OCCAM represents NCI at leading Integrative Oncology conference

OCCAM represents NCI at leading Integrative Oncology conference

OCCAM represents NCI at leading Integrative Oncology conference:

Some call New Mexico “The Land of Enchantment” and for attendees of the Society for Integrative Oncology ninth international conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this enchanting city played host to three days of research collaboration and cutting-edge science. The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) is a non-profit professional society committed to the research and application of complementary therapies and botanicals for cancer treatment and recovery.

This year’s meeting, held from October 8-10, 2012, focused on the overarching theme of “Honoring Diversity in Cancer Prevention and Control,” with speakers presenting basic science, preclinical, and clinical research in fields ranging from acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, mind-body approaches, and much more. OCCAM showed a strong research presence at this year’s SIO. The office sponsored an exhibit booth where attendees could speak with OCCAM staff about funding, patient education, and receive grant application guidance. In addition to the booth, OCCAM staff members both presented and moderated panels. 

Drs. Farah Zia, Oluwadamilola Olaku, and Jeffrey D. White, conducted a workshop entitled the “NCI Best Case Series Protocol: How to Move Research Forward.” The workshop highlighted the case series submitted to the NCI Best Case Series (BCS) Program by the P. Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation in Calcutta, India. 

The workshop had several goals including stimulating discussion specific to the available evidence for the homeopathic Banerji Protocol therapy. In addition, NCI BCS investigators, Drs. Zia and Olaku, engaged participants in discussions about the utility of the protocol design in assessing medical cases and its use as justification for further research. An overarching goal of the workshop was to encourage the integrative oncology community to conduct collaborative research, specifically linking the clinical practitioners with the researchers to build strong bridges to future investigations. 
Drs. Prasanta and Pratip Banerji, of the P. Banerij Homeopathic Research Foundation, along with Dr. Barbara Sarter, Associate Professor, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of San Diego, and Dr. Iris R. Bell of the University of Arizona, presented their involvement with the cases, including direct clinical care and/or research regarding homeopathic remedies.

Dr. Sarter spoke about her time working with the Drs. Banerji: “In February 2008, I took a sabbatical from my faculty position in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Southern California in order to learn the Banerji Protocol in Calcutta at the PBH Research Foundation. I had received a diploma in classical homeopathy before I went to Calcutta, but never truly embraced this system of medicine until I spent those five months with the Banerjis. Since then, I have directed my time and abilities to advancing the research effort and data mining at the Foundation.” 

Dr. Bell presented her research on “Homeopathic Remedies as Nanoparticles.” She discussed the properties of nanoparticles, such as their high surface area to volume ratio, a characteristic that changes their material properties. In her presentation she explained that nanoparticles have “high bioavailability; easily cross cell membranes as well as the blood-brain barrier; require smaller and less frequent doses, [and have] lower side effects.” 

Dr. Farah Zia, Director of the Case Review and Intramural Science Program (CRISP) at OCCAM, and moderator of this workshop, noted that: “The Banerji case series is a prime example of a seemingly successful ’Best Case Series’ deserving of further laboratory and clinical research. The mission of CRISP is to improve the quality of care of cancer patients by a rigorous scientific evaluation of cancer CAM interventions and by facilitating prospective research for certain CAM interventions with the goal of developing them into novel therapeutics. In order to achieve this objective, we must foster the building of bridges between the clinical and research communities. We applaud researchers, such as Dr. Bell, whose research is exciting, innovative, and forms the platform on which further ideas will be built; furthermore, we encourage practitioners to submit their best cases of cancer patients treated with an unconventional cancer treatment to the NCI Best Case Series Protocol. More information is available at http://cam.cancer.gov. Continued dialogue among and between the practitioner and research communities, such as the current workshop, will continue to shed light on ways to achieve our unified goal.”   

Dr. Libin Jia, Health Scientist Administrator at OCCAM, moderated two separate sessions entitled “Clinical Science Abstracts: Methodological Issues in Integrative Oncology Research” and “Evaluation of Herbal Medicine: A Cross-Cultural Discussion”.

Dr. Jia noted that the presentations in the Clinical Science Abstracts session represented a wide variety of methodological approaches in research focused on Traditional Chinese Medicine, exercise interventions, and yoga practices, among others. Dr. Misha Cohen, OMD, LAc from University of California at San Francisco explored methodological challenges of clinical Chinese herbal medicine. She stated that proper provision of the Certificates of Analysis (COA) and documentation for Investigational New Drugs (IND) is critical to Chinese herbal medicine research in oncology settings. 
Dr. Jia also co-moderated the round table session titled “Evaluation of Herbal Medicine: A Cross-Cultural Discussion.” Speakers from the United States, China, and other countries exchanged ideas on herbal medicine in terms of quality control of the starting materials, and the policy and regulations among different entities such as the United States, European Union, and China. Themes that emerged included the need for emphasis on the standardization of the herbal medicines in the research and clinical setting and interest in knowing more about safety issues surrounding the use of herbal medicines in the United States and abroad.

Dr. Jeffrey D. White, OCCAM Director, was part of a plenary discussion on “Funding in Integrative Oncology Research” that overviewed three different funding streams from the government, for profit, and non-profit sectors. Dr. White gave a brief summary of the NCI grant application and review process and answered several questions as part of a panel of the session speakers which included Eveline Mumenthaler from the Gateway for Cancer Research and Kerri Diamant, Founder and Executive Director, AlterMed Research Foundation.

Ms. Elizabeth Austin, M.S., Coordinator of OCCAM’s Communications and Outreach Program, was an invited speaker as part of the “Exploring Web-Based Information Resources on Complementary Therapies in Integrative Oncology” workshop. The web-based technologies workshop highlighted the Physician Data Query (PDQ®) Complementary and Alternative Medicine information summaries (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq).

