You asked for updates on research on natural medicine --so you’ve got it. In the last month, there have been many of new studies published. We want to highlight two important findings, one about neurofeedback and brain plasticity and the other on homeopathy.
The first was a study about neurofeedback, which shows that brain plasticity does appear to be affected positively by neurofeedback. Plasticity is the ability of neurons to make more connections, which increases the flexibility of the brain--leading to enhanced concentration/memory, problem solving skills, and decision making abilities. The effects of even a small amount of neurofeedback show that the brain retains the affects for long periods afterward. The authors suggest that more serious consideration should be applied to neurofeedback as an alternative to expensive medication in the treatment of a variety of
neurologically mediated conditions. Dr. Gil Winkelman at Insights to Health is one of four doctors in Portland offering neurofeedback for medical conditions as well as mental health conditions (he is the only physician who has also has a graduate degree in mental health). He recently was a keynote speaker at the Northwest Brain Injury Association's annual conference.
The second study showed how homeopathic remedies kill cancer cells in vitro. In a study done at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, homeopathic preparations killed to different human mammary cancer cell lines and had no effect on healthy cells. This study is a landmark discovery as it effectively removes the placebo effect as the mechanism of action for homeopathy. Of course, this study was not a clinical trial and we do not advocate that one treat breast cancer using a single homeopathic remedy based on this one study. It does however suggest a need for reconsideration of the place of homeopathy deserves in modern medicine. We use homeopathy to help patients with all kinds of health problems at Insights to Health. It is a gentle, effective way to restore balance and health, for both children and adults.
