhand von 4 exemplarisch ausgewählten Krankengeschichten homöopathische Therapiemöglichkeiten dargestellt, die sich problemlos in ein integratives Konzept eingliedern lassen.
Background: Migraine is fairly common condition affecting about 15% of the population globally and In GBD 2015, it absolutely was ranked as third highest reason for disability worldwide in both males and females under the age of fty years. Thus it is absolutely necessary and interesting to study the effectiveness of homoeopathic anti miasmatic remedies in patients with migraine. Methods: 30 cases of migraine were included in this non randomized clinical study out of 40 registered cases and the data collected during the study was analyzed with paired t test. The study was conducted for period of 18 months. Result: The study showed that the prevalence of migraine was more amongst females (83.33%) compared to male (16.66%). Moreover the age group 15-20 year age group ( 23.33%) followed by 25-30 years and 40-45 years (20%). During the study it was found that Natrum Muriaticum was indicated in moat of the cases ( 13.33%), followed by pulsetilla (10%) followed by lachesis, silicea and belladonna (6.66% each). The most common miasm was found to be sycotic miasm ( 53.33%) followed by psora miasm ( 30%) and syphilitic miasm ( 13.33%). Conclusion: After the study of 30 patients it was found that administration of anti miasmatic medicines in the patients with migraine showed changes in the frequency of episode of headache (Mean difference -2.167, SD of difference 0.7915, p value <0.001), intensity of pain (Mean difference -1.700, SD of difference 1.179, p value <0.001) and changes in quality of life score, MIDAS scores (Mean difference -2.167, SD of difference 0.7915, p value <0.001) which were statistically signicant.
Harnessing the placebo effect in clinical settings has been one of the goals of placebo research. However, most of the studies have been performed with healthy participants. Evaluating the placebo response constitutes a challenge in many conditions due to their ongoing nature and undulating processes that make interventions more complex in terms of identifying responsivity. Migraine, particularly episodic migraine, provides an ideal disease to evaluate placebo and nocebo responses because of its intermittent nature and the ability to evaluate a number of processes involved in treatment. The approach becomes even more interesting in the pediatric population where suggestibility may be more effective than in adults. In this chapter we present migraine as a model to investigate the impact of placebo and nocebo responsivity, provide a summary of placebo (and nocebo) in the pediatric migraine population, and offer a few suggestions related to the process, the utility, and the ethics of introducing placebo and managing nocebo into the pediatric clinic.
Homeopathy is used by just over 2% of the U.S. population, predominantly for respiratory, otorhinolaryngology, and musculoskeletal complaints. Individual users who see a homeopathic provider for care are more likely to perceive the therapy as helpful than those who do not; however, only 19% of users in the United States see a provider. The rest presumably rely upon over-the-counter products. Recent clinical trials highlight several areas in which homeopathy may play a role in improving public health, including infectious diseases, pain management, mental health, and cancer care. This review examines recent studies in these fields, studies assessing costs associated with homeopathic care, safety, and regulations in the United States. Data suggest the potential for public health benefit from homeopathy, especially for conditions such as upper respiratory infections and fibromyalgia.
Introduction: neurological disorders are one of the most common diseases in pediatric ages. To study these disorders, the recording of brain electrical activity through electroencephalogram is very useful. Sedation is necessary in young children to obtain a record of sleep, usually performed, despite its drawbacks with drug treatment. Objective: to assess the sedative effect of homeopathic passionflower at 6CH to conduct EEG in children compared with chloral hydrate and diphenhydramine syrup. Material and method: an experimental study was conducted with 100 children of both sexes between one and four years old attending the Provincial Department of Neurophysiology at "Pepe Portilla" Pediatric Hospital, Pinar del Rio 2014, to undergo EEG under sedation. A randomized systematic sampling was performed to assign and form two groups of treatment (conventional and homeopathic) with 50 patients each, which was compared by the effectiveness of sedation and its duration. Results: sedation with the 6CH passionflower was as effective as than the one obtained with conventional treatment using chloral hydrate and diphenhydramine syrup, achieving and maintaining all children sedated without the occurrence of adverse reactions, throughout the electroencephalogram. Conclusions: passionflower is an effective and safe homeopathic medication to sedate young children; it is a therapeutic alternative to perform EEG to diagnose central nervous system diseases.