Several new summaries have been added in the past year including “Prostate Cancer, Nutrition, and Dietary Supplements (PDQ®),” featuring information about the use of nutrition and dietary supplements for reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer or for treating prostate cancer. Other resources highlighted included the Memorial Sloan Kettering “About Herbs” website:http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/about-herbs-botanicals-other-products and the CAM-Cancer resource of information summaries hosted by the National Information Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIFAB) at the University of Tromsø, Norway (http://www.cam-cancer.org/CAM-Summaries).

Each year the SIO conference brings together some the most experienced researchers and practitioners of integrative oncology. For more information about the society visit:http://www.integrativeonc.org/.

Breastfeeding training video

http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/FifteenMinuteHelper.htmlhttp://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/FifteenMinuteHelper.html

Accelerating the healing of bone fracture using homeopathy: a prospective, randomized double-blind controlled study

Accelerating the healing of bone fracture using homeopathy: a prospective, randomized double-blind controlled study

Accelerating the healing of bone

fracture using homeopathy: a prospective,

randomized double-blind controlled study;

 

Purpose

In clinical practice, homeo

pathy is widely used in the

fracture-repair process, which accelerates the healing of

fractures, enhances callus formation and reduces pain.

But there is no anatomical or scientific evidence yet to

prove that. Therefore, the current study was undertaken

to test the efficacy of homoeopathy in bone fracture

healing.

 

Conclusion

The study suggests that homoeopathy could enhance

anatomical and functional fracture healing.

Entrepreneur navigates red tape, cultural hurdles to set up homeopathic business in Surrey Loan, mentor provided by Canadian Youth Business Foundation helped Anurag Aggarwal

Anurag Aggarwal almost gurgles with laughter as he describes his first job in Canada.
“They used to send me all over the Lower Mainland — banks and parking lots. It was mostly night work, then some regular shifts.”
Did the new immigrant have any idea how to be a security guard?
“No, actually,” said Aggarwal, 33, whose candid good humour must endear him to everyone he encounters. “I’m 5-foot-4. I don’t look like a security guard.
“They hired me because they liked my educational background and I was good at talking.”
Aggarwal is a homeopath who owned his own clinic in India and arrived in Canada during the 2008 recession. Unable to get work in his field, he took a job as a security guard, studied English, and accelerated his plans to start a business in Canada. He began a vigorous campaign to adapt to local business customs and opened Aggarwal Health and Wellness Centre in Surrey within six months.
In retrospect, one of Aggarwal’s best moves was applying for financing from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation’s Newcomer Program and taking to heart advice from Jatinder Gulati, a volunteer mentor CYBF assigned him when they approved his loan.
Gulati started with the same advice he gives everyone: “I tell them, what would you think back home in India? Just think the opposite.”
Going to the bank, for instance, requires a counterintuitive conversational style.
“Back home, you say, ‘This is my business. I want a bank loan,’ ” said Gulati, a certified international trade professional who came to B.C. in 2003, started out with a Subway franchise but now runs an export consulting business, ThinkExport.com. “In Canada, you should say ‘This is my business, is it eligible for a bank loan?’ ”
An open-ended question is crucial for entering into a conversation and that in turn yields useful information, Gulati said. In India, “sometimes we are very upfront,” he said. In Canada, “start with the weather, and slowly, slowly you get to the point.”
One of Aggarwal’s biggest surprises was discovering that while homoeopathy is a respected mainstream profession in India, it’s somewhat marginal in Canada. “I thought I would get some good jobs and start the business after a year,” he said. Instead, “I spent six months fighting for my daily bread and butter.”
Starting his own clinic brought all the challenges of working within an unfamiliar system. The paperwork around business licences, criminal record checks and building permits took six months as opposed to the half-day that Aggarwal expected. “In India, I can just rent a space and do whatever I want to,” he said. “I don’t have to get permission from everybody.”
And there were a multitude of unexpected small expenses — “Alarms. We don’t use alarms over there,” Aggarwal said. Nevertheless, Aggarwal likes the Canadian system. “It’s so definite,” he said. “They have infrastructure. They have guidelines. I like this thing, that people follow the guidelines.”
Marketing was a notably new experience. Aggarwal was used to casually printing leaflets and getting exposure in local newspapers. In India, most small business owners simply don’t need to do market research, but Canada’s smaller population means entrepreneurs must differentiate or die, Gulati said. Aggarwal determined he needed to expand his offerings and fast, so he quickly signed up for a series of local training courses so he could expand into herbal remedies, weight loss, detox and live blood analysis.
“If you’re not doing the right thing, you are spending too much time, and time is money here,” Gulati said. “Back home, the tangible product has more value than intangible products like time. Here, intangible products like time or the services we render carry more value. Products are cheap here. What we most fear is the time we spend.”
The CYBF assistance was a turning point, Aggarwal said. Their $15,000 in financing allowed him to buy equipment, expand, differentiate and therefore charge more for his services. And Gulati’s mentorship helped him quickly understand important intangibles such as “how things get done” in Canada.
While Aggarwal initially catered to the local Indian community who were already comfortable and familiar with homoeopathy, he’s now preparing to reach out to Langley, White Rock and Vancouver. His two-year-old business broke even soon after his first year and is now three times larger than his original clinic in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.
Aggarwal’s “primary target market was people within his own community, which was very wide. He understood it, connected to it, used it,” said David Day, a CYBF business manager in Surrey who worked on Aggarwal’s file. “He was ideally positioned to provide a service that was lacking,” Day said. “He fulfilled his educational requirements, recognized a need in the marketplace and reached out for the assistance he needed to be successful. That’s a rare combination.”
Over a year later, Aggarwal is still astonished at the CYBF’s efficient assistance and free mentorship program. CYBF’s newcomer program assists entrepreneurs new to Canada, aged 18 to 39. CYBF will consider financing entrepreneurs who don’t yet have a Canadian credit history.
“When I went to CYBF, they told me to get a business plan done and apply and that’s it,” said Aggarwal, who learned about the CYBF through Progressive Intercultural Community Services, another non-profit organization. “I got the money in two or three days. I was amazed. They even gave me a counsellor free of charge. They are actually interested in helping me.”
Aggarwal doesn’t dwell on the difficulties of his first few years as a Canadian entrepreneur, but his advice to others reflects lessons learned. Do lots of preparation before leaving home, he urges. Complete educational prerequisites, get credentials evaluated, research market conditions, figure out start-up costs, and contact loan and support institutions all before you leave your homeland. You can save a lot of time, he said.
Today, Aggarwal has a business partner and one employee.
“The mixture of clientele is not big enough, but I am OK. I think I can do much better. It takes time,” says Aggarwal, a man whose views on time and relationships bridge two cultures.
Aggarwal continues to work 16 hours a week as a security guard.
And the security firm manager has become an Aggarwal Health and Wellness Centre client.
jennylee@vancouversun.com
Blog: vancouversun.com/smallbusiness

