“The highest ideal of therapy is to restore health rapidly, gently, permanently; to remove and destroy the whole disease in the shortest, surest, least harmful way, according to clearly comprehensible principles” – Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1810)
What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a scientific method of treatment that is based on the application of the law of similars. For thousands of years, man searched for a method to enhance and restore health in the most certain, efficient, gentle and permanent way. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician who lived between 1755-1843, while pursuing this philosophical and scientific quest brought together a number of discoveries and reflections found throughout the history of medicine to develop an ideal system of therapeutics. After years of perfecting this therapeutic method, he called it homeopathy, by uniting two Greek roots, homoios meaning “similar,” and pathos meaning, “disease.” Homeopathy consists of treating sick people with remedies that, in crude doses, would produce in healthy people symptoms similar (homoios) to those of the disease needing to be overcome. (Definition credited to Dr. André Saine).
What is a Homeopathic Remedy?
A homeopathic remedy is an FDA approved medicine that comes from natural sources and is prepared in such a way that they are free of all chemical toxicity. Due to the law of similiars (“like cures like”), what a substance can cause, it can also cure. One example of this would be coffee. Everyone knows how coffee keeps people awake and alert. In homeopathy, coffee can be utilized in very small (dilute) doses to cure patients with just the same kind of insomnia associated with an overly alert mind. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann’s initial experiments were with Cinchona bark, from which quinine is derived. He found that if it is given in daily doses to a healthy person it can cause symptoms similar to malaria. Indeed, this same Cinchona is curative in many patients with malaria. Due to the process in which homeopathic remedies are diluted, they are non-toxic, safe and free from the side effects that are commonly associated with the use of pharmaceuticals. Homeopathic remedies are safe for just about everyone, from newborns to elderly persons. Homeopathy can treat both acute and chronic conditions, from a common cold or sore throat to cancer. There are over 2000 homeopathic remedies and it takes an experienced practitioner to successfully treat individuals with homeopathy. Only an experienced and properly trained homeopath understands the proper remedy a person needs, what dose to prescribe, when to change a remedy, dose, or potency, and how to properly follow-up and manage their treatment.
Is Homeopathy Right for Me?
Since homeopathic remedies are prepared in such a way that they are safe and free of all chemical toxicity, it is the ideal medicine for people of all ages. This includes pregnant women, newborns, elderly people and everyone in between. Homeopathy is also safe to use while taking other medicines, such as pharmaceuticals or botanicals (herbs).
What can I expect at my visit?
A Homeopathic intake goes into much more depth than a typical medical history intake and can last on average between 1.5 to 2.0 hrs. This allows the doctor and patient the opportunity to have a comprehensive discussion in order to obtain a detailed description about all of your concerns. This also helps the doctor get to know you better as a “whole person” and what makes your illness unique to you. The physician then studies your case and prescribes a homeopathic remedy that is most appropriate for you. A typical follow-up visit would then be scheduled in two to four weeks, depending on the individual, the nature of their condition, and the patient’s will. Follow-up visits are much shorter, typically lasting 30-45 minutes.
