NEW Article Autumn-Winter 2019 by Maureen Chapple, RSHom
Archive article: May 2018 Click HERE: TIPS FOR A HEALTHY SUMMER WITH HOMEOPATHY
Homeopathy is a safe system of medicine, which aims to assist the natural tendency of the body to heal itself. It recognises that all symptoms of ill health are expressions of disharmony within the whole person and that it is the patient who needs treatment and not just the disease. It therefore may be helpful in all cases of ill health no matter what the diagnosis.
Homeopathy as we know it today has been used for the past 200 years and was developed by a German Physician called Samuel Hahnemann, but the principle behind Homeopathy is 2,500 years old. The word Homeopathy comes from the Greek and means ‘similar suffering’. This refers to the central philosophy that a substance that can produce symptoms in a healthy person, can alleviate those symptoms in a person who is ill.
How does it work?
For instance, we know that when cutting a strong onion, we often experience a runny nose, sore throat and stinging, runny eyes. For a patient who is suffering from the common cold, or even hay fever, with these particular symptoms, a homeopath may prescribe Alium Cepa (the homeopathic remedy made from the red onion). The way of similars, the homeopathic way, is to give the patient a minute dose of a substance, which, if taken in its crude form, would produce those symptoms in a healthy person. Because of the minute dosage, no side effects or addiction will result. Hence it is also safe in infancy or pregnancy, where your Physician has decided that conventional drugs might be dangerous or inadvisable.
A Homeopath’s job is to match a remedy to your symptoms as you experience them. He/she will be interested in finding out not only about your physical health but also about your emotional well being. Symptoms are the body’s way of warning that all is not well and attempting to restore balance.
Treatment will be given usually in the form of tablets, but may come in powder or liquid form. It should be allowed to dissolve in your mouth and nothing else should be taken orally for 15 minutes before and after taking the remedy.
How do Homeopathic Remedies Interact with Other Medications?
Homeopathic remedies are safe and will not interfere with other forms of treatment. This is because only a very minute amount of the active ingredient is used in a specially prepared form.
How long is a Course of Treatment?
Generally this depends on what sort of illness you have. A very slowly developing complaint will not disappear overnight, but other complaints like acute illnesses may improve rapidly. Generally, in chronic disease we expect to see some significant improvement within the first month.
People who have had homeopathic treatment generally find that their state of health and well being has improved. They may be better able to resist infection and have a greater stability and individual purpose in life. These improvements surely are real steps toward optimum health.