About Homeopathic Treatment

Homeopathy is a system of holistic medicine that, according to The Lancet medical journal, is a scientific anomaly and defies current medical understanding. However, there is positive evidence that it works. A study conducted by scientists at Charité University Medical Center in Berlin of patients with chronic headache revealed "consistent improvements" using homeopathic treatment. According to The Lancet, "Homeopathy is probably the only medical system that has survived multiple attacks during its 200-year history, and has refused to die out."

History

Dr. Samuel Hahnemann is the founding father of homeopathy. Soon after graduating from medical school in 1779, Hahnemann became disenchanted with the conventional practice of medicine because he believed there was a better way to heal people. The practices of blood-letting and using toxic chemicals were common at the time. It was during his translation of Scottish physician William Cullen's "Materia Medica"--the study of substances used in medicine--that Hahnemann's system of medicine truly began.
He reapplied the idea first introduced by Hippocrates--"Similia Similibus Curentur," which is Latin for "let likes be cured by likes"--when he experimented with the bark of the cinchona tree from which quinine is made. Hahnemann ingested the bark and subsequently suffered with the symptoms of malaria. Hahnemann called it "The Law of Similars."

Benefits of a Homeopathic Consultation

Individualized treatment is one of the cornerstones of homeopathy. A homeopath endeavors to treat the person with the illness or disease rather than the illness itself. This holistic approach gathers the patient's symptoms from across the mind-body spectrum including mental, emotional upsets as well as physical complaints and analyzes them together as a whole. Consultations can last up to two hours.
According to The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, "homeopathic remedies are not known to interfere with conventional drugs," and although remedies can be taken over-the-counter for acute complaints as in vomiting, fevers and sprains, chronic conditions such as insomnia, depression or allergies can be treated by a homeopathic doctor or licensed professional.

Substances Used

Substances used in preparing homeopathic remedies come from plants, minerals and even the animal kingdom. For example, sepia, which is made from the ink of the cuttlefish, or squid, is used to treat hormonal disturbances in women. Lachesis, venom of the bushmaster snake, is used in ultra-diluted and minute doses to treat many complaints including sore throats. Aconite is a flowering plant known commonly as monkshood and is used particularly for the treatment of shock and complaints that appear suddenly. Argentum nitricum, or silver nitrate, comes from the mineral kingdom and can be used to treat anxiety and nervous anticipation.

How to Use

Homeopathic medicine comes in the form of "remedies" and can be bought over-the-counter in health food stores and specialist pharmacies throughout the world. Remedies come as tablets or little pills that have been treated with a diluted, medicated liquid tincture. Remedies are taken in doses of one or two tablets and placed under the tongue where they easily dissolve. If the remedy has been selected appropriately, improvement should begin to occur within 24 to 48 hours. For optimal results, it is best to consult a qualified homeopathic practitioner.

Considerations

For optimal results, it is recommended to consult a qualified homeopathic practitioner. The National Center for Homeopathy, a non-profit organization, provides access to a list of licensed practitioners.