Homeopathy

What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a therapeutic system of healing developed by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in the nineteenth century. Homeopathy utilizes minute amounts of botanical, mineral, and other substances to stimulate the body’s self-healing abilities. Conventional medicine believes that symptoms are caused by the illness.  Homeopathy views symptoms as the body’s natural reaction to fight an illness, and seeks to stimulate them rather than suppress.

At homeopathy’s theoretical base is the concept that “like cures like.”  This means that a substance given in large crude dose will produce specific symptoms.  But, the same substance administered in minute doses will stimulate the body’s reactive processes to remove those symptoms.

There are over two thousand homeopathic remedies available.  Any substance can be used homeopathically but most remedies are taken from natural sources.  Remedies are created by breaking the crude substances down into minute quantities through dilution and then shaking them vigorously to activate them.  Once administered the remedy will stimulate the immune system and natural defenses of the body.  Homeopathic remedies do not cover up or suppress symptoms.  There are no toxic side effects.

Homeopathy was first used in America in 1832. The American Institute of Homeopathy was established in 1844 and by 1910 there were twenty-two homeopathic medical schools, one hundred homeopathic hospitals, one thousand homeopathic pharmacies, and fourteen thousand homeopathic physicians.

Unfortunately, homeopathy did not continue to flourish due to the growth and bias of the American Medical Association.  Homeopathy had been largely replaced by allopathic (traditional Western) medicine by the end of WWI.  However, homeopathy has grown worldwide.  India, Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and South Africa all sustain many homeopathic practices  Each year homeopathy becomes more popular in the United States.

Homeopathic treatment, like all truly natural therapies, seeks to stimulate the innate healing power of an individual so all physiological systems function at their best and the body’s natural curative powers are mobilized. Homeopathy works effectively on a wide variety of acute and chronic conditions, including infections, allergies, gynecologic difficulties, digestive problems, etc.  It helps prevent future trouble by increasing an individual’s strength and resistance.