The Truth About Homeopathy: What's Weaker Doesn't Make You Stronger

Homeopathic medicine is a misnomer of the most dangerous kind. By referring to it as medicine, it falsely gives the impression that there is some science behind the entire practice, while in fact the very practices described in their treatment protocols Contravene each and every basic fact that we know about "science". To put it simply, the major laws of physics and chemistry would have to be rewritten for the rationale behind homeopathy to be feasible.

So what exactly is homeopathy and where did it start? Most importantly, how did it become so popular?

Origins Of Homeopathy

The origins of homeopathy have been attributed to German physicist Samuel Hahnemann, who in the eighteenth century proposed the practice based on the principles of the "serial dilution" of drugs to increase their efficacy and the belief that "like cures like".

Homeopathic preparations are prepared by diluting the chosen substance repeatedly in distilled water or alcohol. Anyone with a basic knowledge of chemistry or just common sense knows that any molecule that is diluted will lose its efficacy, not gain potency. Think about it. Will a spoon of water with a set amount of salt in it be more salty to taste or a jug of water with the same amount of salt in it?

Similarly, the notion that "like cures like" has no scientific basis to it other than the fact that one person decided to say it arbitrarily with confidence. Homeopathy gained popularity because the prevailing medical practices at the time were much more severe. They involved bloodletting and other practices that probably caused more damage than do any good. Also, anesthesia was not invented and pain was a very real side effect of medical treatment and examination. 

People were fearful of going to the doctor and so homeopathy with its mild approach quickly gained favour. 

Our knowledge gained over the last two hundred years thanks to pioneering work of countless scientists in the field has proven without a shred of doubt that Hahnemann was not lucky enough to have stumbled on the basis of all diseases and their treatment. It is in fact a feature of science that it continues to evolve and improve with new knowledge and invites close introspection of its methods and practices.

Homeopathy has remained essentially unchanged over the last 200 years.

Why Do Patients On Homeopathic preparations Get Better?

The reasons for this are multifold and not one of them includes a magical universe where the result is actually due to homeopathic preparations.

READ Does It Make Sense To Treat Cancer With Homeopathy?

Placebo Effect

Most people will be aware of the placebo effect, where the patients get better because they are under the impression that they are being treated. This is a very real and observable effect that unfortunately lasts for only a short amount of time. It is also unethical and illegal to be prescribing anything to a patient knowing it will not do any good and just hope for the placebo effect to take over.

Why Homeopathy Deserves To Be Called Out For What It Is: A Scam

Self Limiting Diseases

It is no coincidence that the most effective "treatments" meted out by homeopaths are for colds, fevers, allergic reactions and other similar conditions. These conditions resolve on their own irrespective of treatment taken. The medicines that you are prescribed by your doctor are for symptom relief. Even mild infections, if left untreated, will ultimately resolve without the use of antibiotics thanks to your body’s immune response.

Ever meet a patient who had meningitis and was immediately given homeopathic medicine?? I didn't think so either. 

Concomitant Treatment

A very common refrain that patients taking homeopathic preparations will give is that their homeopath has asked them to continue "traditional" medicine alongside homeopathic tretaments, "as these treatments are complimentary" or "to get the benefits of both fields of thinking". They also say that once you are cured by traditional medicine, you should take homeopathic pills to "maintain" your immune system.

What If….?

"Nothing is a 100 percent certain in life", "We don’t know everything", "We should respect all schools of thought" and "Doctors change opinions on things every few years so how are they more trustworthy?"

These are some of the things that are said most commonly in an effort to support the homeopathic community. All of these are prime examples of missing the point completely.

Doctors, especially ones who are up to date with research in their field are expected to offer their patients treatment to the best of their available knowledge. It’s like the software that gets updated on your phones every few months. There are constant changes and improvements with some steps being revisited after sometime.

Respecting everyone’s views is fine when it comes to letting everyone make their point. However, making sure that people are not misled by deceiving and poorly informed homeopaths is much more essential. When you see a red light, you stop at the traffic signal. Stubbornly claiming that a red light is the signal to move forward puts your own life and others' lives in danger. 

This is why we rely on the scientific method to decide what treatments are appropriate, and not on feelings or untested opinions. Our knowledge will never be a hundred percent and it will always continue to improve. Practices that are considered cutting-edge today may well be obsolete tomorrow. 

Why Does It Matter At All?

Since homepathy causes no side effects and helps some people, even if through the placebo effect, then why should we care? Why can’t we just let it continue?

READ Does Homeopathy Work?

It matters because innocent people unaware of the effects of homeopathy believe that they are getting better when there is no justification for that thought. Just by allowing people to practice homeopathy, society continues to give people a false impression that it works. While people are visiting a homeopath, they may be losing out on the chance to be treated by a real doctor who would implement evidence-based care. What's more, homeopathy is incredibly expensive. If I try to sell something that outwardly looks like a car, but is devoid of mechanics on the inside, people are going to be angry. When it comes to our health, we should be even more cautious of deceptive selling techniques.