A Very Small Thing Can Make a Really Big Difference!

Homeopathy is a somewhat controversial science. Some would say that the evidence for its efficacy is not complete, that more studies are needed. Some would say that we don’t fully understand how homeopathy works. On that last point, I agree. We do, however, have evidence that homeopathy works, and that it is safe when compared to the pharmaceutical drugs that, when you’re looking for relief from illness, may be your only other option. My experience with homeopathy has been this: It works. I use it, and I often refer my patients to a Doctor of Homeopathy for treatment.

The science of homeopathy has been practiced for more than 200 years. In countries outside the US, homeopathic remedies are often used instead of pharmaceutical drugs to treat many common ailments. In the US, homeopathy was once a well-respected part of the physician’s repertoire. In the years since the advent of pharmaceutical science, homeopathy has become a well-kept secret, shunned by modern medicine.

I went to an online medical dictionary to look up the Greek roots of two words important to understanding homeopathy: homeopathy itself (from homo, or “same,” and pathos, or “suffering”), and allopathy (from allo, or “other,” and pathos, or “suffering”), used to describe the medical practice most common in the US today.

 According to the dictionary, allopathy is defined as “that system of  medical practice which aims to combat disease by the use of remedies which produce effects different from those produced by the special disease treated; a term invented by Hahnemann to designate the ordinary practice, as opposed to homeopathy.”

Homeopathy is defined as “the art of curing founded on resemblances; the theory that disease is cured by remedies which produce on a healthy person effects similar to the symptoms of the complaint under which the patient suffers, the remedies being usually administered in minute doses. This system was founded by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann and is opposed to allopathy”.

 As you can see, homeopathy and allopathy treat disease in exactly opposite ways.

Homeopathy is based on the principle that like may be cured by like. In other words, when the body exhibits a symptom and is not healing itself, introducing a substance that causes the same symptoms will initiate a healing reaction in the body. Here’s my favorite example: A person who has a skin disorder that causes a blistering effect can be treated homeopathically with a very dilute dose of poison ivy. In the wild, poison ivy causes those same types of skin blisters, but as a dilute homeopathic remedy, it can cause the body’s healing mechanisms to rid the body of the skin eruptions.

Many pharmaceutical drugs are based on stopping a chemical reaction that manifests as a symptom. A homeopathic remedy, on the other hand, starts a chemical reaction that manifests as healing—think of it as kick-starting your body’s natural healing ability. In homeopathy, it’s thought that the body has the ability to heal itself, but that sometimes it needs a catalyst to begin that healing process.

Your first visit to a homeopath will include an exam and an interview. The practitioner will ask questions about your symptoms, as well as about your personal preferences, habits, and interpersonal relationships. Do you like the beach or the mountains best? Do you prefer sweet or salty foods? Cold or hot weather? What time do you go to bed? How often do you feel hungry? What activities do you enjoy? Whom do you interact with, and how? What are your emotions in certain circumstances? The answers to these questions and many more will give the practitioner a picture of who you are and what constitution you have.

In homeopathy, your constitution is your classification according to your inherited and acquired physical, emotional, and mental makeup. Your constitution plus your symptoms identify which homeopathic remedy will most benefit you.

In many cases, only one dose of a remedy will be necessary. In some cases, more than one dose, or a combination of remedies, will be needed to facilitate full healing. If you’re used to allopathic medicine, then you’re accustomed to taking many doses of a medicine over the course of days, weeks, even months. In this approach, the drug is introduced over and over, continually causing a chemical reaction in your body to address a symptom. Being used to this approach, you may wonder how just one or two doses of a homeopathic remedy can cause your symptoms to abate over time. But in homeopathy, there is no need to constantly introduce more drugs into the system to create chemical reactions—once the body has been triggered or stimulated to create chemical reactions, it has the ability to keep doing so on its own, and thus heal itself.

Imagine the homeopathic healing process as a contraption built by a cartoon professor: A drop of water released at the top of the contraption causes a ball to roll, which hits a lever that causes a wheel to spin, which causes a pulley to lift a lever that tips a pail of marbles that scatter across a board, dropping through holes in the board to a surface below, where the marbles skitter down a slope into a drainpipe that tips from their weight, causing a rope to raise the door of a birdcage, releasing a bird, which takes flight. The drop of water is the remedy; the bird is the healing power of the body. The remedy is gone; its action was completed long before the body’s full healing power was activated.

It’s been my experience that when symptoms are acute, healing progresses quickly. When symptoms are chronic, healing seems to take longer because the problem is more deeply rooted. One thing that often concerns first-time homeopathic patients is the fact that they may see no immediate change in their condition. But remember—like most natural healing modalities, homeopathy works to heal the cause of the problem. That takes longer than any mere covering-up of symptoms. Most homeopaths will want you to come in for a follow-up visit a few weeks later to see how your body is progressing on the road to health.

Homeopathic remedies are sold over the counter in some states. In others, you must obtain them from a licensed doctor of homeopathy or other healthcare provider. I caution people about self-diagnosis and self-treatment with over-the-counter remedies of any kind—you could make your symptoms worse if you use the wrong remedy. To find a licensed doctor of homeopathy in your state, go to www.homeopathic.org.

I believe that using homeopathic rather than allopathic medicines (pharmaceutical drugs) is one of the most important habits you can develop to remain truly healthy. If you work with a homeopath and can avoid all or most medications, you can avoid the side effects of drugs that, over time, can cause even more health problems.