There are many forms of CAM practiced in the US. This section focuses on the basics of Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Biofeedback, Biofield therapies, Chiropractic, Clinical hypnosis, Healing touch, Supplements and Herbs (Echinacea, Chamomile, Peppermint, St. John’s Wort, Butterbur, Melatonin, Curcumin, Prebiotics and Probiotics), Homeopathy, Massage therapy, Naturopathy, Osteopathy, Reiki, Therapeutic touch, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Yoga.
Patients love complementary and alternative treatments! Most colleagues spend a significant amount of time discussing the benefit and the risk of these therapies. Fortunately, there is scientific evidence for or against the efficacy of several such therapeutic approaches. Knowing the evidence helps to facilitate the therapeutic process, especially when dealing with patients with chronic headache. Behavioral approaches, such as cognitive behavior therapy, relaxation techniques, and biofeedback, are supported by evidence (which is partly outdated), but require a significant amount of time. Physiotherapy and aerobic exercise may be effective to treat headaches and interestingly, the latter also seems to work in depression. The evidence for hypnosis is lacking, possibly for methodological reasons. Homeopathy was shown not to be effective in headaches. There is no convincing evidence for the efficacy of spinal manipulation. There is growing evidence that acupuncture is efficacious; however, there seems to be no difference to sham acupuncture. For several vitamins and supplements, as well as herbal remedies, there is evidence from small, randomized controlled trials. A major problem is that traditional and statistically powerful trial designs cannot be applied in quite a number of complementary and alternative treatments. The best way to treat patients with headache is most probably a tailored approach with a combination of both, conventional and complementary treatment, resulting in a multimodal migraine management.
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming more common, but population-based descriptions of its patterns of use are lacking. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of CAM use in the general population and for those with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and migraine.
Data from cycles 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1 of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) were used for the study. The CCHS is a national cross-sectional survey administered to 400,055 Canadians aged ≥12 between 2001-2005. Self-reported information about professionally diagnosed health conditions was elicited. CCHS surveys use a multistage stratified cluster design to randomly select a representative sample of Canadian household residents. Descriptive data on the utilization of CAM services was calculated and logistic regression was used to determine what sociodemographic factors predict CAM use.
Weighted estimates show that 12.4% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 12.2-12.5) of Canadians visited a CAM practitioner in the year they were surveyed; this rate was significantly higher for those with asthma 15.1% (95% CI: 14.5-15.7) and migraine 19.0% (95% CI: 18.4-19.6), and significantly lower for those with diabetes 8.0% (95% CI: 7.4-8.6) while the rate in those with epilepsy (10.3%, 95% CI: 8.4-12.2) was not significantly different from the general population.
A large proportion of Canadians use CAM services. Physicians should be aware that their patients may be accessing other services and should be prepared to ask and answer questions about the risks and benefits of CAM services in conjunction with standard medical care.
Primary headache syndromes (eg, migraine and tension-type headache [TTH]) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prevalent in childhood and may cause impairment in social and academic functioning. We tested if ADHD or its symptoms are associated with specific headache syndromes or with headache frequency.
Cross-sectional epidemiological study with direct interviews to parents and teachers using validated and standardized questionnaires.
Populational study.
Children aged 5 to 11 years (n = 1856).
Prevalence of ADHD as a function of headache status in crude and adjusted analyses.
The prevalence of migraine was 3.76%. Infrequent episodic TTH occurred in 2.3% of the sample, and frequent episodic TTH occurred in 1.6%. The prevalence of ADHD was 6.1%. The prevalence of ADHD was not significantly different by headache category. For hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms, the prevalence was 8.1% in children without headache, 23.7% in children with migraine (relative risk [RR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-4.2), and 18.4% in children with probable migraine (RR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4-3.2). For inattention, no significant differences were seen. In multivariate analyses, ADHD or inattention symptoms were not predicted by headache subtypes or headache frequency. Hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms were significantly associated with any headache (P < 0.01), TTH (P < 0.01), or migraine (P < 0.001).