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Entrepreneur navigates red tape, cultural hurdles to set up homeopathic business in Surrey Loan, mentor provided by Canadian Youth Business Foundation helped Anurag Aggarwal

Anurag Aggarwal almost gurgles with laughter as he describes his first job in Canada.

“They used to send me all over the Lower Mainland — banks and parking lots. It was mostly night work, then some regular shifts.”

Did the new immigrant have any idea how to be a security guard?

“No, actually,” said Aggarwal, 33, whose candid good humour must endear him to everyone he encounters. “I’m 5-foot-4. I don’t look like a security guard.

“They hired me because they liked my educational background and I was good at talking.”

Aggarwal is a homeopath who owned his own clinic in India and arrived in Canada during the 2008 recession. Unable to get work in his field, he took a job as a security guard, studied English, and accelerated his plans to start a business in Canada. He began a vigorous campaign to adapt to local business customs and opened Aggarwal Health and Wellness Centre in Surrey within six months.

In retrospect, one of Aggarwal’s best moves was applying for financing from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation’s Newcomer Program and taking to heart advice from Jatinder Gulati, a volunteer mentor CYBF assigned him when they approved his loan.

Gulati started with the same advice he gives everyone: “I tell them, what would you think back home in India? Just think the opposite.”

Going to the bank, for instance, requires a counterintuitive conversational style.

“Back home, you say, ‘This is my business. I want a bank loan,’ ” said Gulati, a certified international trade professional who came to B.C. in 2003, started out with a Subway franchise but now runs an export consulting business, ThinkExport.com. “In Canada, you should say ‘This is my business, is it eligible for a bank loan?’ ”

An open-ended question is crucial for entering into a conversation and that in turn yields useful information, Gulati said. In India, “sometimes we are very upfront,” he said. In Canada, “start with the weather, and slowly, slowly you get to the point.”

One of Aggarwal’s biggest surprises was discovering that while homoeopathy is a respected mainstream profession in India, it’s somewhat marginal in Canada. “I thought I would get some good jobs and start the business after a year,” he said. Instead, “I spent six months fighting for my daily bread and butter.”

Starting his own clinic brought all the challenges of working within an unfamiliar system. The paperwork around business licences, criminal record checks and building permits took six months as opposed to the half-day that Aggarwal expected. “In India, I can just rent a space and do whatever I want to,” he said. “I don’t have to get permission from everybody.”

And there were a multitude of unexpected small expenses — “Alarms. We don’t use alarms over there,” Aggarwal said. Nevertheless, Aggarwal likes the Canadian system. “It’s so definite,” he said. “They have infrastructure. They have guidelines. I like this thing, that people follow the guidelines.”

Marketing was a notably new experience. Aggarwal was used to casually printing leaflets and getting exposure in local newspapers. In India, most small business owners simply don’t need to do market research, but Canada’s smaller population means entrepreneurs must differentiate or die, Gulati said. Aggarwal determined he needed to expand his offerings and fast, so he quickly signed up for a series of local training courses so he could expand into herbal remedies, weight loss, detox and live blood analysis.

“If you’re not doing the right thing, you are spending too much time, and time is money here,” Gulati said. “Back home, the tangible product has more value than intangible products like time. Here, intangible products like time or the services we render carry more value. Products are cheap here. What we most fear is the time we spend.”

The CYBF assistance was a turning point, Aggarwal said. Their $15,000 in financing allowed him to buy equipment, expand, differentiate and therefore charge more for his services. And Gulati’s mentorship helped him quickly understand important intangibles such as “how things get done” in Canada.

While Aggarwal initially catered to the local Indian community who were already comfortable and familiar with homoeopathy, he’s now preparing to reach out to Langley, White Rock and Vancouver. His two-year-old business broke even soon after his first year and is now three times larger than his original clinic in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.

Aggarwal’s “primary target market was people within his own community, which was very wide. He understood it, connected to it, used it,” said David Day, a CYBF business manager in Surrey who worked on Aggarwal’s file. “He was ideally positioned to provide a service that was lacking,” Day said. “He fulfilled his educational requirements, recognized a need in the marketplace and reached out for the assistance he needed to be successful. That’s a rare combination.”

Over a year later, Aggarwal is still astonished at the CYBF’s efficient assistance and free mentorship program. CYBF’s newcomer program assists entrepreneurs new to Canada, aged 18 to 39. CYBF will consider financing entrepreneurs who don’t yet have a Canadian credit history.

“When I went to CYBF, they told me to get a business plan done and apply and that’s it,” said Aggarwal, who learned about the CYBF through Progressive Intercultural Community Services, another non-profit organization. “I got the money in two or three days. I was amazed. They even gave me a counsellor free of charge. They are actually interested in helping me.”

Aggarwal doesn’t dwell on the difficulties of his first few years as a Canadian entrepreneur, but his advice to others reflects lessons learned. Do lots of preparation before leaving home, he urges. Complete educational prerequisites, get credentials evaluated, research market conditions, figure out start-up costs, and contact loan and support institutions all before you leave your homeland. You can save a lot of time, he said.

Today, Aggarwal has a business partner and one employee.

