Homeopathy was first founded by Samuel Hahnemann, who was born in Meissen, Germany in 1755. He was a medical doctor who went on to develop homeopathy in the late 18th century as an alternative to the harsh medical therapies of that time.
What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy rests on the belief that "like cures like." This rule has been called the Law of Similars. Therefore, homeopathic remedies are weak dilutions of substances from plants and minerals, the preparations of which bring about the symptoms that they are to treat. The greatest diluted substances are the most potent.
Homeopathy is practised by homeopathic physicians worldwide, and can be used as a form of self care and self help.
The Practice of Homeopathy
There are thousands of different homeopathic remedies, each with their own specific indications. Homeopathic remedies are prescribed – both to humans and animals – according to their individual symptoms. This is because each person is an individual and the physician choosing the remedy has to consider the person as a whole. Two people presenting with similar symptoms may well be helped by entirely different homeopathic remedies to each other.
Often, the person treated with a homeopathic remedy will find themselves becoming worse before they get better. In homeopathy, this is known as the healing crisis.
Treatments in Homeopathy
Each of the thousands of homeopathic remedies that are available are created by diluting a substance in water or adding a drop of alcohol. Using one of these methods means that the remedies can have different strengths, or potencies, depending on the number of times it has been diluted.
The potencies of homeopathic remedies are usually labelled as either X, C, or M. The more times a substance has been diluted, the more potent it is said to be. Therefore a potency of 12C is much more potent than a potency of 6X and a potency of 30C is more potent than 12C.
Can Homeopathy Help with Illness?
Homeopathic remedies are often used alongside conventional medicine, especially to treat serious illnesses. It has been found that homeopathy can be used to treat virtually every illness, but research on the effectiveness of the homeopathic treatments is somewhat limited.
However, homeopathy has proved to show promise in relieving many conditions including:
- arthritis
- fibromyalgia
- sprains and strains
- side effects of many cancer treatments
It is always worthwhile seeking the help and advice of a qualified homeopathic practitioner rather than attempting to self-treat with homeopathic remedies, because homeopathy is such a complex science.
Sources
Castro, M (1996), Complete Homeopathy Handbook, London, Pan Books
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