Alfalfa - A multicentric clinical verification study

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical verification programme is an ongoing research programme of the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy since its inception, under which many Indian and rarely used drugs in Homoeopathy have been undertaken. Alfalfa is a flowering plant and known for its use as a medicine in toning up the appetite and digestion and favorably influencing nutrition. Disorders like anorexia, nervousness, insomnia, diabetes, lethargy and malnutrition are mainly within its therapeutic range. The Council had undertaken an observational study on Alfalfa from October 2005 to March 2010, to determine its therapeutic effect through clinical verification. Objectives: The primary objective was to clinically verify the symptomatology of Alfalfa as observed during the proving conducted by the Council on this drug and the secondary objective was to ascertain the clinical symptoms. Methods: In this multicentre study, a total of 169 patients from all age groups and both sexes were enrolled from the OPDs of respective institutes and units of the Council following the exclusion and inclusion criteria as per protocol. The informed written consents from the patients were also taken. Their presenting signs and symptoms were recorded in a predefined case recording proforma. Thereafter, on repertorising the symptoms of each patient, if Alfalfa was found to be the similimum or very closely similar to the symptoms of the patient, then the case was enrolled. The medicine was prescribed in different potencies like 6c, 30c and 200c in ascending order, as per the need of the case and in accordance with homoeopathic principles. The progress was noted in follow up sheets to determine the effect of the medicine. Result: The result obtained from the enrolled patients was analysed after the conclusion of the study. It was found that many of the symptoms obtained by proving of the drug (conducted by the Council) were present in the patients clinically and thus stood verified. Apart from these, some clinical symptoms (symptoms which were not exhibited during the proving of the Alfalfa, but got cured in the sick, after the administration of the medicine) were also emerged during the study, exploring the wider area of the medicine for its therapeutic use. Fifty five symptoms of Alfalfa, including its proving symptoms (obtained by the Council), were verified during the study and most of these symptoms were of gastrointestinal system, respiratory & nervous system, head, back and sleep. The essence of the medicine lies in its properties like digestive, antiinflammatory, neurotic and antipyretic. Conclusion: Alfalfa may be considered as a remedy for various clinical conditions like anorexia, coryza, depression, dry cough, fever, headache, irritability, lethargy, sleeplessness, sneezing, cervical pain and weakness. Since Fifty five proving symptoms of the drug were verified during the study, it may be concluded that the drug symptoms were amply verified.