“The mixture of clientele is not big enough, but I am OK. I think I can do much better. It takes time,” says Aggarwal, a man whose views on time and relationships bridge two cultures.

Aggarwal continues to work 16 hours a week as a security guard.

And the security firm manager has become an Aggarwal Health and Wellness Centre client.

jennylee@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

 

Modulation of Signal Proteins: A PlausibleMechanism to Explain How a Potentized Drug Secale Cor 30C Diluted beyond Avogadro's Limit Combats Skin Papilloma in Mice

Hindawi Publishing Corporation | Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine | Volume 2011, Article ID 286320, 12 pages

Modulation of Signal Proteins: A PlausibleMechanism to Explain How a Potentized Drug Secale Cor 30C Diluted beyond Avogadro's Limit Combats Skin Papilloma in Mice

Anisur Rahman Khuda-Bukhsh,1 Soumya Sundar Bhattacharyya,1 Saili Paul,1 Suman Dutta,1 Naoual Boujedaini,2 and Philippe Belon2

1Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, West Bengal, India 2Boiron Laboratory, Lyon, France

Copyright © 2011 Anisur Rahman Khuda-Bukhsh et al. This is an open access article.

In homeopathy, ability of ultra-high diluted drugs at or above potency 12C (diluted beyond Avogadro's limit) in ameliorating/curing various diseases is often questioned, particularly because the mechanism of action is not precisely known. We tested the hypothesis if suitable modulations of signal proteins could be one of the possible pathways of action of a highly diluted homeopathic drug, Secale cornutum 30C (diluted 1060 times; Sec cor 30). It could successfully combat DMBA + croton oilinduced skin papilloma in mice as evidenced by histological, cytogenetical, immunofluorescence, ELISA and immunoblot findings. Critical analysis of several signal proteins like AhR, PCNA, Akt, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, NF-κB and IL-6 and of pro-apoptotic proteins like cytochrome c, Bax, Bad, Apaf, caspase-3 and -9 revealed that Sec cor 30 suitably modulated their expression levels along with amelioration of skin papilloma. FACS data also suggested an increase of cell population at S and G2 phases and decrease in sub- G1 and G1 phages in carcinogen-treated drug-unfed mice, but these were found to be near normal in the Sec cor 30-fed mice. There was reduction in genotoxic and DNA damages in bone marrow cells of Sec Cor 30-fed mice, as revealed from cytogenetic and Comet assays. Changes in histological features of skin papilloma were noted. Immunofluorescence studies of AhR and PCNA also suggested reduced expression of these proteins in Sec cor 30-fed mice, thereby showing its anti-cancer potentials against skin papilloma. Furthermore, this study also supports the hypothesis that potentized homeopathic drugs act at gene regulatory level.

Whooping Cough on the Rise Again

Creates opportunity for homeopathy

by Larry Malerba, DO, DHt

All indications are that whooping cough (pertussis) is on the rise in the U.S. this year. More than 32,000 cases had been reported by late October 2012 along with 16 deaths, almost double last year’s 18,719 total cases with 13 deaths. Some say this year is on track to be the worst for whooping cough since the 1950s.

It is incumbent upon the medical profession to become educated about the use of homeopathy in cases of acute whooping cough—precisely because there is no truly viable alternative.

Early blame for the increasing incidence of this highly contagious illness had been directed toward the small population of unvaccinated children, but recent data shows that the large majority of cases are those who have already been vaccinated according to CDC guidelines. Correspondingly, medical authorities have recently begun suggesting that additional pertussis booster shots beyond what are already required may be necessary because the vaccine may lose its effectiveness over time. Public health authorities are now urging pregnant women, adults, and teens to get vaccinated.

A questionable strategy

In my medical opinion, this overemphasis on a preventative vaccination strategy is largely due to conventional medicine’s inability to treat whooping cough once it’s diagnosed. Physicians understand that although the Bordatella pertussis bacteria causes whooping cough, antibiotics are likely to have minimal if any effect on the course of the illness once the cough has set in, and the same applies to cough suppressants. If prescribed at the onset of the illness, antibiotics are believed to reduce the duration of symptoms—but the odds of diagnosing whooping cough at this very early stage before symptoms become distinctive are highly unlikely.

Since treatment is so demonstrably inadequate, prevention is promoted as the only game in town. True, administering antibiotics after the cough appears, while doing little for the patient, may reduce the ability to transmit the illness to others. But requiring additional pertussis vaccine boosters fails to take into account the ­documented dangers associated with the vaccine.* Given the vaccine’s potential side effects and failure to confer sustained immunity in spite of multiple booster shots, it strikes me as counterintuitive to double down on a strategy that is clearly falling short of the goal.

Homeopathy works but …

Homeopathy has a long-standing clinical track record for reducing the duration and severity of symptoms of whooping cough. Although it is a viable option for pertussis, mainstream medicine’s general unwillingness to consider any therapy that is not manufactured by the conventional pharmaceutical industry tends to blind it to potentially new and/or unexplored treatments. And in the case of homeopathy, a long-standing, undeniable bias assumes that it cannot possibly work because it defies conventional medical beliefs about the nature of illness and how illness can be treated.

Over the years, I have successfully treated people with whooping cough and a variety of other intractable coughs that were not responding to repeated courses of antibiotics. Thousands of homeopathic practitioners across the globe can testify to similar results. Unfortunately, the firsthand clinical experiences of unconventional medical practitioners tend to be dismissed by a medical system that has come to rely heavily on research studies that are often funded and influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. To dismiss a treatment for an illness that has no other effective therapy—primarily because of a lack of research studies published in conventional medical journals that “prove” its effectiveness—demonstrates an anti-scientific attitude that, in actuality, amounts to inflexible and uninformed prejudice.

