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DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2013.10.054
Homeopathic research in palliative care (PC) - A review of modern studies concerning the field of PC
Subject Editor:
Publication History
Publication Date:
24 January 2018 (online)
Introduction: Homeopathy, with a tradition of use without discontinuity in nearly all over the world longer than 200 years, stands as one of the complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) that could offer effective alternatives of treatment in palliative care, not yet fully explored or investigated. Observational studies support its use in the field of PC to reduce anxiety, depression, and to improve quality of life, also to reduce hot flashes and breathlessness.
Objectives and method: Review of indications and possibilities that homeopathic treatment offers in the field of PC from modern investigations, confirming somehow classical homeopathic authors tips. Review of bibliography of Encyclopaedia Homeopathica, review of summaries of searches in PubMed, Medline and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Results: Homeopathic treatment offers effective alternatives of symptoms control in several clinical situations that appear in persons at the end of life.
The review has been done for those clinical situations that have been studied with modern research methodology, after selection of the best studies and with more significant results, adding tips from classical homeopathic authors. Clinical situations selected are: -emergencies; -cancer; -prevention and treatment of iatrogenical oncological conventional treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery); -(oncological) pain; -infections; -digestive symptoms; -respiratory symptoms; -skin symptoms; -agony.
Conclusions: Homeopathy is an alternative/complementary therapeutics effective to relieve physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual suffering of the sick at the end of life; could reduce the necessary charge of conventional chemical medication, reducing its secondary effects and improving their tolerance, being of easy administration, without pharmacological interactions and with minimal secondary effects; contributes to the understanding of how patient lives the end of life and his needs; could improve quality of life and dignity of the patient at the end of life, diminishing the suffering; could improve probability of survival, and, when time is coming, quality of death (euthanasia).