Homeopathy is a tried and tested healing method founded more than 200 years ago by Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). His goal was to heal as a whole, not just to fight illness by supressing the symptoms individually.
- Follows strict practice guidelines when implemented.
- Simile principle
- Uses remedies mainly derived from living natural resources (plants, animals) and minerals, which are extracted according to strict regulations by a pharmacist. These are shaken step by step or pulverized respectively. A pharmacist following the classical methods uses individual remedies, not mixtures. He or she may work with remedies they deem the most suitable (Simile principle), as if it were a “key” which is capable of unlocking a “door” to the root of the problem/illness.
- Heals the person as a whole!
The most compatible remedy can only be discovered if the patient is treated as a whole and all the symptoms taken into account. - Strives to make the most of our healthy reserves; only what is strong and healthy in us can benefit from this healing process. The Homeopathic Doctor should encourage you with this, helping you, to discover for yourself, what is best for you so that you may be able to centre yourself again.
- Using this principle allows us to set boundries in Homeopathy; if the previously defined reserves do not exist, or an organ failure is iminent, or even completely destroyed, then Homeopathy can only be implemented as an accompanyment to the illness but exclusively to healing it.
- This method is most cost effective; if you compare to the time and effort invested in its production, Homeopathic remedies are absolutely economical. The medical fee of your Doctor reflects the time and effort spent during an extensive discussion or be it a painstaking check-up to find the suitable remedy bearing in mind that hospital treatments and even an operation, costs considerably more.
What is Homeopathic Dilution?
Homeopathy is based on three principles.
- ‘Like cures like’. Something that in large doses creates the symptoms of a disease, will, in small doses, treat it. This is similar to the theory behind vaccines.
- Extreme dilution enhances the medicine’s healing properties and eliminates undesirable side-effects.
- The whole person must be taken into consideration when choosing a remedy.
Homeopathic medicines are obtained from a precise and controlled process of successive homeopathic dilutions. They are commonly made by crushing a plant, animal, or mineral substance then putting it into a solvent such as grain alcohol. The extract is then further diluted in a mixture of alcohol and water. (Solid products can be diluted using lactose.) The process is repeated many times to achieve a therapeutic dilution. After each dilution the mixture is vigorously agitated in a machine or by hand to deliver a calibrated amount of shaking. This is called succussion. Homeopaths believe that the process of succussion is critical to assuring the therapeutic effect of the drug.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) about Homeopathy
How should I read a homeopathic medicine label, such as “Arnica Montana 30c?”
The official drug name often appears in Latin, as is the case with “Arnica Montana.” The Latin names are systematic and unique with ingredient standards of identity and purity set by the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS). If the letters “HPUS” appear after a drug name, that indicates that an official monograph (an approved document that sets forth the standards and specifications for a drug) exists for the drug, and it has been studied and approved by homeopathic experts and meets the HPUS standard.
The drug strength appears after the name with a numeral followed by an X or C. Since X is the Roman numeral for 10, a 6X potency states that the drug has been diluted at a ratio of 1 to 10 and succussed for a total of six times. In C terms, the concentration ratio is 1 to 100 (C is the Roman numeral for 100). The higher the numeral preceding the X or C, the lower the concentration of active ingredient in the medicine. While counterintuitive, homeopaths believe that a homeopathic medicine is more powerful the more times the active ingredients has been diluted.
Which homeopathic dilution should I choose?
Over the counter remedies tend to come in 6c and 30c potencies. 6c potency is typically used for long standing conditions, such as rheumatic pain. 30c (or higher) potency is typically used for first aid or acute situations, such as the onset of a cold or bruising after a knock or fall.
For more detailed information, please contact a Pharmacist specialising in Homeopathy or a Homeopathic Doctor directly.