What is Homoeopathy?

Homoeopathy is a system of medicine, which was founded by the German physician Dr. Hahnemann in 1790. Dr. Hahnemann was a very famous physician of the then dominant school of medicine. He was a successful practitioner, but deep within he was very troubled by the limited amount of useful medical knowledge of his times. He realized that, very ironically, the 'medical science' is not based on any fundamental scientific laws. And the theories on which, the medicine of his time was based were vague and hypothetical. And the treatment often caused more harm than good. So he left his medical practice and started translation work instead.

While translating Cullen's Materia Medica, he decided to probe into the action of Cinchona bark, which was known to have curative power in malarial fevers. To do this, he took some extract of Cinchona bark himself. To his utter surprise, he soon developed symptoms similar to those of malaria. It occurred to him that Cinchona bark can cure malaria because it has the power to produce similar state in a healthy human being. To test this idea further, he did similar experiments with various substances on himself and others. And he found all his experiments confirming to his idea. And so he concluded that this is a general law and called it 'Similia Similibus Curaentur' , i.e.; 'Like Cures Like' - the fundamental principle on which Homoeopathy is based.

This law has been confirmed by thousands of people since then and has been found to be rock-solid. Dr. Hahnemann then further developed this idea, proved hundred's of new medicines, developed methods of preparation and administration of medicines and also gave many guidelines regarding health and disease. Thus giving birth to a complete and new system of medicine. This was a strong foundation and lot of work has gone into further development of Homoeopathy in the past 200 years. The work and growth of Homoeopathy is still going on and at a very rapid pace. And as the physical basis of this science is becoming clear, it's acceptance is growing in all ranks of society. It won't be wrong to say - 'The Future Belongs to Homoeopathy."

                             What ailment can be treated by Homoeopathy?

Almost all ailments are amenable to Homoeopathytreatment. But Homoeopathy is best known for its ability to treat chronic ailments. The reason for this is that Homoeopathy is the only system of medicine which offers curative treatment (not palliative) in many chronic ailments which have been declared 'incurable' by other schools of medicine. Be it skin disease, chronic gastric and intestinal disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, asthma, allergic disorders, menstrual complaints, other hormonal disorders, arthritis, psychological disorders etc etc. All these and many more chronic ailments have been affected curatively by Homoeopathy. The only major limiting factors are 1. Gross structural and pathological changes. 2. Very low vitality of the patient. 3. Unavoidable presence of certain causative or maintaining factors.

Then Homoeopathy is also known to make surgery unnecessary on many occasions. Many a tonsils, adenoids, appendices etc have been saved with Homoeopathy. Benign tumors and renal stones also respond well to Homoeopathytreatment.

Even in cases where curative treatment is not possible in all cases, like advanced cases of arthritis, malignancies etc management and palliation with Homoeopathymedicines is very effective and improves the quality of life of such patients without making them suffer with the side-effects of the modern wonder-drugs ( ! ).

Homoeopathy is also very-very effective in acute ailments. And the action of a rightly selected medicine is usually faster then any other medicines. Not only this, under proper Homoeopathytreatment the tendency to frequent recurrence of acutes and their tendency to become chronic is aborted.

One last thing! In Homoeopathy it is said that Homoeopathy never fails, it's the Homeopath that fails. And although Homoeopathy has it's limitations, most 'curable' cases that do not respond to Homoeopathy are due to improper selection of medicine or potency and case management.

                         What can Homoeopathy treat?
First aid: accidents and injuries of any shape and size. Once you have seen Arnica work like magic to heal a bruised muscle or a sprain, you will be convinced of its power! If you have a serious injury then you may need orthodox medical treatment, for instance to set a broken bone. And ... Homoeopathy to speed the healing of that bone and alleviate the pain at the same time. Acute illness: infections anywhere in the body, from colds and flus, to middle ear, urinary tract and respiratory infections. Chronic illness: from arthritis and migraines to varicose veins and depression.

                       How do homoeopaths treat the whole person?
Homeopaths have a great respect for the physical, emotional, and mental levels of the body, and their interconnectedness. We treat the whole person thereby affecting these three levels, rather than separating them and treating the symptoms separately. For example, the
emotional stress of childbirth has a big impact on women and some can suffer with postpartum depression. This depression may lead to further physical problems. A homeopath will look at the complete picture, and take into account the cause of the depression, how that woman is feeling emotionally and any physical symptoms she may be experiencing at the same time. We call this constitutional treatment.

                     Are Homoeopathy medicines safe?
Yes, Homoeopathymedicines are prepared in a special way that makes them safe even for small babies and pregnant women. If the wrong medicine is taken, it simply has no affect. You must use basic common sense, however, and consult with your primary care provider if your child is sick or if you are pregnant to make sure your complaint is minor.

                    How quickly will a Homoeopathy remedy work?
                    Quite quickly ... if it is the right remedy!
Improvement can be seen immediately or it may take up to 24 hours, but you should see some improvement within that time with the correctly chosen remedy. A good Homoeopathyfirst aid book will cover the basic guidelines you should follow, as well as precautions to take, when treating yourself for acute illnesses.

                   What happens during a Homoeopathy consultation?
The initial Homoeopathyconsultation typically takes between 1 to 2 hours. There is a lot of talking on your part and a lot of listening on the part of your homeopath! You will be asked questions about your main complaint, as well as many other physical, mental, or emotional problems. Your homeopath will take a full medical history that takes into account your physical milestones and traumas as well as significant emotional stresses. Patients often say they have never been asked so much about themselves at one sitting, and they have a different sense of themselves ... more as a whole person than ever before, because of this wide range of questioning. This in itself can be very healing!

                    Are there side-effects from the use of Homoeopathy                 remedies?

No and yes... Homoeopathymedicines are non-toxic, but, in stimulating your body to heal itself there can be a temporary worsening of your symptoms initially followed by improvement. This usually only occurs when treating chronic illnesses rather than acute or first aid situations. This is one reason it is important to seek out a qualified homeopath when treating chronic complaints who can monitor your progress carefully and reassure you at each stage. These aggravations as they are called are often accompanied by a general sense of well-being and are a positive sign that the treatment is correct.