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Homeopathic treatment of patients with dysmenorrhea: a prospective observational study with 2 years follow-up

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Abstract

Purpose

Evaluating homeopathic treatment for dysmenorrhea.

Methods

Prospective multicenter observational study in primary care, using standardized questionnaires to record for 2 years diseases, quality of life, medical history, consultations, all treatments, other health services use.

Results

Fifty-seven physicians treated 128 women (age 32.4 ± 7.5 years, mean ± SD) and 11 girls (13.7 ± 4.0). Women had dysmenorrhea for 11.6 ± 9.0 (girls 3.1 ± 1.5) years. Patients received 7.5 ± 6.5 (5.9 ± 3.7) homeopathic prescriptions. Diagnoses and complaints severity improved markedly [at 24 months, dysmenorrhea relieved by > 50% of baseline rating in 46.1% (59) of the women and 45.5% (5) of the girls] with large effect sizes (24 months: Cohen’s d from 1.18 to 2.93). In addition, QoL improved (24 months: SF-36 physical component score: 0.25, mental component score 0.25, KINDL sum score 0.27). Conventional medication changed little and use of other health services decreased.

Conclusions

Patients with dysmenorrhea improved under homeopathic treatment. Controlled studies should investigate efficacy and effectiveness.

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Abbreviations

WHO:

World Health Organization

ICD:

International Classification of Diseases

NRS:

Numerical rating scale

QoL:

Health-related quality-of-life

MOS SF-36:

Medical outcomes trust 36-item short form survey instrument

KINDL:

KINDer Lebensqualitätsfragebogen

Cn :

nth centesimal potency

Qn :

nth quinquagintamillesimal potency

GP:

General practitioner

RCT:

Randomized controlled trial

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank the participating physicians for their work and the patients for their cooperation. We thank Elvira Krüger for data acquisition and to Karin Weber and Katja Wruck for data management. This work was supported with a grant by the Karl und Veronica Carstens-Foundation, D-Essen, for SNW and CMW.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, 10098, Berlin, Germany

    Claudia M. Witt & Stefan N. Willich

  2. Karl and Veronica Carstens-Foundation, Am Deimelsberg 36, 45276, Essen, Germany

    Rainer Lüdtke

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  1. Claudia M. Witt
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  3. Stefan N. Willich
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Correspondence to Claudia M. Witt.

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Witt, C.M., Lüdtke, R. & Willich, S.N. Homeopathic treatment of patients with dysmenorrhea: a prospective observational study with 2 years follow-up. Arch Gynecol Obstet 280, 603–611 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-0988-1

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