“The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles.”
-Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, Founder of Homeopathy
What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a gentle and effective system of natural medicine developed over 200 years ago and is based on the principle of stimulating the body to heal itself. Homeopathic medicines are prepared from natural sources, used in extremely small amounts, and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They are non-toxic and effective against both acute and chronic diseases. Homeopathy is used by millions of people worldwide to achieve healing from acute as well as chronic illnesses.
It is effective for a variety of conditions such as: Allergies, Asthma, Eczema, Arthritis, Anxiety, Depression, Migraines, Fatigue, Digestive disorders, Heart Disease, Hypertension, Thyroid dysfunction, Auto-immune conditions, Neurological issues, Menopause, PMS, Insomnia, and many other ailments.
Holistic Approach
A holistic approach to medicine considers the entire person with the knowledge that all aspects of being are interconnected and interdependent. It also believes that an organism has the ability to self-regulate and self-correct. Balance can be restored by encouraging this innate tendency toward homeostasis. In homeopathy, the symptoms are regarded as the body’s attempt to restore itself to balance. A remedy is chosen that supports the symptoms, rather than opposing them or suppressing them as in conventional medicine. It acts as a catalyst to initiate the body’s own healing mechanism. Each person manifests illness in a unique and slightly different way. That is why two people with the same illness will not necessarily receive the same homeopathic remedy. Unlike the ‘standard’ approach often used in conventional medicine, a homeopath follows a truly holistic approach and chooses a remedy that matches a person’s unique symptom profile -- including physical, mental, and emotional symptoms, thereby stimulating the organism’s vital force to heal itself.
The Philosophy
The Law of Similars
The first and basic principle of Homeopathy is “Like cures Like” or “Similia similibus Curentur” in Latin. That is, if a substance can cause certain symptoms of disease in a healthy person, then it can cure those same symptoms in a sick person. In 1790, when Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, ingested the bark of a cinchona tree which contains quinine, he developed all the symptoms of malaria. When he stopped taking the bark, the symptoms went away. It occurred to him that if a substance can create an illness in a healthy person, it could also stimulate cure of those very symptoms in an ill person. As a simple example of this principle, suppose a person has hay fever or allergies with watery eyes and a burning nasal discharge. To alleviate these symptoms, a homeopath might prescribe Allium cepa — a tiny dose of onion — because onion is known to cause watery eyes and a burning nasal discharge.
The idea of “like cures like” has been observed by Paracelsus (1491-1541) and before him by Hippocrates but it was Hahnemann who developed and refined it into a scientific system of medicine. Hahnemann knew that many natural substances if used in their crude form can cause pathological effects. Homeopathic remedies, however, are not crude substances. They are rendered non toxic and highly effective through a process of serial dilution and succussion (vigorous shaking). Hahnemann, disillusioned by the common medical practices of his day, was constantly experimenting with potency in his effort to cure without harmful side effects. He found that the more a substance is diluted and shaken, the more it is activated and thus considered higher in potency. Because there is little or no crude substance remaining after the dilutions, side effects do not occur when used properly. Unlike herbs, remedies are standardized by the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia in the US and abroad, ensuring that each remedy is prepared in exactly the same way.
The Single Remedy
The second principle is the use of a single medicine to treat all of a patient’s symptoms -- mental, emotional and physical. As all our parts are interconnected, only the totality represents the entire person. According to Hahnemann, disease stems from a disturbance in the vital force and in order to heal, we must perceive and treat this disturbance and all its manifestations. During the consultation, the focus is on the individual, their physiological characteristics, lifestyle, social traits, eating habits, sleeping patterns etc. These individual characteristics will help in identifying a remedy.
The Minimum Dose
The third principle is the use of the minimum dose. This refers to the infinitesimal doses of medicine given as well as to the repetition of dose only when necessary. The goal is to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanism and by giving the smallest dose in the appropriate potency, the vital force can respond gently and efficiently to repair itself. Since each person is unique, the amount of remedy and repetition can also vary from one person to another. Some people need daily repetition while others need a dose every six months or so. Repetition of dose is determined by the individual's response to the remedy. Unnecessary repetition may lessen the response, even to the correct remedy. In homeopathy, less is more.