Caught in a Catch-22, while patients suffer

A convenient Catch-22 has been created by a medical system that refuses to consider the homeopathic option while simultaneously and erroneously claiming that there are no research studies to back up homeopathy’s use. Although no specific studies examine homeopathy and pertussis, numerous research studies point to the fact that homeopathy involves significantly more than the placebo effect that naysayers claim it to be. The real bottom line is that this closed-minded attitude, which refuses to entertain promising alternative medical options, does a tremendous disservice to suffering patients in need of care.

Symptoms & solutions

Whooping cough is a particularly violent, prolonged, and debilitating affliction that is especially hard on infants and small children because of their narrow air passages that can get quickly blocked with mucus. After an initial phase that looks a lot like the common cold or a mild flu, a characteristically relentless cough usually develops. The classic whooping sound results from the person’s gasping for breath at the end of a rapid succession of coughs. Making sure the whooping cough sufferer avoids contact with others is important because the illness is highly contagious. If there is any silver lining to the recent rise in whooping cough, it is that it seems to be affecting adolescents more than any other group, and they are generally capable of weathering the illness a little more successfully.

There are usually subtle differences among the symptom patterns of people suffering from whooping cough. Homeopathic treatment is predicated on choosing the one medicine that most closely matches the symptom profile of the afflicted individual. A close match can bring significant relief and shorten the duration of the cough, which, if untreated, can persist for weeks and, sometimes, months.

Although homeopathic medicines are available over the counter, self-treatment for whooping cough is not advisable. Resolving a case of whooping cough may require several homeopathic medicines over time, and it takes knowledge and experience to guide this process effectively. Given the seriousness of the condition, it is best to consult a homeopathic professional, along with other healthcare professionals, as needed. (Some may opt for concurrent antibiotic treatment in an effort to make the patient less contagious.)

Below are brief synopses of the symptom patterns of some commonly indicated homeopathic medicines for whooping cough. These medicines represent just a few of the options available to a homeopathic prescriber. While most cases of whooping cough are characterized by spasmodic, relentless, exhausting coughing attacks, the following descriptions are meant to illustrate how the illness can differ in subtle ways in different people.

Drosera rotundifolia. This homeopathic medicine is indicated when the cough is worse immediately upon lying down to bed at night and/or when the cough flares up after midnight. There is tickling and dryness in the throat, which causes spasmodic coughing. Attempts to bring up phlegm end in retching and vomiting. The violence of the cough may produce nosebleeds. Frequent coughing attacks prevent the person from catching his or her breath.

Belladonna. This medicine is usually indicated in the early stages of the illness or when fever is present, especially if the fever begins around 3 p.m. The person may feel pressure in the head, and the face is hot and red while the hands and feet are cool. The head feels as if it will burst from coughing. A dry, tickling, spasmodic cough emanates from the larynx.

Coccus cacti. The defining characteristic that indicates the need for this medicine is the production of large amounts of clear, thick, ropey mucus. Paroxysms of choking cough result in vomiting of long strings of mucus that may hang from the mouth and nose. Drinking cold water may bring temporary relief from tickling in the larynx and the coughing spells. The spells may become worse early in the morning and/or around 11–11:30 p.m..

Ipecacuanha. The person who needs this remedy often experiences persistent nausea that is not relieved by vomiting that follows a coughing spell. Due to the nausea, the person is often lacking in thirst and will not want to drink fluids. Their chest may feel constricted and they may have a nosebleed with the cough. Children may stiffen and become rigid with the cough.

Bryonia alba. This is a very commonly indicated cough remedy in general. Its main indication is the presence of symptoms that are worse from motion. The person is compelled to breathe quietly and remain as motionless as possible so as not to aggravate the cough. In addition, the cough is painful due to the motion of the ribcage. Similarly, a headache may become more painful when the person rises to move and walk around.

Antimonium tartaricum. The clue that leads to the prescription of this medicine is the sound of the loud, rattling, mucus-filled chest while coughing. In spite of this, the person struggles unsuccessfully to bring the mucus up from the chest, thus producing little expectoration. One gets the impression that the person will drown in his or her own fluids. The person is usually cross, irritable, and weak from efforts to raise the phlegm.

Cuprum metallicum. This medicine is indicated when we see cramps, muscular spasms, clenched fists, and/or convulsions associated with the whooping cough. Violent paroxysms of severe cough lead to near suffocation, with the lips and face turning blue. As is true with people who need Coccus cacti, cold drinks of water may bring temporary relief from the coughing attacks. Coughing spasms may wake the person around 3 a.m.

Kali carbonicum. For people who benefit from this remedy, the worst phase of the cough comes between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. The person must sit up and lean forward during the attack and prefers to sleep propped-up with pillows. Think of this medicine when the cough leads to left-sided pneumonia.

*A broad range of adverse effects from the pertussis vaccine has been documented, including high fever, collapse, seizures, encephalitis (brain inflammation), pneumonia, mental regression, and death. Adverse reactions to the current acellular pertussis vaccines (DTaP) are said to be milder than reactions to earlier forms of the whole-cell vaccine (DPT), but they still occur.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Larry Malerba, DO, DHt, is the author of Green Medicine: Challenging the Assumptions of Conventional Health Care. Dr. Malerba is a featured author at Natural News and a regular contributor to ­Huffington Post. He is board certified in Homeotherapeutics and Clinical Assistant Professor at New York Medical College. He is past president of the Homeopathic Medical Society of the State of New York. Dr. Malerba has a private practice in Upstate New York. Visit www.docmalerba.com

Save the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital

Save the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital

Save the Homeopathic Hospital in Glasgow

Five Reasons to not get the Flu Vaccine

INGREDIENTS

1. Various chemicals: Formaldehyde, beta-propiolactonethimerosol, sodium taurodeoxycholate, neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B, sodium deoxycholate, polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), hydrocortisone, gentamicin sulfate, ovalbumin, nonylphenol ethoxylate, polymyxin, neomycin, polysorbate 80, octylphenol ethoxylate (Triton X-100), sodium phosphate, gelatin, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed porcine gelatin, sucrose, gentamicin sulfate.¹

2. Eggs: If you are allergic to eggs, or have asthma, the flu and yellow fever vaccines might be ones to be wary of. You might want to ask for a low-egg vaccine.²

3. Thimerosol (Mercury): This ingredient may or may not have been linked to autism.³

SIDE EFFECTS

Would febrile seizure⁴, narcolepsy⁵, Asthma², Guillain-Barré syndrome⁶, or fetal toxicity⁷ be worse than the flu? These are some of the side effects considered to be linked to flu vaccines.

