Current Clinical Status of Homeopathy; An Evidence Based Retrospective Six Years Review

Abstract

Background: Homeopathy, as an alternative treatment system for the treatment of various diseases, is widely used in various regions of the world. However the clinical benefits of homeopathy remains controversial. Aim of the Study: This review highlights the most up-to-date and current clinical trials and research carried out in the field of homeopathy and to compare its effectiveness in combating various diseases. Methodology: A retrospective literature search was performed from 2012 to 2017. All the articles, containing clinical trials in human subjects, were searched in different databases such as google scholar, science direct, web of science, Scopus, Springer Link and Sci Finder etc. using the keywords i.e. clinical trials in homeopathy, current clinical status of homeopathy, homeopathy and treatment of diseases, clinical cases in homeopathy and clinical studies in homeopathy. Results: Twenty one articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The results of these clinical studies showed an effective outcome for homeopathy treatment in various diseases such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, respiratory tract infections, asthma, hay fever and pulmonary tuberculosis etc. However, for some of the diseases such as depression, mental fatigue, cancer, HIV, anxiety, dementia, induction of labor, osteoarthritis, migraine and insomnia etc. no proper clinical evidence for a safe and effective use of homeopathy exists.  Furthermore, the research quality of most the homeopathy clinical trials are objectionable and negatively analyzed by various authors in terms of sample size, reproducibility and replication of data as well as lack of proper guidelines for performing homeopathy research. Conclusion: To build credibility in health care system and attract more patients as well as professional practitioners towards this system of alternative treatment, more focus in terms of quality research and practically applicable clinical trials i.e. efficacy trials (near to optimal laboratory conditions) is needed.