1. HOW CAN HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE HELP OUR DERMATOLOGY PATIENTS?
ROBERT J. SIGNORE, DO
17730 S. OAK PARK AVENUE, SUITE C
TINLEY PARK, IL 60477
(708)
© R. Signore, DO

2. HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE IS A SYSTEM OF NATURAL HEALING
WHICH CAN BE HELPFUL FOR COMMON SKIN CONDITIONS
SUCH AS: ACNE (PIMPLES) ATOPIC ECZEMA
WARTS
MOLLUSCUM
AND OTHER SKIN CONDITIONS
© R. Signore, DO Dermatology

3. WHAT IS HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE?
• GREEK: Homoios – ‘similar’ or ‘like’
Pathos – ‘suffering’
• HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE - IS A LOW- COST, NON-TOXIC SYSTEM OF MEDICINE USED BY 500 MILLION PEOPLE WORLD- WIDE WHICH USES MICRODOSES OF SUBSTANCES DERIVED FROM PLANTS, MINERALS, OR ANIMALS FOR THE PURPOSE OF STIMULATING THE NATURAL HEALING RESPONSE.
______________________________________
Bellavite P, Signorini A. The Emerging Science of Homeopathy, 2002.
British Institute of Homeopathy, Diploma Course Manual, 2003.
Goldberg B. Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, 1993.

4. SAMUEL HAHNEMANN, MD (1755-1843)
• While translating a scientific book,
Hahnemann wondered at the author’s
claim that cinchona (Peruvian bark)
was effective against malaria because
it was bitter.
• Hahnemann knew of other bitter medicines which didn’t cure malaria
Shalts, E. Homeopathy Today. Spring, 2010;

5. SAMUEL HAHNEMANN, MD • He ingests cinchona (Peruvian bark) &
experiences malaria-like symptoms
• He hypothesizes cinchona helps malaria patients because it causes
similar symptoms in a healthy person
• The LAW OF SIMILARS
Shalts, E. Homeopathy Today. Spring, 2010;

6. 3 PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE
1. LAW OF SIMILARS - CURE IS ACHIEVED BY GIVING SUBSTANCES WHICH ARE CAPABLE OF INDUCING SIMILAR DISEASE-LIKE SYMPTOMS IN THE HEALTHY PERSON
EMPLOY INFINITESIMALLY SMALL, PROPERLY POTENTIZED DOSES
ADDRESS THE WHOLE PERSON
British Institute of Homeopathy, U.S.A. Division

7. HOW DOES HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE WORK?
MODE OF ACTION IS NOT KNOWN
DILUTIONS NEED TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY VIGOROUS SHAKING DURING MANUFACTURING
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE SOLUTIONS
DO NOT WORK AFTER BEING HEATED TO 70° C (158° F),
FREEZE-THAWED, OR ULTRASONIFIED
Davenas E, et.al. Human basophil degranulation triggered by very dilute antiserum against IgE.
Nature : 333,

8. HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES REGULATION BY FDA
• HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES ARE
REGULATED BY THE U.S. FOOD & DRUG
ADMINISTRATION AS DRUGS
• SINCE WHEN THE U.S. CONGRESS
PASSED THE FOOD, DRUG, & COSMETIC
ACT OF 1938
MANUFACTURED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH HOMEOPATHIC PHARMACOPOEIA
OF THE UNITED STATES (HPUS)
• MANUFACTURED ACCORDING TO
GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES
(GMP)
(FDA CPC Sec )

10. CANKER SORES - SIZE

11. CANKER SORES - PAIN
Mousavi F, et al. Homeopathy : 98,

13. HOMEOPATHIC PREVENTION OF ACUTE RADIATION DERMATITIS
• SINGLE-BLINDED PHASE III RANDOMIZED COMPARISON
CALENDULA
TROLAMINE
# WOMEN
126
128
ALLERGIC REACTIONS
NONE
4 (PRURITUS
URTICARIA)
• RESULTS: CALENDULA OINTMENT WAS SUPERIOR TO TROLAMINE IN ALL CATEGORIES
(EXCEPT EASE OF APPLICATION)
• CONCLUSION: CALENDULA IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN
PREVENTING ACUTE RADIATION DERMATITIS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING POST-OP RADIATION TX FOR BREAST CANCER.
POMMIER P, et.al. J CLIN ONCOL : 22;

14. HOMEOPATHIC PREVENTION OF ACUTE RADIATION DERMATITIS
• CALENDULA OINTMENT WAS STATISTICALLY
SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN
TROLAMINE IN PREVENTING ACUTE RADIATION
DERMATITIS (GRADE 2 OR HIGHER)
• CALENDULA OINTMENT HAD SIGNIFICANTLY
BETTER SELF-ASSESSED PATIENT SATISFACTION
REGARDING PAIN AND DERMATITIS
POMMIER P, et.al. J CLIN ONCOL : 22;

16. • KEIL T, et al. COMPLEMENTARY
“HOMEOPATHIC VS. CONVENTIONAL TX OF CHILDREN WITH ECZEMA: A COMPARATIVE COHORT STUDY”
• KEIL T, et al. COMPLEMENTARY
THERAPIES IN MEDICINE FEB; 16(1):
• INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL MEDICINE, EPIDEMIOLOGY & HEALTH ECONOMICS,
CHARITÉ UNIVERSITY MED CENTER, BERLIN, GERMANY
• FIRST LONG-TERM, PROSPECTIVE, MULTI-CENTER COHORT STUDY TO COMPARE HOMEOPATHIC VS. CONVENTIONAL
TREATMENT OF ECZEMA IN CHILDREN
• SIGNS / SYMPTOMS & QUALITY OF LIFE