Migraine and TTH are not comorbid to ADHD overall, but are comorbid to hyperactive-impulsive behavior. Providers and educators should be aware of the association.
The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of primary headaches in pre-adolescent children, as well as headache frequency and days of treatment in this population. Sample consisted of 1994 children (aged 5-12 years). Parents were interviewed by a paediatric headache specialist using a questionnaire that allowed the classification of headaches using the criteria of the Second Edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. The most severe headache type was classified (mutually-exclusive diagnoses). Prevalence and prevalence ratios were calculated overall, as well as by age, gender and race. The overall prevalence of migraine was 3.76%, non-significantly higher in boys (3.9%) than in girls (3.6%). Prevalence of probable migraine was significantly higher than the prevalence of migraine for all ages (overall prevalence of 17.1%). Chronic migraine (CM) happened in 0.8% (girls, 1.15%; boys, 0.5%). Infrequent episodic tension-type headache (ETTH) happened in 2.3% of the sample while prevalence of frequent ETTH was 1.6%. Probable TTH happened in 13.5%. Most children with migraine had consulted a medical doctor because of their headaches, and the proportion was higher among children with CM (93.7%). Prevalence of primary headaches is high in young children. Probable diagnoses are more common than full diagnoses. Consultation rates are elevated.
To determine the prevalence rates of the various causes of severe headache in schoolchildren, with special emphasis on migraine and its impact on school attendance.
Population based study in two stages, comprising an initial screening questionnaire followed by clinical interviews and examination of children with symptoms and a control group of asymptomatic children matched for age and sex.
67 primary and secondary schools in the city of Aberdeen.
2165 children, representing a random sample of 10% of schoolchildren in Aberdeen aged 5-15 years.
(a) the prevalence of migraine (International Headache Society criteria) and of other types of headache; (b) the impact of migraine on school attendance.
The estimated prevalence rates of migraine and tension headache were 10.6% (95% confidence interval 9.1 to 12.3) and 0.9% (0.5 to 1.5) respectively. The estimated prevalence rates for migraine without aura and migraine with aura were 7.8% (95% confidence interval 6.5 to 9.3) and 2.8% (2.0 to 3.8) respectively. In addition, 10 children (0.7%) had headaches which, though lasting less than two hours, also fulfilled the International Headache Society criteria for migraine, 14 (0.9%) had tension headaches, and 20 (1.3%) had non-specific recurrent headache. The prevalence of migraine increased with age, with male preponderance in children under 12 and female preponderance thereafter. Children with migraine lost a mean of 7.8 school days a year due to all illnesses (2.8 days (range 0-80) due to headache) as compared with a mean of 3.7 days lost by controls.
Migraine is a common cause of headache in children and causes significantly reduced school attendance.
Migraine is a common, chronic neurologic disorder that affects approximately 12% of the adult population in Western countries. Once migraine is diagnosed, illness severity must be assessed. Clinicians and patients should then work together to develop a treatment plan based on patient needs and preferences. The goals of treatment usually include reducing the intensity and duration of acute attacks, minimizing the frequency of attacks, minimizing headache-related disability and maximizing health-related quality of life, and avoiding headache escalation and medication misuse. Management of migraine is divided into pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches. Pharmacologic approaches are subdivided into preventive treatment, taken on a daily basis whether or not headache is present, and acute drugs taken to treat individual attacks as they arise. Acute treatments are further divided into nonspecific agents, which work for all types of pain, and migraine-specific treatments. The US Headache Consortium Guidelines recommend stratified care based on the level of disability to help physicians individualize treatment. Using this approach means that simple analgesics are appropriate as first-line acute treatments for less-disabled patients; if simple analgesics are unsuccessful, treatment is escalated for high-end therapies (eg, triptans). For those with high disability levels, migraine-specific acute therapies, such as the triptans, are recommended as the initial treatment, with preventive drugs in selected patients. A variety of behavioral interventions are helpful. The clinician has an armamentarium of ever-expanding variety of medications. With experience, clinicians can match individual patient needs with the specific characteristics of a drug to optimize therapeutic benefit.
