Homeopathy is one of the most complete healing systems to be found, yet can be confusing for people to understand. The following description seeks to demystify homeopathy and give a clear idea of what homeopathy has to offer.
Homeopathy is a system of medicine that utilizes the body's own healing power through a law of cure, termed "Like Cures Like." This law states that a substance that can produce symptoms in a healthy person will cure similar symptoms in a person who is sick. The therapeutic potential of a substance is explored through giving it in minute doses to healthy people and a careful analysis made of its effect on the mind and body of those taking the substance. If a person produces similar symptoms as part of a natural disease process, then the remedy that matches those symptoms most closely is given to effect a cure.
The effect is to slightly magnify the existing disease process, encouraging the body to react to this stimulus and activate its own healing power. Homeopathic remedies therefore act to stimulate the innate capacity of the body to cure itself. Homeopathic remedies are made from vegetable, mineral and animal products, taken directly from nature as they are found. They are prepared in homeopathic pharmacies; homeopathic remedies being regulated as a medicine by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA and by equivalent bodies in the U.K., European Union and many other countries. Homeopathy is also widely practiced in Central and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia and many other countries.
Homeopathy was established in Germany in the 18th century by the physician Samuel Hahnemann. It spread to all continents and is probably the most popular form of holistic medicine in the world. It is practiced by both physicians and non-physicians and is incorporated into the health-care system of many countries. It was brought to the United States in the 1830???s and has been a part of the American medical system ever since.
Part of the controversy of homeopathy lies in its belief in an energetic or "vibrational" level of function of the human organism, beyond the capacity of science to currently measure and therefore only extremely small amounts of a medicine are given, enough to stimulate the body’s own healing power. However, this energetic reality is recognized by other holistic medical systems and practices. Modern science is now beginning to recognize the underlying laws that govern the dynamics of homeopathic action on the organism.
There are a few basic principles fundamental to homeopathy and other holistic therapies.
The body heals itself. The human organism has always shown a remarkable ability to adapt and survive. It is the 'biological imperative' of the organism to create an optimal level of health. The body has a sophisticated immune system and natural intelligence that seeks to maintain health of the whole organism.
Homeopathy always treats the whole person. All functions of the body and mind are connected. The complex physical and psychological makeup of a person creates a unique pattern for each individual. When we become sick, it is the whole body that is sick, even if symptoms express themselves only in one part of the body. Only by re-establishing a total balance will health be restored. Therefore, homeopathy treats the whole person, not just the disease.
Homeopathy seeks to treats the root causes of disease. Homeopaths seek to understand the root causes of diseases and to find specific remedies to address these causes. Whether it is psychological or due to a history of injury or other factors, a homeopath has to understand the whole person and their complete health story. Only then can a homeopathic medicine be found to address the whole situation. Disease does not exist in a vacuum but is part of the living experience for all people. In homeopathic thinking therefore, understanding the whole person and their unique experience of their disease is key to finding the correct remedy and true cause of disease.