Health and WellnessTherapies and complementary medicine Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a holistic, natural therapy that uses remedies based on the following principles:
- Like with like
The word "homeopathy" is formed by the Greek words "homo"- meaning "same", and "pathos", meaning suffering. This law of "like cures like" was developed by the founder of homeopathy, German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), who discovered that using the very same substances which may cause sickness symptoms in a well person, may also heal the same symptoms in a sick person. - Minimum dose
Minute doses are administered - normally one part of the remedy to around 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water. This is based on the Arndt Schultz law, stating small doses stimulate living systems, medium doses impede, and large doses destroy. - One remedy for all symptoms
A homeopath prescribes a single remedy for the patient bearing in mind all of their symptoms, instead of treating one particular illness. This is because homeopathy believes that each individual reacts differently to sickness (even though there are the commonly shared symptoms) and so the person needs to be treated on a mental, emotional and physical level.
How does it work?
The exact explanation of how homeopathy works is not known and there are scientists who deny the effectiveness of homeopathy, claiming that patients' healing is due to the "placebo effect".
The popularity of homeopathy is due to its high effectiveness, and because it safe and natural, with no side effects.
What does it treat?
Homeopathy provides a wide range of remedies for allsorts of conditions including: hay fever, asthma, skin conditions, depression, high blood pressure, colds & flu, insomnia, and irritable bowel syndrome.
What else should I know?
Prescribing homeopathic medication is not as immediate as prescribing conventional medicine. This is because the homeopath examines each patient's symptoms on an individual basis - for example if you have a headache, the homeopath will offer a remedy that will match it exactly, examining where it occurs, what brings it on, what type of pain it is, what aggravates it, what makes it feel worse, your state of mind and what other symptoms you experience.