From the realm of “no kidding” comes a study from Australia regarding homeopathy. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia studied the effectiveness of homeopathy and came to a simple, direct, and concrete conclusion: It does not help any condition. In case you don’t know, homeopathy is the absurd notion that ever-smaller amounts of toxins can treat the illnesses said toxins cause. The catchphrase is “like treats like.” The recent antipodean study follows on one done in England which reached the same conclusion in 2010. There really is no dispute left that homeopathy is simple nonsense. But more and more research shows the power of the placebo effect. Some studies have shown the placebo effect works even if those administering the phony treatment tell the patients its phony. So what to do? The lesson seems to be that if you think taking some highly-diluted tincture of toxin will cure your back pain, go to it. But don’t skip more traditional medical treatments while you do so. It’s one thing to indulge in scientific fantasy, but another to risk your health while doing so.
For more, see Understanding the Placebo Effect.
