Homeopathy is a harmless, natural kind of alternative health treatment, based on the practise of treating like with like. Homeopathy is derived from the Greek words homios, meaning like or similar, and italios, meaning suffering. Homeopathy is concerned with treating the total person rather than the sickness alone. The homeopath will consider the patient as a totality, both physically and psychologically, taking into account the patient’s physical appearance, their likes, dislikes and their temperament. It is therefore a highly individualized form of treatment, so patients who outwardly suffer from the same sickness may be given unique medicines.
Homeopathy is a well established category of healing. Today many of the leading pharmaceutical companies are researching and mass-producing homeopathic medicines. Homeopathic medicines appear very much like conventional medicines, and are taken in the same way, but the way they function is totally different.
The medicines are not synthetical and are derived from organic sources. Over 60% of homeopathic remedies are prepared from vegetable or plant materials. Other remedies are prepared from organically occurring mineral substances, including metals, non-metallic substances, and mineral salts. Some conventional remedies include: arnica montana, from the Leopard’s bane plant; belladonna, from the deadly nightshade plant; calcarea, calcium carbonate from oyster shells; sepia, from cuttlefish ink; and the element, sulphur.
Homeopathic medicines are prepared by obtaining the remedy in its most concentrated form, and then, through a long process of dilution, by preparing a medication whose potency is sufficient to bring about a treatment. The potency describes the measure of the dilution of the remedy and is denoted by the number which follows the name of the medicine itself. The higher the number, the greater the dilution (up to one part remedy to one trillion parts dilutant).
Homeopathic remedies nowadays are produced using the same dilution principles as in Hahnemann’s day. In a common dilution of 1:100, one drop of the homeopathic element is added to 99 drops of water and/or alcohol. The concoction is then potentized by a procedure called “succussion” – recurrent tapping on a hard surface for a particular length of time. Remedies may be diluted up to 1000 times, leaving only an infinitesimal suggestion of the substance. Remedies are commonly diluted 10, 100, or 1,000 times, which decode into potencies that are marked with the Roman numerals X, C, and M. Homeopathic remedies range from 6X as the lowest potency to 1M or more as the highest potency.
remedies can be taken orally in pill, powder, or drop form, rubbed topically, or injected. There are normally no side effects from homeopathic remedies, but a patient can feel what is called a “healing aggravation,” a temporary accentuation of symptoms. This is seen as a definite sign that the remedy is working. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, a homoeopath may choose an antidote, which produces the opposite effect of the remedy. The antidote may be another homeopathic remedy, or a potent substance, such as perfume, camphor, or coffee, which are known to obstruct the effects of a remedy.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized homeopathic medicines as drugs since 1938, working with the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention to create and update their reference book of homeopathic medicines. Over the years, the FDA has classified homeopathic medicines as either prescription or more typically as non-prescription (over-the-counter), depending on their strength. In the United Kingdom, homeopathic medicine has been part of the National Health Service (NHS) since it began in 1948. There are currently 5 homeopathic hospitals in the NHS. Homeopathic medicines are available over-the-counter or by prescription.
Because of the extremelysmall doses used in homeopathic treatment, the medicines are completely safe, non-addictive and have no undesirable side effects. The healing properties of the remedies are released even in extremely high dilution, and render the medication entirely safe for the treatment of both children and babies. Where dosing instructions have been followed, no instance of toxic action has ever been reported in association with homeopathic medicines.
Homeopathic treatment is practised by totally certified Health Practitioners who understand the philosophy of homeopathic medicine’s healthy as patients’ emotional and daily situations.
although some homeopathic medicines are readily available in both everyday pharmacies and health stores, you should consult your homeopathic practitioner before attempting treatment for any “acute” ailment or illness. If you are presently on medication for a acute medical or psychological illness, you should NOT stop taking your medicine in order to commence homeopathic treatment. Your practitioner will counsel you on the appropriate course of treatment, often working with your internist or therapist. If you would like to view 10 information and demonstration videos specifically on Homeopathic practice, as well as view over 400 other alternative healing videos, take a look at http://www.alternativehealthtreatments.org//tag/Homeopathy.