What is Homeopathy?

Have you ever stumbled across displays of tiny blue tubes containing tiny white pellets at your local health food store, sporting weird exotic names like arnica montana, or nux vomic, and wondered what lurks inside them? These fascinating little pellets are a form of homeopathic medicine – a system of medicine that was introduced in the US in the 1820’s but has roots as far back as Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.)

Hippocrates observed that there were two ways of healing disease – one by using opposites and the other by using ‘similars’. Samuel Hahnemann of Leipzig, Germany actually coined the term “homeopathy” in the 19th century, to distinguish it from the then, (and still), established system of medicine which he called “allopathy”.

While homeopathy can be thought of as the system of medicine that uses “like cures like” as its motto, allopathy is the complete opposite approach and is often called “the medicine of opposites”. For instance, a great example of a homeopathic remedy would be when Royal S. Copeland (1868-1938) observed that giving quinine to a healthy person produced the very same symptoms as a person suffering from malaria experiences. In very small doses, given to a malaria-infected person, homeopathic quinine cured malaria. Allopathic medicines act against symptoms. Examples of allopathic medicines are anticoagulants, antibiotics and antidepressants.

Finding the correct single homeopathic remedy for any given imbalance can be challenging without the help of a qualified homeopathic doctor, (a great resource for finding a homeopathic practitioner is http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/. You can type in your zip and find a practitioner within any chosen radius). Dr. Andrew Lockie, author of The Family Guide to Homeopathy: Symptoms and Natural Solutions says the most effective remedy is the one that matches three things: the patient’s physical symptoms, their mental symptoms, and their emotional symptoms. So nailing down specifics can sometimes be a chore on one’s own.

The great news is that you never have to fear a homeopathic! They are 100% completely safe, (unless you have a milk allergy and use the little white pellets as they are made from lactose), so if you choose the incorrect blue tube, the absolute worst thing you will experience will be a loss of around 7 and a half bucks. Unlike allopathic medicines, with their long laundry list of side effects, homeopathic medicines are generally recognized as safe from the age of infancy to the senior-aged. The medicinally active component, (homeopathy uses three sources to get their medicines: animal, mineral and plant), is at such an infinitesimal dose that the body releases what it does not need, no harm no foul.

Even greater news, for folks like me who are not the best at determining my own physical, mental and emotional symptoms, is that there are fantastic companies that manufacture combination homeopathic remedies, usually in a spray or tincture. The philosophy behind using a broad spectrum of individual homeopathic agents for vague symptoms is that our bodies will simply use the agents that are applicable to the imbalance.

For example:

	Liddell Laboratories makes a Sinus and Congestion Headache that I cannot live without during the ragweed season.
	King Bio makes a 9-1-1 Stress Control that is perfect for impending emotional meltdowns! I give this to my teenager and it works wonders! They also make a fantastic natural flu vaccine that is updated every year. I have first-hand experience in its efficacy!

Your local health food store should have a great selection of homeopathic remedies available for your selection.
Do you have any experiences with homeopathic remedies? Please share your comments with me!

Sources: Lockie, A. (1989), The Family Guide to Homeopathy Symptoms and Natural Solutions. New York, NY: Fireside Press
Horvilleur, A. (2002) The Family Guide to Homeopathy. Virginia: Health and Homeopathy.

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