Usefulness of classical homeopathy for the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in individuals with chronic neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Context/

Objective

to investigate the usefulness of classical homeopathy for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design

prospective study.

Setting

rehabilitation center in Switzerland.

Participants

patients with chronic SCI and ≥3 UTI/year. Interventions: Participants were treated either with a standardized prophylaxis alone or in combination with homeopathy. Outcome measures: The number of UTI, general and specific quality of life (QoL), and satisfaction with homeopathic treatment were assessed prospectively for one year.

Results

Ten patients were in the control group; 25 patients received adjunctive homeopathic treatment. The median number of self-reported UTI in the homeopathy group decreased significantly, whereas it remained unchanged in the control group. The domain incontinence impact of the KHQ improved significantly (P = 0.035), whereas the general QoL did not change. The satisfaction with homeopathic care was high.

Conclusions

Adjunctive homeopathic treatment lead to a significant decrease of UTI in SCI patients. Therefore, classical homeopathy could be considered in SCI patients with recurrent UTI. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov. (NCT01477502).