What do superstars like David Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, Paul McCartney, Cindy Crawford, Tina Turner and the entire British Royal Family all have in common? Other than being rich, famous, and looking decades younger than they are…
…They are all stark, raving fans of homeopathy.
Homeopathy is something that I have been using for several years, with both my patients and my family. Most people don’t have a clue about what homeopathy is or how much it can help them. I would like to change that, so if this is you, read on to find out the seven things you need to know about homeopathy.
- It’s all Natural, Baby
Homeopathy is a powerful form of natural medicine that uses highly diluted doses of natural substances to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms and promote health. These substances include plants, minerals, and other organic matter. It is a 200-year-old science that originated in Germany as an alternative to the horrific medical “treatments” that were commonplace at the time (see some of them here).
- Like Cures Like
This is the confusing part that most people don’t get.
The use of homeopathic remedies is based on the discovery that natural substances are capable of curing the same symptoms that they cause – whether or not the substance will be curative or harmful lies only in the dosage, or the amount of the substance given. This is called the Law of Similars – basically, the notion that Like cures Like.
So, for example, lets use the common onion, the one you can buy in the grocery store. Its name in Latin is Allium cepa. Everyone is familiar with the symptoms that can come from slicing an onion – burning and watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, etc. These symptoms are strangely similar to what some people experience in the fall… the allergic condition known as hayfever.
When hayfever suffers take the homeopathic remedy Allium cepa, many experience immediate relief. Thus the substance that can cause similar symptoms to the disease being experienced is capable of curing it.
- It’s Tailor Made Just For You
The uniqueness of your symptoms and what you are experiencing as an individual is essential to the practice of homeopathy. 10 people may describe having a headache, and no two descriptions are alike.
For example, Person A feels a hot throbbing sensation that is worse on he right side (Belladonna), Person B gets a headache from moldy, damp places (Bryonia), and Person C may get a headache over the eyes with accompanying vertigo (Nux Vomica). There are hundreds of remedies to choose from based on your unique symptoms.
- Naturopathy And Homeopathy Are Different
Naturopathic Doctors are licensed to practice homeopathy. It is one of many tools that NDs use to heal people in addition to herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle counseling, acupuncture, and much more (read more about Naturopathic Medicine here). A Homeopath is someone who only practices homeopathy, and is not a Doctor.
- Nobody Knows How It Works
…we just know that it does. Surprisingly, this is a very common occurrence in medicine – for hundreds of years, nobody knew how aspirin worked, and there are many, many drugs on the market today that have entirely unknown mechanisms of action (more about how little we know about how drugs work by The Washington Post here).
Although the way that it works hasn’t been definitively proven, it is thought that homeopathy acts largely on the immune and nervous systems in order to communicate to the body what it needs to do to heal itself.
- What It’s Used For
Besides hayfever and headaches, homeopathy can be used effectively to treat virtually any health issue, regardless of whether the issue is physical, mental, or emotional, regardless of severity, and regardless of how long you’ve had it.
It’s also particularly effective for common children’s issues such as bedwetting, colic, diaper rash, earaches, nosebleeds, learning difficulties, and teething.
Many women find great relief with homeopathic treatment during pregnancy and childbirth, and with menstrual irregularities, menopausal symptoms, mastitis, and PMS (find out about your PMS type here).
Minor bothersome complaints can also be treated – things like constipation or diarrhea while travelling, indigestion, jet lag, and hangovers.
Homeopathic treatment can be particularly useful in conditions that have been present for a loooooooong time, including conditions of chronic pain, acne, anxiety, depression, arthritis, asthma, and many others.
Even in advanced stages of disease, where cure may not be possible, homeopathy can at the very least alleviate suffering and reduce discomfort.
- How You Can Try It
On your first visit, I will ask you for detailed information about your unique physical, mental, and emotional health. Then, based on your specific symptoms and descriptions, a remedy is selected. And if you’re worried about cost, don’t be – remedies are very cheap, costing on average $15 for a lifetime supply.
After you take your remedy, a number of things can happen. If it’s the right remedy, you may experience instant relief, which may be total or partial. It is also possible that your symptoms will worsen temporarily before you experience an improvement – this is a natural part of the healing process for some people. Depending on your response to the remedy, it may be given again in a different dosage, or another remedy may be chosen. If its not the right remedy, usually nothing happens, and a different remedy is given.
Sounds like magic, right? Well, it is when the right remedy is chosen. It’s no wonder that homeopathy is the medicine of choice of the rich and famous. I have witnessed miraculous things with the use of homeopathy, both with my own patients and from observing others.
If homeopathy sounds like something you’re interested in trying, get in touch with me to book your initial visit today, and let’s get started.
Homeopathy is a department of medicine originated in Germany based on the Principle of Similars and a non-toxic system of western medical science of therapeutics. Homeopathy is wholistic medicine. It agrees with the fact that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.