Or the flu itself? A study published in 2011 made an association about increased likelihood of coming down with the flu after having received the vaccine.⁸

OTHER RESOURCES

People are turning to natural sources Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Oregano Oil, turmeric, echinacea, reishi mushrooms and so on to strengthen their immune systems. During the 1918 flu epidemic, the Homeopathic Physicians demonstrated a 1.05% mortality rate while orthodox medicine saw approximately a 30% death rate⁹.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

The Center for Disease control says that the flu vaccine is the best way to control influenza¹⁰. What about getting plenty of rest, exercise, proper nutrition, drinking plenty of fluids and regular hand washing.

Consider other medical authorities’ proactive measures. Europe's drugs regulator has ruled Pandemrix (the swine flu vaccine) should no longer be used in people aged under twenty⁵. Australia no longer recommends the annual flu shot for children under five years old¹¹.

CHOICE

Everybody is different. Use your right to choose. Or in other words, “educate before you vaccinate”. Consider that our immune system is a highly refined and intellectual system that works naturally and effectively by way of protection through our mucous membranes (skin, mouth, ears) not by way of intramuscular injection.

References.

1.    http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf

2.    http://www.ruh.nhs.uk/patients/patients_leaflets/paediatrics/patient_info_egg_imms.pdf

3.    http://thinktwice.com/fraud.htm

4.    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/12/alert--seizures-now-reported-in-kids-receiving-flu-vaccine.aspx

5.    http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/22/us-narcolepsy-vaccine-pandemrix-idUSBRE90L07H20130122

6.    http://www.medicinenet.com/guillain-barre_syndrome/article.htm

7.    http://het.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/09/12/0960327112455067.abstract?rss=1

8.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22001885

9.    http://hpathy.com/homeopathy-papers/homeopathy-allopathy-and-the-1918-influenza-pandemic/

10.  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm62e0111.pdf

11.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/12/alert--seizures-now-reported-in-kids-receiving-flu-vaccine.aspx

Five Reasons to NOT get the Flu Vaccine

Five Reasons to NOT get the Flu Vaccine by Elena Cecchetto

INGREDIENTS

1. Various chemicals: Formaldehyde, beta-propiolactonethimerosol, sodium taurodeoxycholate, neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B, sodium deoxycholate, polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), hydrocortisone, gentamicin sulfate, ovalbumin, nonylphenol ethoxylate, polymyxin, neomycin, polysorbate 80, octylphenol ethoxylate (Triton X-100), sodium phosphate, gelatin, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed porcine gelatin, sucrose, gentamicin sulfate.¹

2. Eggs: If you are allergic to eggs, or have asthma, the flu and yellow fever vaccines might be ones to be wary of. You might want to ask for a low-egg vaccine.²

3. Thimerosol (Mercury): This ingredient may or may not have been linked to autism.³

SIDE EFFECTS

Would febrile seizure⁴, narcolepsy⁵, Asthma², Guillain-Barré syndrome⁶, or fetal toxicity⁷ be worse than the flu? These are some of the side effects considered to be linked to flu vaccines.

Or the flu itself? A study published in 2011 made an association about increased likelihood of coming down with the flu after having received the vaccine.⁸

OTHER RESOURCES

People are turning to natural sources Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Oregano Oil, turmeric, echinacea, reishi mushrooms and so on to strengthen their immune systems. During the 1918 flu epidemic, the Homeopathic Physicians demonstrated a 1.05% mortality rate while orthodox medicine saw approximately a 30% death rate⁹.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

The Center for Disease control says that the flu vaccine is the best way to control influenza¹⁰. What about getting plenty of rest, exercise, proper nutrition, drinking plenty of fluids and regular hand washing.

Consider other medical authorities’ proactive measures. Europe's drugs regulator has ruled Pandemrix (the swine flu vaccine) should no longer be used in people aged under twenty⁵. Australia no longer recommends the annual flu shot for children under five years old¹¹.

CHOICE

Everybody is different. Use your right to choose. Or in other words, “educate before you vaccinate”. Consider that our immune system is a highly refined and intellectual system that works naturally and effectively by way of protection through our mucous membranes (skin, mouth, ears) not by way of intramuscular injection.

References.

1. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf
2. http://www.ruh.nhs.uk/patients/patients_leaflets/paediatrics/patient_info_egg_imms.pdf
3. http://thinktwice.com/fraud.htm
4. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/12/alert--seizures-now-reported-in-kids-receiving-flu-vaccine.aspx
5. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/22/us-narcolepsy-vaccine-pandemrix-idUSBRE90L07H20130122
6. http://www.medicinenet.com/guillain-barre_syndrome/article.htm
7. http://het.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/09/12/0960327112455067.abstract?rss=1
8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22001885
9. http://hpathy.com/homeopathy-papers/homeopathy-allopathy-and-the-1918-influenza-pandemic/

10. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm62e0111.pdf

11. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/12/alert--seizures-now-reported-in-kids-receiving-flu-vaccine.aspx

'Homeopathy may have cure for Japanese encephalitis'

'Homeopathy may have cure for Japanese encephalitis'

TNN Jul 14, 2010, 03.04am IST

 

LUCKNOW: Japanese encephalitis (JE), the killer disease of east UP, could have a cure in homeopathy, claims Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH).

Initial findings of a study undertaken by the School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata show that a homeopathic medicine — Belladonna — helps in checking the infection caused by JE.

