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Homeopathy and Musculoskeletal Disorders – An Overview and Critique of Available Research

This report critiques the available homeopathic research on musculoskeletal disorders. A reasonable amount of homeopathic research using different methodologies and interventions has been conducted into some musculoskeletal disorders, with both positive and negative outcomes for homeopathy. However, the quality of these trials is variable in reporting clarity, design, method, recruitment capability / sample size, and intervention used, with some trials not representing how classical homeopathy is practiced in reality. However, some relatively good quality research conducted shows that homeopathy is effective in the treatment of some musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, this report concludes that success in treating musculoskeletal conditions with homeopathy is generally positive, but not completely certain in all cases as improvements to the quality and design of research is required.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Homeopathy RCTs on Musculoskeletal Disorders Examined in this Literature Review

TrialMusculoskeletal Condition AnalysedPositive (+) or Negative (-) outcome for efficacy of homeopathy
Homeopathy for delayed onset muscle soreness – a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. (Vickers et al., 1997)Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)-
Homeopathic arnica 30x is ineffective for muscle soreness after long distance running – a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (Vikers et al., 1998)DOMS-
Effects of the homeopathic remedy arnica D30 on marathon runners – a randomized double-blind study during the 1995 Oslo marathon (Tveiten et al., 1998)DOMS+
The effect of adding homeopathic treatment to rehabilitation on muscle tone of children with spastic cerebral palsy (Sajedi et al., 2008)Muscle tone / spasticity in spastic cerebral palsy-
A randomized controlled trial of homeopathy in rheumatoid arthritis (Fisher et al., 2001)Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)-
Homeopathic therapy in rheumatoid arthritis – evaluation by double blind clinical therapeutic trial (Gibson et al., 1980)RA+
Osteoarthritic pain – a comparison of homeopathy and acetaminophen (Shealy et al., 1998)Osteoarthritis+
Improved clinical status in fibromyalgia patients treated with individualized homeopathic remedies versus placebo (Bell et al., 2004)Fibromyalgia+
An experimental double blind clinical trial method in homeopathy – use of a limited range of remedies to treat fibrositis. (Fisher, 1986)Fibrositis+

Appendix 2

Clinical Trials of homeopathy for Rheumatological disease:

TrialIndicationMethodological Score (max = 100)Result
Shipley et al.(1983)Osteoarthritis50Negative
Fisher et al. (1989)Fibromyalgia45Positive
Gibson et al. (1980)Rheumatoid arthritis40Positive
Audrade et al. (1988)Rheumatoid arthritis38Negative
Fisher et al. (1986)Fibrositis38Positive
Gibson et al. (1978)Rheumatoid arthritis33Positive

(Kleignen et al., 1991, p.320)

Appendix 3

Department of Homeopathic Medicine in Liverpool – Patient Benefit Survey

Patient-assessed outcome score in musculoskeletal conditions

Grade of Response

DiagnosisTotal patients+4+3+2+10-1-2-3% Improved% Scoring +2, +3 or +4
Osteoarthritis16604755312733080.1%61.4%
Spinal Pain490131391202074%53%
Inflammatory Arthritis460101613700084%56.5%

(Richardson, 2001, p.160)

Appendix 4

Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital – Patient Benefit Survey

Patient-assessed Response in musculoskeletal and rheumatological conditions

Grade of Response

Total patients+3+2+10-1-2-3
Osteoarthritis782125186521
Rheumatoid arthritis206463001
Chronic back pain123521010

(Clover, 2000, p.70)

References

Bell, I. R., Lewis, D. A., Brooks, A. J., Schwartz, G. E., Lewis, S. E., Walsh, B. T. & Baldwin, C. M. (2004) Improved clinical status in fibromyalgia patients treated with individualized homeopathic remedies versus placebo, Rheumatology. 43, p.577 – 582

Clarke, A. M. & Symmons, D. P. M. (2006) The burden of rheumatic disease, Medicine, 34/9, p.333 – 335

