Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2002; 7: 116
Homoeopathy is frequently used to treat asthma in children. In the common, classical form of homoeopathy, prescriptions are individualised for each patient. There has been no rigorous investigation into this form of therapy for asthma.
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial compared the effect of individualised homoeopathic remedies with placebo medication in 96 children with mild to moderate asthma. The main outcome measure was the Active Quality of Living subscale of the Childhood Asthma Questionnaire, administered at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Other outcome measures included other subscales of the same questionnaire, peak flow rates, use of medication, symptom scores, days off school, asthma events, global assessment of change and adverse reactions.
There was no clinically or statistically significant change in the Active Quality of Life score for any of the three age groups in either treatment group. Other subscales showed relative improvement but the sizes of the effects were not clinically relevant. There were no differences between the groups for other measures.
Homoeopathic remedies, as prescribed by experienced homoeopathic practitioners, were not superior to placebo in improving the quality of life of children with mild to moderate asthma in primary care.