Giving details, director general, CCRH, Prof C Nayak said: "Ultra-diluted solution of belladonna was administered to a JE infected chick embryo in a planned lab study. The results of the study showed a significant decrease in rate with which the cells were dying."

Second phase trials for the same study have also shown encouraging results, Prof Nayak said. ''Mice which were given the medicine were able to fight better.... the observations are being documented and would be published shortly,'' he said.

What adds to the hope is that the possibility of a cure has been acknowledged by the American journal of infectious diseases. The journal has published an article on the study being done by the team from School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata. ''This study is a fitting reply to the critics and skeptics of homeopathy who have been denouncing the therapy as placebo,'' Prof Nayak told TOI.

City-based homeopathy consultant Dr Girish Gupta said it is only after human studies that one can think of real help to the needy children of the affected districts in UP. ''Officials say the council is working to formulate a protocol for human trials in homeopathy... this will also boost research in the stream,'' he said.

JE presents a significant risk to humans and animals, particularly in Southeast Asia (includingIndia), where around 50,000 cases and 10,000 deaths occur per year, mainly affecting children below 10 years.

Statistics reveal that about 50% of patients who develop Japanese encephalitis suffer from permanent neurological defects and 30% of them die from the disease. Further, the JE virus has shown a tendency to extend to other geographic areas.

Homeopathic remedy Lycopodium Clavatum offers new hope to cancer sufferers: Study

http://www.naturalnews.com/041501_lycopodium_clavatum_cancer_treatment_homeopathic_remedy.html

NaturalNews) One of the most exciting developments in the war on cancer has just been published in the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, where new research shows that the homeopathic remedy, Lycopodium Clavatum (a spore bearing plant from the clubmoss family), has an anti-cancer effect on infected cells while protecting normal blood cells.

The report by the Boiron Laboratory in France and the University of Kalyani in India reveals that highly diluted Lycopodium Clavatum remedies (LC-5C and LC-15C) are capable of inducing 'apoptosis' (cellular death) in cervical cancer cells, signifying their possible use as a supportive medicine in cancer therapy.

The $200 billion dollar per year cancer industry is desperate to convince you that chemotherapy, radiation, toxic drugs and surgery are the only proven treatments for the disease, faced as it is today, with rising demand for complementary and alternative cancer medicines.

Not the first time: Other homeopathic remedies fight cancer too

This isn't the first time that a homeopathic remedy has been found to be effective against cancer. Two previous studies have produced similarly exciting results. Frenkel, M. et al. (2010) used ultra-diluted remedies of Phytolacca, Carcinosin, Conium, and Thuja on breast cancer cells and witnessed a deactivation of the cancer in a process called cytotoxicity. Another team, led by Toliopoulos IK, Simos Y, Bougiouklis D and Oikonomidis S (2013), discovered that certain homeopathic complexes were able to stimulate the anti-cancer activity of Natural Killer Cells (part of our immune system) in cancer patients.

With North America holding the second highest incidence rate of cancer in the world, closely followed by Western Europe, the discovery delivers the prospect of an existing, legal and affordable alternative to conventional treatments.

Dr Alexander Tournier, Executive Director of the London-based Homeopathy Research Institute (http://www.homeoinst.org) confirmed the validity of the Boiron/Kalyani report, stating:

"This study is very significant, performed by a well trained team with access to modern molecular biology techniques and with the support of Boiron - a leading homeopathic manufacturer worldwide - thus ensuring that the homeopathy part of the experiment is taken care of correctly."

Lycopodium Clavatum could work against other types of cancer

Although cervical cancer cells were used in the study, the findings suggest that Lycopodium Clavatum could help fight other types of cancer. Dr Tournier adds:

"These results found on [cervical] cells are potentially generalisable to other cancer cell lines, although the tests would have to be done.

"The fact that homeopathic medicines were shown to be effective at selectively killing cancer cells warrants further research, and offers the possibility that homeopathy could be useful for a wide variety of cancer patients in the future."

With Lycopodium Clavatum being widely available to purchase online, it could be tempting for cancer sufferers to self-medicate. However, this would be inadvisable until further research has confirmed its safety and efficacy in patients. Dr Tournier adds:

"Lycopodium is already available to the general public. It would be very easy to purchase from a homeopathic pharmacy. However, I would not recommend taking Lycopodium for cancer, even for cervical cancer. This study does not provide evidence that the homeopathic remedy will be effective in cancer patients. More research is required before such a homeopathic medicine can be used routinely in cancer treatment."

It is nevertheless, still possible to find experienced doctors who treat cancer patients using homeopathy with a high success rate. One of these is Dr. Spinedi's team at the Clinica Santa Croce (http://www.omeopatia.clinicasantacroce.ch) in Switzerland, who use many remedies, carefully selected for the particular complaint and circumstances of each patient.

In vitro and in vivo anticancer properties of a Calcarea carbonica derivative complex (M8) treatment in a murine melanoma model.

In vitro and in vivo anticancer properties of a Calcarea carbonica derivative complex (M8) treatment in a murine melanoma model.

Guimarães FS, Andrade LF, Martins ST, Abud AP, Sene RV, Wanderer C, Tiscornia I, Bollati-Fogolín M, Buchi DF, Trindade ES.

Source

Laboratório de Pesquisa em Células Inflamatórias e Neoplásicas Depto de Biologia Celular, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and the most rapidly expanding cancer in terms of worldwide incidence. Chemotherapeutic approaches to treat melanoma have had only marginal success. Previous studies in mice demonstrated that a high diluted complex derived from Calcarea carbonica (M8) stimulated the tumoricidal response of activated lymphocytes against B16F10 melanoma cells in vitro.

METHODS:

Here we describe the in vitro inhibition of invasion and the in vivo anti-metastatic potential after M8 treatment by inhalation in the B16F10 lung metastasis model.

RESULTS:

We found that M8 has at least two functions, acting as both an inhibitor of cancer cell adhesion and invasion and as a perlecan expression antagonist, which are strongly correlated with several metastatic, angiogenic and invasive factors in melanoma tumors.