Migraine headache is a common and potentially debilitating disorder often treated by family physicians. Before diagnosing migraine, serious intracranial pathology must be ruled out. Treating acute migraine is challenging because of substantial rates of nonresponse to medications and difficulty in predicting individual response to a specific agent or dose. Data comparing different drug classes are relatively scarce. Abortive therapy should be used as early as possible after the onset of symptoms. Effective first-line therapies for mild to moderate migraine are nonprescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and combination analgesics containing acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. Triptans are first-line therapies for moderate to severe migraine, or mild to moderate migraine that has not responded to adequate doses of simple analgesics. Triptans should be avoided in patients with vascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, or hemiplegic migraine. Intravenous antiemetics, with or without intravenous dihydroergotamine, are effective therapies in an emergency department setting. Dexamethasone may be a useful adjunct to standard therapy in preventing short-term headache recurrence. Intranasal lidocaine may also have a role in relief of acute migraine. Isometheptene-containing compounds and intranasal dihydroergotamine are also reasonable therapeutic options. Medications containing opiates or barbiturates should be avoided for acute migraine. During pregnancy, migraine may be treated with acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (prior to third trimester), or opiates in refractory cases. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, intranasal sumatriptan, and intranasal zolmitriptan seem to be effective in children and adolescents, although data in these age groups are limited.
Ultra-high dilutions of lithium chloride and sodium chloride (10−30gcm−3) have been irradiated by X- and γ-rays at 77K, then progressively rewarmed to room temperature. During that phase, their thermoluminescence has been studied and it was found that, despite their dilution beyond the Avogadro number, the emitted light was specific of the original salts dissolved initially.
the aim of this study was to review systematically the prevalence of headache and migraine in children and adolescents and to study the influence of sex, age, and region of residence on the epidemiology.
we systematically searched the literature in electronic databases to cover the period between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2007. We assessed and included population-based studies on epidemiology of headache and migraine in children and adolescents if they fulfilled the following criteria: (1) reporting on unselected childhood population; (2) reliable methods of data collection using a questionnaire or face-to-face interviews; (3) using the International Headache Society's (IHS) criteria (1988 or 2004) for the diagnosis of migraine; and (4) provision of sufficient and explicit data for analysis. We used Excel, Stata, and Confidence Interval Analysis software.
we identified and analysed 50 population-based studies reporting the prevalence of headache and/or migraine in children and adolescents (<20y). The estimated prevalence of headache over periods between 1 month and lifetime in children and adolescents is 58.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 58.1-58.8). Females are more likely to have headache than males (odds ratio [OR] 1.53, 95% CI 1.48-1.6). The prevalence of migraine over periods between 6 months and lifetime is 7.7% (95% CI 7.6-7.8). Females are more likely than males to have migraine (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.60-1.75). Regional differences in prevalence of migraine, though statistically significant, may not be of clinical significance. The change in the IHS's criteria for the diagnosis of migraine was not associated with any significant change in the prevalence of migraine.
this study confirms the global high prevalence of headache and migraine in children and adolescents. Sex, age, and regional differences are evident.
Details and effects of individualised homeopathic treatment of headache (ICD-9: 784.0) in usual care have not yet been investigated.
Prospective multi-centre observational study. Consecutive primary-care patients beginning homeopathic treatment were followed for 2 years, keeping regular records of complaint severity, health-related quality of life (QoL), and medication use.
230 adults (77.0% women), age 38.2 +/- 11.3 years, and 74 children (10.4 +/- 3.2 years, 55.4% girls) treated by 73 physicians were included. Patients suffered from headaches (average duration: adults 9.3 +/- 9.5 years, children 2.7 +/- 2.6 years) and other chronic diseases. Most patients (adults 90.0%, children 70.8%) had been pre-treated (usually with conventional treatment). Severity of diagnoses and complaints showed marked improvements in the first 3 months, continuing on until the end of the study. For headache, standardised effects (mean change divided by standard deviation at baseline) in adults reached 1.63 (95% CI 1.78-1.49), 2.27 (2.45-2.09), and 2.44 (2.63-2.25) at 3, 12, and 24 months, respectively. In children, the standardised effects at these time points were 1.67 (1.91-1.44), 2.55 (2.82-2.28), and 2.74 (3.03-2.46), respectively. Whilst the QoL among adults improved over time, this trend was not observed in children. Use of conventional treatment and health services decreased markedly.
