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Does homeopathy work?

I went to the dentist for a sore spot on my gums. He said it's a canker sore. He said to use a salt water rinse, non-alcoholic mouth rinse, and to try this homeopathy thing. He said a baking soda paste will get rid of it in 2 days. He said it was homeopathy. I was unsure of it, but I tried it. My canker sore stopped hurting after doing the paste once. It has been 2 days and I don't have any pain. It is almost healed up as well. Does homeopathy work?

Sarahroo29 8 Apr 20
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21 comments

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12

No, homeopathy doesn't work. But what he recommended isn't homeopathy, just a rudimentary treatment. Homeopathy is like when they put essence of hogwash in a bottle and then dilute it down to where it's barely in evidence. The more diluted, the better (according to homeopaths). Homeopathy is woo, just like cupping, acupuncture, leeches, and chiropractic.

I would like to know about your study and clinical experience with acupuncture?

So you are saying you don't think natural healing dosent work? And im not talking about voodoo or praying. western medicine has its uses, but it also is derived from natural sources, the blending and refining of substances found in nature is western medicine.

I had thought homeopathy doesn't work.

@btroje I'd like to see any non-anecdotal evidence that it does work. Until then, just like with gods, I have no reason to think it's real and many reasons to think it's bunk.

@btroje Acupuncture is about manipulating the lines of energy of the body (chi), which haven't even been shown to exist. I think it's safe to dismiss it as woo until such time as empirical evidence (not anecdotes) supports it.

@Moondrop Home remedies sometimes work, and the chemicals involved are indeed the basis for western medicine. My biggest concern would be lack of standard dosage. Most plants that contain helpful chemicals aren't all that helpful until it is distilled or concentrated in sufficient amounts. Other plants are deadly unless dosed correctly. I would be super wary about using these methods.

@CalebMarion do your research then

@Sarahroo29 You had thought correctly.

3

I agree.

As others have said, the baking soda thing is not homeopathy. I'm glad it worked for you.

@Uncorrugated Yep.

3

Only to the extent that you truly believe it will, if any. Even placebos produce some positive results when the subjects expected good results. The brain is a powerful healer. BUT, what he recommended and you did is a long-used HOME REMEDY, not homeopathy! Huge difference. Spend some time doing Google searches on these things. [homeremediesforlife.com]

He said it was. I don't know too much about homeopathy. I'll read this.

@Sarahroo29
I got into trouble once as I gave the following as an explanation of homeopathy to a committee I was on while we were deciding whether to provide assistance to a nurse setting up a homeopathic practice.

  1. Place 2 drop in one glass of water or
    1 drop in 2 glasses of water or
    no drops in 3 glasses of water,
    and then the important part,
    throw the water away,
    makes no difference.
    Sadly the committee approved the business.
    Like Reiki, it should be made illegal.

@Rugglesby Oh.

3

[sciencebasedmedicine.org]

According to this article homeopathy acts as a placebo and could sometimes be more dangerous than the symptoms it is used to treat.

Gohan Level 7 Apr 20, 2018

Oh, wow.

3

It works as well as you believe it will.

3

Baking soda is good stuff it can be used in many ways for cleaning too [care2.com]

Yep.

2

it is nonsense.

Yep.

2

Exactly caleb, and I agree, tea tree and pennyroyal can be toxic and cause more problems, thankfully we live in an age where the local witch doctor isnt in control of our health.

2

I believe it does. I practice it a lot.

Dion Level 2 Apr 20, 2018

Cool.

I truly don't mean any offense and there's a slim chance you could be correct, but I would suggest that your base in skepticism and science is in need of some bolstering.

2

OK,
homeopathy is pure quackery.
Luckily the paste isn't homeopathy.
Ulcers remain because of acid loving bacteria, so a good dose of a strong alkali will fix it. Have been using bi carb for ulcers for 50 years, mine are usually gone in 12 hours, in fact had on last night, hit it with dry bicarb and gone this morning.

Yep.

2

And i will say ever since ive been ingesting probiotics ive gone from going to the er once a week to i havent been in a year, like night and day, probiotics did wonders for my stomach issues

Oh, okay.

2

The baking soda, a good old-fashioned use-it-for-everything item, is what worked!

Yep.

2

I never knew baking soda was homeopathic but there you go - other uses for it given you bow have a tub in the post below

Huh?

2

No. The baking soda paste works on a different principle.

Oh, okay. He was wrong then.

@Sarahroo29 I kind of think he was misusing the term. Western medicine docs will use it with disdain. He may be dissing the baking soda since it is not a commercial kind of pill

@btroje Probably.

2

Baking soda has its therapeutic uses, but strictly speaking it is not homeopathy.

Nobody has been able to propose any plausible mechanism how real homeopathy (ultra-dilute solutions of disease-causing substances) might work. It seems most likely to me the homepathy is a harmless waste of resources that has a placebo effect. And homeopathic practitioners tend on average to be nicer people than MDs, so the placebo effect is accentuated.

The British royal family is said to be devoted followers of homeopathic practitioners. And they live into their 90s, so perhaps in medicine doing nothing gracefully can be better than doing something: "First do no harm".

Oh, okay.

homeopaths are nicer people than MDs?

1

For some it does. For others questionable

Oh, okay. They said this isn't homeopathy.

1

Placebo effect

Yes.

1

If it works for you great sometimes the act of doing something will give a feeling of improvement whether it does or not

Yeah.

1

The term homeopathy isnt the best way to descripe natural healing, ive always thought it meant home remedies which yes you do this in your home, but it takes going to an herbal shop to aquire what u need.

I don't know a lot about homeopathy.

1

I know for sure natural herbs and remedies most certainly work, thats where western medicine comes from, all medication is at its root comes from something natural, ive healed many of my gerd issues with homeopathy, but you gotta know what your doing and theres tons of info on it out there, take the time to research it and you can become your own doc.

Yep. This was for a canker sore.

0

No better than a placebo, it has been tested all over the world many, many times - and always fails to show consistent results under properly controlled testing. The pharmaceutical companies are gigantic monsters, and they test everything, any "medicine" that is as good or better than their drugs? They would patent it, market it and sue the hell out of anybody still selling it.

Science, humanity, has lots to learn - but we are really good at some things. We can look right at atoms, and even measure the subatomic particles they are made out of. And the idea of water gaining a "memory" from anything interacting with it? Absolute bullshit.

  • Final note: I made a homeopathic uranium preparation! I went completely by the book for making homeopathic medicine "correctly". I did it for fun, and to ridicule and mock beLIEvers in homeopathy. I used real uranium ore - here is a link to my page: [sites.google.com]
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