Homeopathy

Introduction
Homeopathy is a 'treatment' based on the use of highly
diluted substances, which practitioners claim can cause the
body to heal itself.

A 2010 House of Commons Science and Technology

Committee report on homeopathy said that homeopathic
remedies perform no better than placebos, and that the
principles on which homeopathy is based are "scientifically
implausible". This is also the view of the Chief Medical
Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies.

What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a complementary or alternative medicine
(CAM). This means that homeopathy is different in important
ways from treatments that are part of conventional Western
medicine.
It is based on a series of ideas developed in the 1790s by a
German doctor called Samuel Hahnemann.
A central principle of the "treatment" is that "like cures like"
– that a substance that causes certain symptoms can also
help to remove those symptoms. A second central principle
is based around a process of dilution and shaking, called
succession.

Practitioners believe that the more a substance is diluted in

this way, the greater its power to treat symptoms. Many
homeopathic remedies consist of substances that have been
diluted many times in water until there is none or almost
none of the original substance left.
Homeopathy is used to "treat" an extremely wide range of
conditions, including physical conditions such as asthma and
psychological conditions such as depression.

HOMEOPATHIC SYSTEM OF MEDICINE

Homoeopathy is a specialized system of therapeutics,
developed by Dr Samuel Christian Friedrich
Hahnemann. a German physician, chemist and a
pharmacist, based on natural law of healing: Similia
Similibus Curantur, which means ‘Likes are cured by
likes’. Homois means like (similar) and pathos means
treatment.
Thus, Homoeopathy is a system of treating diseases or
suffering by the administration of drugs that possess
power of producing similar suffering (diseases) in
healthy human beings. Dr Hahnemann believed that
symptoms are no more than an outward reflection of
the body’s inner fight to overcome illness: it is not a
manifestation of the illness itself.
Fundamental Principles
of Homoeopathy

Every science has certain

basic principles that guide
the whole system.
Homoeopathy as a science
of medical treat-ment has a
philosophy of its own,
and its therapeutics is based on certain fundamental
principles that are quite distinct and different from those of
other school of medical science. These fundamental
principles were discussed by Hahnemann in different sections
of his medicine and philosophy.

They are as follows:

1. Law of Similia.
2. Law of Simplex.
3. Law of minimum.
4. Drug proving.
5. Drug dynamization or potentization.
6. Vital force.
7. Acute and Chronic Diseases.
8. Individualization.
9. Direction of cure.
How does homeopathy work?
Homeopathic remedies start with substances, such as herbs,
minerals, or animal products. These substances are first
crushed and dissolved in a liquid, usually grain, alcohol, or
lactose, mechanically shaken, then stored.

This is the "mother tincture." Homeopaths then dilute

tinctures more with alcohol or lactose, either 1 part to 10
(written as "x") or 1 part to 100 (written as "c"). These
tinctures are shaken, yielding a 1x or 1c dilution. Homeopaths
can further dilute these tinctures 2 times (2x or 2c), 3 times
(3x or 3c), and so forth. Many times professional homeopaths
will use much higher dilutions, because they believe the more
diluted the substance, the more potent its healing powers.

Homeopathic remedies aim to stimulate the body's own

healing mechanisms. Homeopaths believe that physical
disease often has mental and emotional components, so a
homeopathic diagnosis includes physical symptoms (such as
feverishness), current emotional and psychological state (such
as anxiety and restlessness), and the person's constitution.
A person's constitution includes qualities related to
creativity, initiative, persistence, concentration, physical
sensitivities, and stamina.

The right remedy for a condition will take all of these aspects
into account, so each diagnosis and remedy is individualized.
That means 3 people with hay fever could need 3 different
prescriptions.

What happens during a visit to the homeopath?

Your first visit to the homeopath can take from 1 to 2½ hours.
Because homeopaths treat the person rather than the illness,
the homeopath will interview you at length, asking many
questions and observing personality traits, as well as unusual
behavioral and physical symptoms. The homeopath may also
perform a physical examination and possibly order laboratory
work.
What illnesses and conditions respond well?
Scientific evidence is mixed. In some clinical trials, homeopathy
appeared to be no better than placebo. In other clinical studies,
researchers believed they saw benefits from homeopathy.
More research is needed.