This observational study of patients seeking homeopathic treatment because of headache showed consistent improvements over the 24-month period. The observational and uncontrolled character of the study design does not allow conclusions on a specific relationship between treatment and the observed effects.
Homeopathy is often advocated as a prophylaxis of migraine and headaches. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the clinical trials, testing the efficacy of homeopathy for these indications. Independent computerized literature searches were carried out in 4 databases. Only randomized, placebo-controlled trials were included. Four such studies were found. Their methodological quality was variable but, on average, satisfactory. One study suggested that homeopathic remedies were effective. The other, methodologically stronger trials did not support this notion. It is concluded that the trial data available to date do not suggest that homeopathy is effective in the prophylaxis of migraine or headache beyond a placebo effect.
In the past decade the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has dramatically increased in adult, adolescent, and pediatric populations in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. There are multiple reasons for this, including the search for natural therapies, curative and ameliorative therapies for chronic illnesses that are unresponsive to conventional therapy, attraction to therapists or alternative modalities suggested by friends, and the autonomy of obtaining unregulated products and services. This review will address recent studies concerning adolescent use of specific CAM therapies for asthma, urinary tract infections, headaches, dietary supplements in athletes, and mental health conditions. Health care providers need to be aware of the CAM therapies their patients are using, the potential side effects, and the possibilities for including effective complementary therapies into the conventional care they provide.
In childhood and adolescence, migraine is the main essential chronic headache. This diagnosis is extensively underestimated and misdiagnosed in pediatric population. Lacks of specific biologic marker, specific investigation or brain imaging reduce these clinical entities too often to a psychological illness. Migraine is a severe headache evolving by stereotyped crises associated with marked digestive symptoms (nausea and vomiting); throbbing pain, sensitivity to sound, light are usual symptoms; the attack is sometimes preceded by a visual or sensory aura. During attacks, pain intensity is severe, most of children must lie down. Abdominal pain is frequently associated, rest brings relief and sleep ends often the attack. The prevalence of the migraine varies between 5p.100 and 10p.100 in childhood. At childhood, headache duration is quite often shorter than in adult population, it is more often frontal, bilateral (2/3 of cases) that one-sided. Migraine is a disabling illness: children with migraine lost more school days in a school year, than a matched control group. Migraine episodes are frequently triggered by several factors: emotional stress (school pressure, vexation, excitement: upset), hypoglycemia, lack of sleep or excess (week end migraine), sensorial stimulation (loud noise, bright light, strong odor, heat or cold.), sympathetic stimulation (sport, physical exercise). Attack treatments must be given at the early beginning of the crisis; oral dose of ibuprofen (10mg/kg) is recommended. If the oral route in not available when nausea or vomiting occurs, the rectal or nasal routes have then to be used. Non pharmacological treatments (biofeedback and interventions combining progressive muscle relaxation) have shown to have good efficacy as prophylactic measure. Daily prophylactic pharmacological treatments are prescribed in second line after failure of non-pharmacological treatment.
This study describes the results obtained from a prospective observational research of homeopathic treatment for patients suffering from headache (migraine with- and without aura and tension-type headache). Fifty-three patients were asked to complete the SF-36 questionnaire at the beginning of the treatment and after 4-6 months. The homeopathic medicine and potency were not pre-defined, but were adapted to each single patient according to individualised homeopathic prescription. Most patients (73.6%) completed the study. There was heterogeneity in the answers (patients in very poor health as well as those with only slight disorders). Analysis of the data according to the concept of 'intention-to-treat' showed that after therapy, the mean and median scores of all life quality dimensions rose. More than 60% of the cases experienced an improvement in pain and the limitations caused by pain, as well as in limitations in social activities and health in general. All the differences between pre/post post treatment were statistically highly significant, with the strongest results in the 'bodily pain' and 'vitality' parameters (P < 0.0001).
