Homeopathy is a common alternative medicine system that has its foundation on the concepts of the similarity of cures, which are the likes cure the likes, and the extreme dilution.
Although a majority of the patients complain of relief in terms of symptoms, scientific assessment depicts a more complicated view. The majority of homeopathic preparation is diluted to the point where no active molecule is being detected, making their action biologically unrealistic as per the conventional pharmacological criterion. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that are of large scale have continually demonstrated that homeopathy does not perform any better than a placebo on most conditions. The placebo effect, expectations of the patients, and the long duration spent with the patient are commonly seen as the reasons behind any perceived benefit. But placebo response in itself can significantly help subjective symptoms of pain, fatigue, and stress-related complaints.
The key issue lies in the fact that homeopathy is applied as an alternative to evidence-based treatment in severe or progressive illnesses. Safety-wise, remedies that are highly diluted are not toxic, but the delay in proper treatment may lead to damage. Contemporary health care is showing interest in evidence-based medicine, in which therapies need to prove reproducible efficacy and safety.
Hence, even though homeopathy can provide psychological relief to those, the existing scientific evidence does not prove that it is a good and effective therapeutic system in its own right.
MBH/PS