17. • FOLLOW-UP PERIOD: 12 MONTHS
“HOMEOPATHIC VS. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OF CHILDREN WITH ECZEMA: A COMPARATIVE COHORT STUDY”
• OF 118 CHILDREN IN THE STUDY, 54 HAD HOMEOPATHIC & 64 HAD CONVENTIONAL
• FOLLOW-UP PERIOD: 12 MONTHS
• IMPROVEMENT OF ECZEMA (AS OBSERVED BY DOCTORS) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER
IN HOMEOPATHIC GROUP (p < 0.001)
• ECZEMA SYMPTOMS OF THE HOMEOPATHICALLY-TREATED CHILDREN IMPROVED JUST AS WELL AS THE CONVENTIONALLY-TREATED CHILDREN
• DISEASE-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVED EQUALLY IN BOTH GROUPS
Keil T, et al. Complementary Therapies in Medicine : 16 (1);

19. INTRACTABLE ATOPIC DERMATITIS
CASE STUDY (17 ECZEMA PATIENTS)
ATOPIC ECZEMA PATIENTS
ALL WERE USING TOPICAL STEROIDS
THEIR ECZEMA COULDN’T BE HELPED WITH CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT
+/- ANXIOLYTICS & SLEEPING PILLS
+/- TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
ITAMURA R, HOSOYA R. HOMEOPATHY : 92,

20. • 1 PATIENT’S ECZEMA CLEARED 100% • 7 PATIENTS GOT 80% BETTER
DR. ITAMURA ADDED CLASSICAL
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE TO THESE
PATIENTS’ CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT:
RESULTS
• 1 PATIENT’S ECZEMA CLEARED 100%
• 7 PATIENTS GOT 80% BETTER
• 9 PATIENTS GOT 50% BETTER
ITAMURA R, HOSOYA R. HOMEOPATHY : 92,

21. HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT OF JAPANESE PATIENTS
WITH INTRACTABLE ATOPIC DERMATITIS
NOTE: 5 OF 17 PATIENTS WERE ABLE TO STOP STEROID OINTMENTS
Itamura R, Hosoya R. Homeopathy : 92,
Dept. of Dermatology, Obitsu Sankei Hospital.

22. Witt CM, et.al. Acta Dermato-Venereologica. 2009: 89(2); 182-183.

23. HOMEOPATHIC TX – ATOPIC ECZEMA
• OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
• N = CONSECUTIVE PATIENTS
• N = 225
• CHILDREN WITH ATOPIC ECZEMA
• ALLOWED TO USE CONVENTIONAL TX
• FOLLOW-UP: 24 MONTHS
Witt CM, et.al. Homeopathic Tx of Children with Atopic Eczema. A Prospective
Observational Study with Two Years Follow-up. ADV : 89(2);

24. HOMEOPATHIC TX – ATOPIC ECZEMA
RESULTS
• SEVERITY OF ECZEMA IMPROVED
• CHANGE IN SEVERITY ASSESSMENT
WERE OF LARGE EFFECT SIZE:
MONTHS (COHEN’S d = 1.76)
• REDUCTIONS IN USE OF DERMATOLOGY
DRUGS WERE OBSERVED
Witt CM, et.al. Homeopathic Tx of Children with Atopic Eczema. A Prospective
Observational Study with Two Years Follow-up. ADV ; 89(2)
Effect size, often measured as Cohen’s d, is defined as the difference between two means divided by a standard deviation for the data. An effect size of 0.8 is considered large

25. IN OUR CASE STUDY OF 6 ECZEMA PATIENTS,
WE FOUND THAT IRRITANT ECZEMA IMPROVED THE QUICKEST. IN 4 OF THE 6 PATIENTS, WE NOTICED THAT SOME OF THEIR OTHER
NON-DERMATOLOGICAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS IMPROVED WHEN THEY STARTED
HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT.

26. • TX OF IRRITANT CONTACT DERMATITIS (CHAPPED SKIN) WITH HOMEOPATHIC
MEDICINE
Cosmetic Dermatology©
Cosmetic Dermatology©
Signore RJ. Classic Homeopathic Medicine & the Treatment
of Eczema. Cosmetic Dermatology ; 24:

28. TREATMENT OF ITCHING IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS
RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND
PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL
PROSPECTIVE, MULTI-CENTER
(N = 28)
EACH PATIENT RECEIVED “INDIVIDUALIZED” TX WITH 1 OR MORE HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES
FOLLOW-UP: UP TO 60 DAYS
Cavalcanti AMS, et. al. Homeopathy ; 92,

29. HOMEOPATHIC TX – ITCHING OF HEMODIALYSIS
Cavalcanti AMS, et.al. Homeopathy : 92,

30. TREATMENT OF ITCHING IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS
• REDUCTION IN ITCHING SCORE
STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AT
EVERY POINT OF OBSERVATION
• (P < 0.05)
• AUTHORS CONCLUDED: HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE MAY BE A WORTHWHILE ALTERNATIVE TO RELIEVE THE ITCHING OF HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS
Cavalcanti AMS, et. al. Homeopathy ; 92,

31. HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE WHAT IS IT?
A NON-TOXIC, LOW COST NATURAL SYSTEM OF HEALING USED BY
500 MILLION PEOPLE WORLD-WIDE
IS THERE ANY RESEARCH?
YES
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH IT?
IT CAN BE VERY HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF COMMON SKIN DISEASES & MAY ALLOW PHYSICIANS TO REDUCE THE USAGE OF TOPICAL STEROIDS FOR ECZEMA AND ANTIBIOTICS FOR ACNE
© R. Signore, DO Dermatology