CONCLUSION:

The findings suggest that this medication is a promising non-toxic therapy candidate by improving the immune response against tumor cells or even induce direct dormancy in malignancies.

Effects of homeopathic medicines on mood of adults with histories of coffee-related insomnia.

Effects of homeopathic medicines on mood of adults with histories of coffee-related insomnia.

Brooks AJ, Bell IR, Howerter A, Jackson N, Aickin M.

Source

Department of Psychology, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. brooksaj@email.arizona.edu

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS:

The purpose of this within-subjects feasibility study was to determine whether two different homeopathic remedies, Nux Vomica (NV) and Coffea Cruda (CC), exert effects on subjective mood ratings in healthy adults with a history of coffee-induced insomnia. The impact of individual personality traits, anxiety sensitivity or Type A cynical hostility, and homeopathic constitutional type (HTYPE-NV, HTYPE-CC), on remedy effects was examined to evaluate differential responsivity, in accord with clinical claims.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

Young adults of both sexes (ages 18-31) with above-average scores on standardized personality scales for either cynical hostility or anxiety sensitivity, and a history of coffee-induced insomnia, participated in the month-long study. At-home polysomnographic recordings were obtained on successive pairs of nights once per week for a total of 8 recordings (nights 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23). Subjects (N = 59) received placebo pellets on night 8 (single-blind) and verum pellets in 30c doses of one of two homeopathic remedies, NV or CC, on night 22 (doubleblind). Subjects completed the Profile of Mood States Scales at bedtime.

RESULTS:

The remedies produced differential effects on anger and overall mood, with improved mood following CC administration. A similar trend for depression was observed. Anxiety sensitive subjects experienced less tension following CC, whereas hostile subjects receiving CC became more tense. The high HTYPE-CC receiving CC experienced less vigor. The high HTYPE-CC receiving NV experienced more vigor.

Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Homeopathy, Physics, and Barcelona

Homeopathy, Physics, and Barcelona. by Ananda More.

Homeopathy, Physics, and Barcelona

6 Comments Posted by insearchofevidence on June 7, 2013

So I’ve just returned from Barcelona, where the homeopathic research community congregated last weekend, for what proved to be a spectacular meeting of the minds at the 1st ever Homeopathic Research Institute Conference.  Scientists and researchers from all over the world presented their findings and theories, some of which – if true – could truly revolutionize our concepts of medicine and physics. They also managed to prove that homeopaths and scientists know how to have a really good time. Though honestly if you can’t have a good time in Barcelona then you really shouldn’t be allowed in.

I had the pleasure of presenting a short assembly (an unfinished piece) to a highly discerning audience. I was extraordinarily nervous about the prospects of presenting it to some of the most brilliant minds in homeopathy. Thankfully I received a warm if not glowing response from the audience. I received several requests to show the film in educational settings, and tonnes of people asked me where they could get their hands on my little video. Well I told them what I’m telling you – if you make a teeny weeny donation of $25 or more I’ll send you your very own link to the video which tells the story of a massive homeopathic profylaxis intervention in Cuba.  Just click here!

But of course, as is always the case with homeopathy, I’m left with more questions than answers. Luckily I’ve met some people who are willing to share their wealth of knowledge on this journey. A few of whom I was blessed to meet in Spain.

Martine Jourde, Gustavo Bracho, Ananda and Stephan Baumgartner

There were so many fascinating presentations. Being interested in the inner workings of the universe I was particularly interested in a peculiar effect that several scientists had observed in their work. Something they called transference. What is that you ask? Well more than one person claimed that remedies seem to affect living organisms from a distance. And to top of the Freaky voodoo-like effect, water placed next to a homeopathic remedy seems to take on the characteristics of the remedy. And guess what, it’s been observed repeatedly in laboratory situations.

Keynote speaker Dr. Stephan Baumgartner, a physicist from the university of Bern, presented a simple experiment he conducted on wheat seedlings. He placed wheat seedlings linearly next to a vial of homeopathic remedy, arsenicum album 45X which he potentised by hand in his lab. He discovered that the seedlings closest to the remedy showed a decrease in growth, and were affected to a greater extent than those furthest away from the remedy. This force could affect clinical and laboratory outcomes in relation to homeopathic research. The implications are that since physical contact with a remedy may not be required to feel its affects. So presumably, individuals in a placebo or control group could still be affected by the action of a remedy.

Dr. Gustavo Bracho, an immunologist from Cuba, presented a study about homeopathic dilutions of a plant extract with anti-tumoral properties. He discovered completely by accident,that if he stored water (for his control / placebo group) next to a homeopathic dilution of the extract, the water would take on the same properties as the remedy. He found that at specific potencies or dilutions, the homeopathic remedy would have a toxic effect on tumor cells. If the water was kept at a distance from the remedy it would not demonstrate the same effects. Hmm I wonder if this could be affecting homeopathic research by contaminating placebo and control groups.

Later on, while navigating the complex subway system in Barcelona I got to have an intimate chat with Dr. Baumgartner. He explained that this may be evidence of a field that affects living things – similar to a gravitational or magnetic field.  He started by explaining that Hahneman had envisioned such a field when he spoke of a spirit-like force in the Organon. He clarified that the Organon was poorly translated in English. Hahneman was not referring to a spiritual energy or soul, but rather something that could act invisibly like gravity or electricity.

I was concerned about the storage of my remedies. If these observations were correct, couldn’t they contaminate each other if stored in the same cabinet? He compared a remedy to a permanent magnet. The magnet can create a temporary effect on another object, however if that object already has it’s own magnetic field it cannot be changed by another magnetic field. Likewise if a remedy is already imprinted, it cannot be affected by another. We arrived at our destination and the topic of conversation rapidly changed as the spires of La Sagrada Familia rose before us. So word of warning to homeopaths, and homeopathic aficionados out there – make sure you keep your blank pellets and water far away from your remedies.