Frequently Asked Questions about Homeopathy
What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a medicine system that is natural, safe and effective. It is a way of treating illness which uses the body's own abilities to make itself well, based on the principle of "like cures like".
How does homeopathy work?
A well prescribed homeopathic medicine may trigger the body's ability to heal itself by stimulating a precise reaction in the body against the symptoms.
The body naturally reacts against attempts to make it behave differently. So homeopaths give a medicine which in healthy people is able to cause a set of symptoms which are the same as the symptoms being treated in the patient. When the body reacts against the medicine it reacts against the symptoms.
What are the key homeopathic principles?
What are the key benefits of Homeopathy?
How long will homeopathic treatment take?
This depends on how chronic (long lasting) the illness is. A person who has had a chronic problem for a long time, will take several months, sometimes years to regain good or even total health. Acute problems, such as food poisoning, injuries, burns etc. may be helped within a few hours or even within seconds.
What happens when I see a homeopath?
During the first consultation the homeopath will take a detailed history of your case. The more details you are willing to share about your health, your lifestyle, your likes and dislikes and your emotions, the easier it becomes for your homeopath to find the right medicine for you.
Is homeopathy safe for children / babies / pregnant women, the elderly.?
Yes, homeopathic medicine use the body's own healing process and do not have any side-effects.
Is there any evidence for homeopathy?
Yes, there is lots of evidence both historic and modern, in the form of randomised control trials (RCTs), meta-analyses of trials, outcome studies, in-vitro (test-tube) research and most of all, clinical observations and records.
Will homeopathy work for any illness?
Yes, but following is an example where their maybe following restrictions:
What diseases can homeopathy treat?
Homeopaths do not have the same approach to illness as conventional doctors. They do not treat diseases. Homeopaths treat people.
The concept of diseases is an approach enabling us to collate common patterns of symptoms to identify a specific disease. However, individuals actually have their own patterns of symptoms when they are ill, and these may not include all the common ones but will include others peculiar to them. There is no proof that the common symptoms are more important in an individual case and the evidence of side effects suggests the opposite is true: and that the individual's symptoms are critical for identifying the right treatment.
Homeopaths have observed that homeopathic medicines have many symptoms in common. It is extremely difficult to isolate a single homeopathic medicine for a case only on the basis of the common symptoms which identify diseases. Using the peculiar individual symptoms however, it becomes much easier, because each medicine has its own unique pattern of action. A homeopath can match the pattern of peculiarities of the patient with the same pattern in a homeopathic medicine to find the individual medicine for the individual case. This often means that two patients with the same disease get different medicines. Alternatively, two patients with different diseases may be given the same homeopathic medicine.
Will homeopathy work with conventional medicine?
Yes, homeopathy can work well with conventional medicine. However, it is essential that your homeopath is aware of any conventional medication you take, whether prescribed by a doctor or bought over the counter, including vitamins and other supplements.
What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a medicine system that is natural, safe and effective. It is a way of treating illness which uses the body's own abilities to make itself well, based on the principle of "like cures like".
How does homeopathy work?
A well prescribed homeopathic medicine may trigger the body's ability to heal itself by stimulating a precise reaction in the body against the symptoms.
The body naturally reacts against attempts to make it behave differently. So homeopaths give a medicine which in healthy people is able to cause a set of symptoms which are the same as the symptoms being treated in the patient. When the body reacts against the medicine it reacts against the symptoms.
What are the key homeopathic principles?
- What will cause symptoms in a healthy person will trigger the cure of a sick person with those symptoms (like cures like).
- All the patient's symptoms need to be taken into account when choosing a medicine (totality of symptoms).
- Only one medicine should be given at a time. However more than one medicine may be required over the course of a treatment.
- The dosage should be the smallest that will work.
- Symptoms are part of a continuous process of change and may indicate movement towards greater health or illness (law of cure).
What are the key benefits of Homeopathy?
- Homeopathy uses the body's own healing mechanisms, so there are no side effects or rebound effects.
- Homeopathy speeds up the process of recovery.
- Homeopathy does not force the body to do anything, so its action is as gentle as possible.
- Homeopathy is based on full and detailed records of the case and its progress.
- It is easy to learn to treat yourself and your family for minor injuries and simple problems.
How long will homeopathic treatment take?
This depends on how chronic (long lasting) the illness is. A person who has had a chronic problem for a long time, will take several months, sometimes years to regain good or even total health. Acute problems, such as food poisoning, injuries, burns etc. may be helped within a few hours or even within seconds.
What happens when I see a homeopath?
During the first consultation the homeopath will take a detailed history of your case. The more details you are willing to share about your health, your lifestyle, your likes and dislikes and your emotions, the easier it becomes for your homeopath to find the right medicine for you.
Is homeopathy safe for children / babies / pregnant women, the elderly.?
Yes, homeopathic medicine use the body's own healing process and do not have any side-effects.
Is there any evidence for homeopathy?
Yes, there is lots of evidence both historic and modern, in the form of randomised control trials (RCTs), meta-analyses of trials, outcome studies, in-vitro (test-tube) research and most of all, clinical observations and records.
Will homeopathy work for any illness?
Yes, but following is an example where their maybe following restrictions:
- If organ damage is so severe that it cannot be reversed, however homeopathy may be able to help palliate the symptoms.
- If surgery is needed (e.g. as the result of an accident). Homeopathic medicine may assist the healing process following surgery and is used in many German hospitals for this purpose and in some UK hospitals.
- If there is a "maintaining cause" that does not allow the body to heal itself, such as poor diet or living conditions, or continual exposure to the triggering effects of an allergen. In these cases it may be necessary to remove the problem at least temporarily until the person has recovered enough to be unaffected by that cause.
- If the symptoms of the illness are regularly suppressed by conventional medicine (e.g. period problems suppressed by the pill or problems suppressed by steroids)
What diseases can homeopathy treat?
Homeopaths do not have the same approach to illness as conventional doctors. They do not treat diseases. Homeopaths treat people.
The concept of diseases is an approach enabling us to collate common patterns of symptoms to identify a specific disease. However, individuals actually have their own patterns of symptoms when they are ill, and these may not include all the common ones but will include others peculiar to them. There is no proof that the common symptoms are more important in an individual case and the evidence of side effects suggests the opposite is true: and that the individual's symptoms are critical for identifying the right treatment.
Homeopaths have observed that homeopathic medicines have many symptoms in common. It is extremely difficult to isolate a single homeopathic medicine for a case only on the basis of the common symptoms which identify diseases. Using the peculiar individual symptoms however, it becomes much easier, because each medicine has its own unique pattern of action. A homeopath can match the pattern of peculiarities of the patient with the same pattern in a homeopathic medicine to find the individual medicine for the individual case. This often means that two patients with the same disease get different medicines. Alternatively, two patients with different diseases may be given the same homeopathic medicine.
Will homeopathy work with conventional medicine?
Yes, homeopathy can work well with conventional medicine. However, it is essential that your homeopath is aware of any conventional medication you take, whether prescribed by a doctor or bought over the counter, including vitamins and other supplements.
"I can't manage without homeopathy. In fact, I never go anywhere without homeopathic remedies. I often make use of them."
- Paul McCartney