Clover, A. (2000) Patient benefit survey – Tunbridge Wells homeopathic hospital, British Homeopathic Journal. 89, p.68 – 72

Fisher, P. (1986) An experimental double blind clinical trial method in homeopathy – use of a limited range of remedies to treat fibrositis, The British Homeopathic Journal. 75/3, p.142 – 147

Fisher, P. & Scott, D. L. (2001) A randomized controlled trial of homeopathy in rheumatoid arthritis, Rheumatology. 40, p.1052 – 1055

Gibson, R. G., Gibson, S. L. M., MacNeill, A. D. & Buchanan, W. W. (1980) Homeopathic therapy in rheumatoid arthritis – evaluation by double blind clinical therapeutic trial, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 9, p.453 – 459

Gibson, R. G., Gibson, S. L. M., MacNeill, A. D., Gray, G. H., Dick, W. C. & Buchanan, W. W. (1978) Salicylates and homeopathy in rheumatoid arthritis – preliminary observations, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 6, p.391 – 395

Hahnemann, S. (1996) Organon of the medical art, (6th edition, edited and annotated by O’Reilly, W. B.) California, Birdcage Books

Jonas, W. B., Linde, K. & Ramirez, G. (2000) Homeopathy and rheumatic disease, Rheum Dis Clinics of N. A. 26, p.117 – 123

Kleignen, J., Knipschild, P. & Riet, G. (1991) Clinical trials of homeopathy, British Medical Journal, 302, p.316 – 323

Long, L. & Ernst, E. (2001) Homeopathic remedies for the treatment of osteoarthritis – a systematic review, British Homeopathic Journal. 90, p.37 – 43

Milgrom, L. (2003) Homeopathy and the quantum world – why bother? The Homeopath, 90, p.10 – 14

Richardson, W. R. (2001) Patient benefit survey – Liverpool regional department of homeopathic medicine, British Homeopathic Journal. 90, p.158 – 162

Sajedi, F., Alizad, V., Alaeddini, F., Fatemi, R. & Mazaherinezhad, A. (2008) The effect of adding homeopathic treatment to rehabilitation on muscle tone of children with spastic  cerebral palsy, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 14, p.33 – 37

Shealy, C. N., Thomlinson, R. P., Cox, R. H. & Borgmeyer, R. N. (1998) Osteoarthritic pain – a comparison of homeopathy and acetaminophen, American Journal of Pain Management. 8/3, p.89 – 91

Soeken, K. L. (2004) Selected CAM therapies for arthritis related pain – the evidence from systematic reviews, Clinical Journal of Pain. 20/1, p.13 – 18

Turner, P. (1988) Is there a bridge between homeopathy and conventional medicine? [online] (URL http://www.blackieft.org/images/Lecture1988.pdf) (Accessed 02 April 2009)

Tveiten, D., Bruset, S., Borchgrevink, C. F. & Norseth, J. (1998) Effects of the homeopathic remedy arnica D30 on marathon runners – a randomized double-blind study during the 1995 Oslo marathon, Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 6, p.71 – 74

Vickers, A. J., Fisher, P., Smith, C., Wyllie, S. E. & Lewith, G. T. (1997) Homeopathy for delayed onset muscle soreness – a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial, British Journal of Sports Medicine. 31, p.304 – 307

Vickers, A. J., Fisher, P., Smith, C., Wyllie, S. E. & Rees, R. (1998) Homeopathic arnica 30x is ineffective for muscle soreness after long distance running – a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, The Clinical Journal of Pain. 14/3, p.227 – 231

Weiner, D. K. & Ernst, E. (2004) Complementary and alternative approaches to the treatment of persistent musculoskeletal pain, Clinical Journal of Pain. 20/4, p.244 – 255

World Health Organisation (2003) The burden of musculoskeletal conditions at the start of the new millennium – Report of a WHO scientific group, (WHO technical report series 919) Geneva, World Health Organisation


Sharon Townhill


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