Is homoeopathic treatment effective for sports injuries? Explorations from a mixed systematic review!
In the European Union, the incidence of sports injuries in the lay and professional population is on the rise, according to a report by Kisser and Bauer (1). During the time of 2006 to 2008 sports injuries made up 14% of all injuries that needed medical treatment. It was reported that in team disciplines the most injuries occurred in football. Within the population group of the under 60-year-old, football accounted for 70% of injuries (1).
In professional sports, Homeopathy has increasingly become a useful companion in the treatment of athletes. The industry behind the great sports events and professional leagues cannot afford long recuperation time of their athletes, therefore a treatment that is effective, fast, has potentially none or only minimal adverse effects, and does not stress the physique or inhibit the recovery from injury or exertion is a valued tool (2). The homeopathic treatment approach is therefore a great choice for the active sports person.
A mixed systematic review, investigated peer-reviewed, randomized, double-blind controlled trials and observational studies for effectiveness of the homeopathic treatment approach for sports injuries. The outcome reported that topical application of the homeopathic complex preparation “Traumeel”, Arnica in X/D potency, and Arnica in lower C potency are effective in treating injuries from sports or related activities. However, the application had to occur following exercise or sports activity. It was further noted that the compliance with and tolerance of homeopathic remedies or preparations is high.
The authors concluded that restrictions to their systematic evaluation were grounded in the quality of the studies and appraisals available. They stressed that the bias and flaws in trials and studies was due to factors such as an indifference to homeopathic principles, and the inappropriateness of the standard research tools used. The authors recommended future research into homeopathy to be sensitive to such principal elements in order to avoid falsification of trials and subsequent appraisals at the very root.
Full-text is available at Researchgate
References:
1.Kisser R, Bauer R. The burden of sports injuries in the European Union. Research report D2h of the project “Safety in Sports”. Vienna: Austrian Road Safety Board (Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit); 2012.
2.DZS. Individuell trainieren – Prof.Dr. P. Billigmann im Interview zum Thema Fussball [Internet]. 2010 March 20 [cited 2010 March 20]; Available from http://www.zeitschrift-sportmedizin.de
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