Preliminary evidence shows that homeopathy may be helpful in

treating childhood diarrhea, otitis media (ear infection),
asthma, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, symptoms of
menopause (such as hot flashes), pain, allergies, upper
respiratory tract infections, sore muscles, and colds and flu.

Some professional homeopaths specialize in treating serious

illnesses, such as cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune
diseases. In fact, several studies suggest there may be a role for
homeopathy in symptom relief and improving quality of life
among cancer patients.
You should not treat a life-threatening illness with homeopathy
alone. Always make sure that all your health care providers
know about the therapies you are using.
Homeopathic medicines, because they are diluted, generally
do not have side effects. However, some people report feeling
worse briefly after starting a homeopathic remedy.

Homeopaths interpret this as the body temporarily stimulating

symptoms while it makes an effort to restore health. In people
who have serious illnesses, these temporary aggravations of
symptoms can be very harmful. If you have a serious physical
or mental illness, you should only use homeopathy under the
guidance of a trained practitioner, and inform everyone on
your health care team about any homeopathic medicines you
are taking.

Homeopathic medicines that are sufficiently diluted are not

known to interfere with conventional drugs, however, if you
are currently taking prescription medicines you should
consult your doctor if you are considering using homeopathic
remedies.
How can I find a qualified practitioner?
To find a homeopathic provider in your area, contact:

The Council for Homeopathic Certification:

www.homeopathicdirectory.com

The National Center for Homeopathy:

www.homeopathycenter.org

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians:

www.naturopathic.org

The North American Society of Homeopaths:

www.homeopathy.org

Homeopathic Educational Services in Berkeley, California:

www.homeopathic.com

There are homeopathic schools and training programs,

although no diploma or certificate from any school provides a
license to practice. Many homeopaths are also medical
doctors (MDs), although homeopaths are licensed in almost
every health profession category, including veterinarians.
In most states, practitioners of homeopathy must be licensed
health care providers. Several respected certification agencies
exist. The American Board of Homeotherapeutics certifies
medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs)
who have specialized in homeopathy (DHt indicates a doctor
of homeopathy).

Naturopathic doctors study homeopathy extensively as part

of their medical training and some are certified by the
Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (DHANP).
All homeopathic practitioners, including chiropractors, nurse
practitioners, and acupuncturists, can apply for Certification
in Classical Homeopathy (CCH).

What Conditions Does Homeopathy Treat?

It’s used for a wide variety of health issues, including some
chronic illnesses:

Allergies
Migraine
Depression
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Rheumatoid arthris
Irritable bowel syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome
What Are the Risks?

The FDA oversees homeopathic remedies. But it doesn’t

check to see if they’re safe or effective. In general, most are
so watered down that they don’t cause any side effects. But
there are exceptions. Homeopathic medicines can contain a
large amount of an active ingredient, like a heavy metal, that
can be dangerous.

Case in point: In 2016, the FDA issued a warning against

using homeopathic teething tablets and gels because of
possible health risks to infants and children.

If you’re thinking about trying these alternative treatments,

talk to your doctor. They can make sure they’re safe and
won’t interact with any other medication you’re taking.
Which country uses homeopathy the
most?

India, the homeland of homeopathy!

India, known as the “land of homeopathy”, has

more than 217,000 homeopathic doctors according
to the Homeopaths Without Borders association.
In India, where homoeopathy is a national medical system,
the market is growing at 25% a year, and more than 100
million people depend solely on this form of therapy for their
health care, the popularity of the dilute remedies shows no
signs of abating. Raekha Prasad reports.

In the western Indian state of Maharastra, Shantaram Chavan,

a poor farmer diagnosed as HIV positive, responded in
desperation to an advertisement in a local newspaper placed
by Siddharth Jondhale, a homoeopathic doctor, who said he
had found a cure for the virus. For 1 year, Chavan took the
drug administered by Jondhale at his private clinic.
What homeopathy can treat?

Among the most common conditions that people seek

homeopathic treatment for are:

asthma
ear infections
hay fever
mental health conditions, ex. depression, stress , anxiety.
allergies, such as food allergies.
dermatitis (an allergic skin condition)
arthritis.
high blood pressure.