Homeopathy is a 200-year-old therapeutic system that uses small doses of various substances to stimulate autoregulatory and self-healing processes. Homeopathy selects substances by matching a patient's symptoms with symptoms produced by these substances in healthy individuals. Medicines are prepared by serial dilution and shaking, which proponents claim imprints information into water. Although many conventional physicians find such notions implausible, homeopathy had a prominent place in 19th-century health care and has recently undergone a worldwide revival. In the United States, patients who seek homeopathic care are more affluent and younger and more often seek treatment for subjective symptoms than those who seek conventional care. Homeopathic remedies were allowed by the 1939 Pure Food and Drug Act and are available over the counter. Some data--both from randomized, controlled trials and laboratory research--show effects from homeopathic remedies that contradict the contemporary rational basis of medicine. Three independent systematic reviews of placebo-controlled trials on homeopathy reported that its effects seem to be more than placebo, and one review found its effects consistent with placebo. There is also evidence from randomized, controlled trials that homeopathy may be effective for the treatment of influenza, allergies, postoperative ileus, and childhood diarrhea. Evidence suggests that homeopathy is ineffective for migraine, delayed-onset muscle soreness, and influenza prevention. There is a lack of conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy for most conditions. Homeopathy deserves an open-minded opportunity to demonstrate its value by using evidence-based principles, but it should not be substituted for proven therapies.
The aim of this study was to assess health changes seen in routine homeopathic care for patients with a wide range of chronic conditions who were referred to a hospital outpatient department.
This was an observational study of 6544 consecutive follow-up patients during a 6-year period.
Hospital outpatient unit within an acute National Health Service (NHS) Teaching Trust in the United Kingdom.
Every patient attending the hospital outpatient unit for a follow-up appointment over the study period was included, commencing with their first follow-up attendance.
Outcomes were based on scores on a 7-point Likert-type scale at the end of the consultation and were assessed as overall outcomes compared to the initial baseline assessments.
A total of 6544 consecutive follow-up patients were given outcome scores. Of the patients 70.7% (n = 4627) reported positive health changes, with 50.7% (n = 3318) recording their improvement as better (+2) or much better (+3).
Homeopathic intervention offered positive health changes to a substantial proportion of a large cohort of patients with a wide range of chronic diseases. Additional observational research, including studies using different designs, is necessary for further research development in homeopathy.
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- B Tourniaire
- Massiou
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Epidemiology of migraine in children aged 5–12 years educated in Paris Online document at: www.migraine-enfant.org/ pro_s1_contenu.htm Accessed
- Dumas B C Tourniaire
- C Cariou
Tourniaire B, Dumas C, Cariou C, et al. Epidemiology of migraine in children aged 5–12 years educated in Paris [in French]. Online document at: www.migraine-enfant.org/ pro_s1_contenu.htm Accessed August 22, 2011.
Ob-servational prospective study of homeopathic treatment in patients with migraine Address correspondence to: Karine Danno, MS Laboratoires Boiron 20, rue de la Libé Sainte-Foy-lès
- Papilas K K Karageorgiou
Kivellos S, Papilas K, Karageorgiou K, Vithoulkas G. Ob-servational prospective study of homeopathic treatment in patients with migraine. Cephalagia 2009;29:107. Address correspondence to: Karine Danno, MS Laboratoires Boiron 20, rue de la Libé Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon F-69110
Headache classification subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The international classification of headache disorders
Headache classification subcommittee of the International
Headache Society. The international classification of headache
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Observational prospective study of homeopathic treatment in patients with migraine
- S Kivellos
- K Papilas
- K Karageorgiou
- G Vithoulkas
Kivellos S, Papilas K, Karageorgiou K, Vithoulkas G. Observational prospective study of homeopathic treatment in
patients with migraine. Cephalagia 2009;29:107.
Online document at: www.migraine-enfant.org/ pro_s1_contenu.htm Accessed
- B Tourniaire
- C Dumas
- C Cariou
Tourniaire B, Dumas C, Cariou C, et al. Epidemiology of
migraine in children aged 5-12 years educated in Paris [in
French]. Online document at: www.migraine-enfant.org/
pro_s1_contenu.htm Accessed August 22, 2011.