I think "homeopathy" is a really wide-encompassing term. I think some of it is really effective and I think some of it is a total hoax. It seems really difficult to get unbiased information about which products are manufactured safely and processed effectively. And I definitely wish there were more double blind studies about efficacy. Its silly for this study to say all homeopathy is ineffective, but it also seems silly to say that you *know* all homeopathy works because one homeopathic remedy worked for you.

One of the things that makes it so difficult to say "x treatment worked" is because really there is no way of knowing if it was the treatment or if the human body (which is self-healing) healed itself.

This is why we do controlled randomized double-blind studies. It's to check using the scientific method whether or not something actually works.

I would challenge you all to:
Vow to follow the truth, and set aside your beliefs about why homeopathics do or don't work. Decide to use the scientific method to see it something is a placebo or an actual physiological remedy.

Do your homework on crdb studies and why they work. Such scientific studies show that Doulas work. But the same studies show that homeopathics are no more than placebo affect. Be brave enough to investigate further....

Then here's your next assignment should you get this far - do your homework on Homeopathics. It is a high tech process that produces what is essentially a sugar pill.

Nature is simpler and smarter - she gives us herbs. Time and time again we see that simple solutions work and low tech natural solutions tend to be the truest and most effective.

For those people who placebo effect works on, suggest homeopathics. They want a placebo and they will get one. For everyone else who wants tried and true methods, mother nature has given us herbs - which though studies are limited they do exist to prove that many many herbs have therapeutic benefit.

Think about it - is homeopathy easy, safe and natural? or is it our pill-addicted society trying to stabilize by going the opposite extreme from prescription pills that do produce awful side effects, to homeopathics that can't produce any effects? In some way we are trying to heal ourselves by taking 'opposite pills' when what we really need is to ditch the pills altogether? Nature made us herbs and foods as medicine - they work. Nature gave us boobs, they work. Nature made women supportive with nurturing instincts, we call ourselves doulas - and we work! It's similar, and simple (to me anyway)

I must confess, i changed my opinion on homeopathy. In the last year I saw several times breast feeding problems getting worse because women did not make the right thing, mostly change of behavior, but taking sugar pills. Homeopathy, = the believe in sugar pills, does harm.

Ginger Campbell´s last brain science podcast is about placebo effects. Very interesting stuff:
Home - Brain Science Podcast

I actually had to look up the difference between homeopathy and herbology because I thought they were the same - boy am I surprised! Based on the information I've been able to find, it appears that homeopathy is more of a placebo-type thing whereas herbology is more medicinal - I think Would probably have voted no if I had understood the difference between the two.

Of course homeopathics don't work. They have no active ingredient! The dilution principle is sheer nonsense. The placebo effect is a powerful thing.

And for those who say, "What's the harm?", the harm is in wasting your money, time and mental energy picking a remedy, delaying seeing a doctor about something that could worsen until it's difficult or impossible to heal, trying to figure out why your remedy isn't working, and seeing a quack- for three hours!