The attitude of Australian homeopathic practitioners to the treatment of bites and stings: A questionnaire study

Homeopathic therapy is used worldwide for a range of acute and chronic conditions and is an integral part of some medical systems. However, despite the use within traditional medicine and their popularity in the general population, these treatments are still regarded as fringe medicine by many in the scientific and/or medical community. To further understand how homeopathy and conventional healthcare might be better integrated, a greater understanding of the use of these remedies for particular conditions is required. We have conducted a pilot study to investigate the current use of homeopathic treatments for various bites and stings by Australian practitioners. A self-administered survey was sent to 460 Australian homeopathic practitioners about their experiences with treatment of bites and stings, specific treatments used and whether they perceived treatments as being successful. Although the response rate for this study was low (n=35), several significant findings were revealed. Ninety one percent of respondents had used homeopathic treatments for bites and stings, with the most frequent being treatment of bee and wasp stings and whitetail spider bites. All respondents indicated that they perceived treatment success to be good to excellent with few patients requiring further homeopathic or conventional treatment. Data on the types of remedies prescribed by these practitioners demonstrated that although treatments are individualised, similar remedies are used for similar envonomations. This unique pilot study demonstrates that there is potential for further research in this area, particularly in regards to understanding the efficacy of these treatments.