What Are the Pros and Cons of Cancer Homeopathy?

Cancer homeopathy is a type of alternative medicine treatment. Homeopathic treatments consist of giving patients small amounts of substances that mimic a disease in the hopes of curing it. Millions of people seek natural cancer treatments every year to safely cure their illness without the side effects attributed to other medical treatments, such as chemotherapy. There are still side effects associated with cancer homeopathy, and the effectiveness of such treatments remains inconclusive.

Homeopathy was first discovered during the 19^th century. It was widely used in some countries, such as Germany, as an entire medical practice. Homeopathic medicine is still used around the world, but conventional medicine practitioners remain skeptical. These types of treatments for diseases, such as cancer, have been widely unproven.

The basis of homeopathy is balance. Small amounts of substances that create symptoms like those in cancer are thought to help cancer equal each other out and lead to overall balance. Homeopathy is similar to the balancing beliefs in Chinese medicine.

Homeopathic medicine is based on herbal supplements. Practitioners identify the primary symptoms of a patient and then seek a concoction of certain herbs, minerals, alcohol, and water. The types of ingredients used depend on a cancer patient’s symptoms and overall condition. An alternative medicine practitioner will work to determine the correct mixture of substances on an individual basis.

One downside to cancer homeopathy is that the treatment process might take several weeks. This is due to the fact that it often takes time for a practitioner to come up with the right solution. A patient may expect a process based on trial and error. Homeopathic medicine might not be the best solution for terminally ill patients unless they are using it in conjunction with proven medical treatments.

Many medical doctors are skeptical of the effectiveness of homeopathy, but some believe that the treatments will ease other cancer symptoms. These include pain and fatigue reduction. Cancer homeopathy might even reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, such as hair loss, nausea, and vomiting, as well as the risk of infections after conventional treatments.

A patient might experience a worsening of cancer symptoms while on homeopathic medicine. Homeopathy is based off of substances that can mimic a disease. Therefore, it will take time for homeopathic medicine to work itself in the body. A cancer patient might feel worse than before, and then better once the body gets accustomed to the homeopathic medication.

The effectiveness of cancer homeopathy remains uncertain. Some doctors believe that homeopathic medicines can have a placebo effect. A patient might feel better, but cancer tumors can still exist in the body.