M.Tech. / This research was conducted to determine the effect of homoeopathic treatment on acute gout patients. Putterman (1994) conducted a research study on the effect of the homoeopathic remedy Colchicum autumnale in gout, and found partial improvement in the clinical picture of gout. No research has been conducted in South Africa on the efficacy of homoeopathic medicines in acute gout patients. This study focused on the homoeopathic Law of Similars, where a single most similar homoeopathic remedy was chosen according to the unique characteristic symptoms displayed by each participant suffering with acute gout. This was a qualitative study that used ten subjects who presented within five days of acute gout and participated in the fifteen-day study period. Participants that complied with the American College of Rheumatology (formerly American Rheumatism Association, ACR) criteria for gout were selected. Serum uric acid tests were taken on day 0 and day 6 to assess hyperuricemia. On day 0 a thorough case history and examination was taken followed by administration of the indicated remedy. Treatment efficacy was evaluated on day 1, 3 and 6, based on daily subjective impression of participant involvement, objective analysis and comparative analysis of serum uric acid. Re-examination for relapses or rebound attacks followed on day 15. In a study using allopathic remedies in acute gout, resolution of all acute gout symptoms occurred at an average of 8 days using indomethacin and 7 days using triamcinolone (Alloway et. al., 1993). In this study using homoeopathic similimum treatment, resolution of all acute gout symptoms occurred at an average of 6 days. One episode of a rebound gout attack occurred and serum uric acid decreased in 80% of patients. Homoeopathic similimum prescribing is an effective alternative treatment for acute gout. Although more research is required, the preliminary findings of this study suggest that the correct homoeopathic similimum treatment is an effective treatment for the symptoms of acute gout.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:9433 |
| Date | 15 August 2012 |
| Creators | Cara, Raakhi |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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