Abstract
BACKGROUND: Clinical verification in homeopathy is a systematic process that aims to validate the therapeutic efficacy of homeopathic medicines. The Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) has been conducting clinical verification studies in lesser known, fragmentarily proved and rare medicines such as Acorus calamus through its Clinical Verification Program, thereby expanding the therapeutic utility of these medicines. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the study was to assess the change in intensity of presenting symptoms of the participants after administration of the medicine Acorus calamus by measuring change in Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile-2 (MYMOP-2) profile score. The study also aimed to evaluate overall impact on participants' daily living using the Outcome in Relation to Impact on Daily Living (ORIDL) scale, as well as to identify any new clinical symptoms that were not elicited during the drug proving. METHODS: A multi-center open-label study was conducted at the outpatient departments of the 14 hospitals/clinics of the CCRH located in different states of India. Participants having a minimum of three symptoms corresponding to the proving symptom of Acorus calamus were included in the study. RESULTS: Improvement in the symptomatology of 321 participants who completed a minimum of two follow-ups suggested the effectiveness of the medicine in treating various clinical conditions, including headache, constipation, respiratory diseases such as rhinitis, acute nasopharyngitis, sinusitis and cough, musculoskeletal disorders such as myalgia, arthralgia and cervical spondylosis, and skin conditions such as eczema. Acorus calamus showed substantial therapeutic potential, with significant improvement (p < 0.0001) in MYMOP-2 and in ORIDL scores. Symptoms that were not previously identified during the drug proving included sneezing and difficulty in breathing. CONCLUSION: The study successfully verified the symptomatology of Acorus calamus by ascertaining improvement in symptoms after its administration in individuals with various health conditions. Future research can focus on randomized controlled trials to quantify the efficacy of Acorus calamus for the indicated clinical conditions.