Homeopathy
101: A Restoration of Balance
Homeopathy, What exactly is it?
Myra Nissen, CCH, & Margo Adams Homeopathic Consultants
Published:
Community
Kids, June 2008, Volume 5, Issue 6
Thank you for your welcome feed back. Some of you have contacted
us with questions about Homeopathy.
This article will help answer the most commonly asked questions
so all of our readers may benefit
What exactly is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy - pronounced “ho•mee•ahp'•eh•thee”
- is a safe, effective system of natural medicine, used
by millions of people world-wide. For example, today, 39%
of physicians in France use Homeopathy, 20% in Germany,
42% in the UK, and 45% in the Netherlands. It is the leading
medical system in India. In the U.S., 14% of physicians
refer their patients for Homeopathic treatment.
How was Homeopathy discovered?
“Homeopathy” is derived from the Greek words
“Hómoios” and “pathos” meaning
“similar suffering.”
It is a form of medicine founded by German physician, Samuel
Hahnemann, who lived from 1755-1843.
Hahnemann experimented on himself to discover if repeated
small doses of a natural substance were taken, he would
develop symptoms from that substance. A true scientist,
he took this idea one step further; if a natural substance
was prepared a certain way and matched to a person suffering
from the same symptoms that the substance could produce
- those symptoms could disappear. From this came the conclusion:
Natural substances that could make a person sick could also
help heal a person. This is the Law of Similars originally
discovered by the Greek physician, Hippocrates, and is known
simply as “Like cures Like.”
What are the medicines made from?
Homeopathic medicines are made from tiny amounts of natural
substances prepared a specific way. In Homeopathy, the medicines
are called remedies. Remedies contain an incredibly small
amount of substance; one blossom from a rare, wild orchid
can produce enough of a remedy to last for decades. Remedies
are prepared by Homeopathic pharmacies in accordance with
FDA-approved guidelines. Remedies cost pennies to produce
when compared to traditional medicine.
Are the remedies herbs?
About 70% of the more than 3,000 remedies are from plant
sources. Other sources are animal and mineral. There is
no animal testing and no killing of animals. Homeopathic
remedies are earth-friendly and are safe for infants, seniors,
and animals.
How does Homeopathy work?
Homeopathy supports your natural self-healing capacity,
stimulating a powerful, yet gentle, healing response. A
homeopathic remedy liberates trapped energy so that you
are able to self-heal on all levels--mental, emotional and
physical.
How does Homeopathy differ from western medicine?
Homeopathy differs from mainstream medicine in many ways,
one being the least amount of medicine is used to stimulate
the quickest, most gentle restoration of health. This also
means a single remedy is given once, followed by waiting
and watching for a response, to determine the next action.
One remedy at a time is used in Classical Homeopathy, which
is the kind of Homeopathy we practice. Sometimes adjunct
therapies are used to support a person’s healing response.
Homeopathy treats the whole person, not isolated symptoms.
Individual symptoms are important, but general overall well
being is what we look to improve first. Although mainstream,
alternative, and complementary medicines share a goal of
relief of symptoms, the way in which Homeopaths view sickness
and health is different. Symptoms are not viewed as separate
from the whole person.
What is a Homeopath?
Generally one has a college degree, pre-med prerequisites,
attended a homeopathic school with approximately 600 hours
in study, 2400 hours of clinical training, and followed
by a rigorous national certification process. Homeopathy
is not a licensed profession. Always check practitioner
references.
What does Homeopathy help?
Homeopathy offers help for serious and chronic diseases
such as depression, eating disorders, digestive issues,
headaches, and chronic pain. Treating ailments such as these
requires the assistance of a qualified homeopath. We offer
these services in our practice.
Do I have to stop my meds?
No. Homeopathy works alongside Western medicine, as well
as with your doctor.
How long does one have to go to a Homeopath to see
results?
Homeopathy stimulates the unique individual’s self-healing
capacity. How long or how much a person’s health is
restored depends on many things… how long he or she
has been ill; if there are functional changes; if the person
has had surgeries, etc. As a person begins to respond to
a remedy, he resets balance in all aspects of his life and
starts the process of healing from within. It is a bit like
a top where health spirals out from the center. It is the
person’s response to the remedy which sets the top
into motion. In our practices, we have seen amazing results.
One client was able to say good-bye to 20 years of back
pain in 4 months. Another was able to overcome a life-time
of debilitating panic attacks in about a year.
What does Homeopathy cost?
Remedies cost pennies when compared to traditional drugs.
Homeopathy saves money over time, too. Some think that if
they see a Homeopath or use another healing modality not
covered by their insurance, it costs more because they are
spending money out-of-pocket. In reality, they are saving
money over time by avoiding complicated problems later.
Often traditional medicines lead to multiple prescriptions
and side-effects that require more prescriptions. Homeopathy
visits are not as frequent as other modalities; usually
they are 4-8 weeks apart. Homeopathic services are often
reimbursed through employee benefits such as a Section 125
Cafeteria or Flex-Spending Plan. Check with your employer.
Want to know more?
One book we recommend is Impossible
Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy by Amy Lansky, PhD,
a mother’s story of her child's struggle to overcome
autism with Homeopathy.
We would like to extend an offer of free consultations to
determine if homeopathy is the best solution for you. Call
Margo Adams at 707-557-9296 or Myra Nissen, CCH at 707-750-4455
to set up a consultation.
