Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine

224 Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
CVD management certainly does not lend itself to “cookbook” style
treatments with one homeopathic remedy fitting all, which is common
to allopathic medicine. The homeopathic experience and medical training
of the homeopath becomes crucial in treating CVDs. This is a field
in homeopathy needing controlled studies now.
Conclusion
Homeopathy is a two-century-old approach to health care that is still
controversial. Use was based on provings and anecdotal experience until
recently. In the last 20 yr, controlled studies have shown a trend to better
the placebo effects and elucidated the use in some specific conditions.
However, in general, the quality of the research is not high. Larger and
more carefully controlled studies are needed to better evaluate how to
use homeopathy, who should use it, and in what form/strength. Most of
Europe (and some of its most important regulatory bodies) has recognized
that homeopathy has a place in the health care field. However, in
the United States, although historically, a few methodologically sound
studies and the controlled method of provings are important for guidance,
more will be needed to convince health care leaders to include
homeopathy as one of the basic approaches in integrative health care.
The jury is still out for specific treatments for specific conditions;
however, homeopathy’s benefits and safety clearly outweigh its risks,
particularly for non-life-threatening, self-limited conditions. Health care
providers, educators, and regulators should carefully evaluate and not be
dismissive of the potential value of homeopathy: an inexpensive treatment
approach with a track record of (some) proven efficacy and safety.
PART II. THE PRACTICE OF HOMEOPATHY
FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
by Amy Rothenberg, ND, DHANP
Homeopathy is a unique system of medicine that addresses the whole
patient—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Symptoms are understood
to occur, in large part, from the patient’s straining to respond to
both internal and external stressors. Symptoms are seen as the person’s
way of handling this dynamic. It is the gleaning and understanding of the
details of and connections among these symptoms that lead the homeopath
to prescribe a particular remedy (41).
Homeopathy was first conceived by Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843),
a German physician and chemist. Troubled by the harshness of medical
protocols of his time as well as by personal family tragedies, he turned
away from medical practice and devoted himself to the work of scientific