Homeopathy – A Trusted Friend For A Healthy Life
It is a system of medicine which respects the body’s power to heal itself, supporting the process with a gentle hand.
What is Homeopathy?
Its fundamental principle is that ‘like cures like’ – leading us to select a remedy made from a natural substance which would usually produce the very symptoms being shown, but in a tiny dose which has been ‘potentised’ to be effective. A simple example might be that a homeopathic dose of Allium cepa (made from onions) could help someone who has watering eyes and a streaming nose – exactly the symptoms we experience when we chop an onion.
Homeopathy works by stimulating the body’s own natural healing capacity. The remedy triggers the body’s own healing forces and so a remedy is prescribed on a very individual basis. A homeopath will note physical, mental and emotional symptoms, together with all the factors that make the person feel better or worse. Is the pain better with cold or heat? Does the person feel worse if they move or sit still? From an extensive picture of the person, a homeopath can then select a remedy which best matches the picture.
What can I use homeopathy for?
Homeopathy can often be used to treat the same wide range of illness as conventional medicine, and may even prove successful when all other forms of treatment have failed.
Until you experience the results of Homeopathy, it is difficult to appreciate the effectiveness of the Homeopathy. So if it is your first time, consider trying out with minor complaints first to witness the results.
Is Homeopathy a Placebo?
Homeopathic medicine has stood the test of time, used for over 200 years and the fact that the remedies are widely used on animals dismisses the idea that the success of a treatment is all in the mind, or a placebo. Animals treated homeopathically cannot ‘believe’ in the remedy or will themselves better. It is simply an effective system of medicine.
What’s in the medicines?
Over-the-counter homeopathic medicines are made using natural plant, mineral and, occasionally, animal substances. Prescribed remedies may also originate from biological, chemical or synthetic sources.
Generally speaking there are very few side effects with homeopathic medicines (which is one reason for their popularity) – their active elements are in infinitesimally small quantities. Occasionally symptoms become worse on first taking a homeopathic medicine. This is called an ‘aggravation’ or sometimes referred to as ‘proving the remedy’ and is usually a good sign that the remedy is working. Generally advice is to stop taking the remedy until the aggravation has passed and only resume if necessary. Aggravations are most common with skin disorders, as the body “throws out” the disease.
Why are there homeopathic remedies for specific conditions?
Even though homeopathy treats the individual, and not the disease, some homeopathic remedies will successfully treat many people with the same symptoms. For example, Arnica is usually used for muscular bruising and Thuja for warts. These remedies have become so firmly established that they can be given without question and the condition only needs to be looked at more closely if the remedy does not work well.
Other remedies have become linked to specific illnesses because the ailment itself often follows a common pattern. For example, Rhus-Tox is for pain which feels better for movement – and is taken by thousands of people to ease rheumatic aches and pains.
Can homeopathic medicines be taken with other drugs?
There is no known report of any cross-reaction with conventional medical treatments, although powerful drugs such as antihistamines or steroids may slow down or negate the action of homeopathic medicines. Additionally, the side-effects of conventional drugs can make it harder to judge whether homeopathy is acting effectively or needs to be changed. At “Remedy” we always advise you to tell your doctor if you are taking a homeopathic medicine together with a prescribed drug.
Can more than one homeopathic medicine be taken at the same time?
It’s usually better to avoid taking more than one homeopathic medicine at a time because it makes it harder to judge what is working. For some specific situations and illnesses including hayfever, eczema, muscular pain and stress, mixed remedies are formulated.
Are Homeopathic medicines suitable for children?
Homeopathic remedies are suitable for children, and indeed young children often respond better to homeopathic medicines than adults. As with all treatment regimes, we advise that children under two should be seen by a doctor except in very mild cases such as teething or colds.
The law prohibits any medicine manufacturer from claiming that a medicine is safe during pregnancy and thus the official Homeopathic statement is that it is best to avoid all medicines during pregnancy. Homeopathic medicines, however, have never been shown to be unsafe during pregnancy.