Frequently Asked Questions
about homeopathy
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The basic principle of homeopathic treatment is "like cures like". A remedy that can cause a particular symptom in a healthy person, can remove the same or similar symptoms in a sick person.
But above all, a well-chosen remedy will stimulate the body's life force to bring itself back into balance. It’s not just to remove a symptom or two, but to strengthen the whole organism.
Like cures like, or “the law of similars” was developed into a complete system of medicine by Samuel Hahnemann around 1800 in Germany.
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Classical homeopathy is based on three foundational principles:
The Law of Similars - the person’s symptoms are matched to a substance which can produce similar symptoms when given to a healthy person.
Single Remedy - For best practical results remedies are given one at a time, not mixed with one or more other remedies.
Optimal Dosing - The remedy’s potency, dosing and frequency of application are adjusted to the individual person it is given to.
Classical homeopathy is individualized to each person and their symptoms. While other approaches may use homeopathically prepared remedies (which are diluted and succussed), they do not adhere to any or all of the above mentioned principles.
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Yes, homeopathic remedies are safe to use alongside your conventional medication to support your body’s vitality. It is not advisable to discontinue your conventional medication without the advice of a licensed medical professional.
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Yes, as non-licensed professionals, homeopaths in the US are not allowed to examine a client; so whether online or in-person, the homeopathic consultation is a conversation only. What happens during your appointment is the same whether we meet in person or through a video call.
Of course, in some ways, the in-person consultation might be preferable simply because interpersonal connections are easier in real life. We are not meant to be isolated and communicate through screens.
However, with an online consultation we are not bound by distances or time constraints and you have the advantage of being comfortable in your own home, saving drive time and being able to entertain your children easier than it would be for the length of a consultation at an office.
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The longer you have suffered from a condition the longer it may take for you to see improvement through homeopathy (or any other intervention).
Often the complaints that have appeared last will improve first and one may see an improvement in a certain direction (from top to bottom or inside out). But more often than not does it happen that clients improve and in the process of improvement forget what has ailed them before until they are reminded of it.
Give the chosen remedy a few weeks of time, take notes of changes when you notice them, and then discover together with your homeopath what has changed and what needs to happen next.
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Since homeopathy supports your body’s overall vitality and whole constitution, the concerns one may have when consulting a homeopath vary greatly. While it is your body that decides where to start improvement first and it is impossible to make any promises, it might be helpful to peruse the scientific evidence for homeopathy regarding selected conditions below.
Homeopathy in Science
Homeopathy is a modality which supports each person individually. The goal is to improve the person’s (or animal’s) health lastingly and not just affect one particular symptom or set of symptoms. It is therefore not so simple to test individualized therapies in double blind studies, since the test subjects would not all receive the same remedy for the same conditions. However, double blind studies are the current scientific standard. And there are more and more published studies which attempt to assess the efficacy of homeopathy. The following texts and links can give a peek into the illnesses and organ systems which can benefit from homeopathic treatment.
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This Meta-Analysis of several studies evaluating homeopathic treatment of people with hayfever shows significant improvements of sympotms compared to the placebo.
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Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been shown to improve their emotional regulation through homeopathy during this study.
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Evidence from ‘uncontrolled observational studies‘ provides insight into changes in patients who have received treatment provided by homeopaths in England, France, Germany and recently also the USA.
“An outcome survey carried out at the Liverpool department of homeopathic medicine over a 12 month period in 1999-2000 surveyed 1,100 patients1; 76.6% reported an improvement in their condition since starting homeopathic treatment and 60.3% regarded their improvement as major. 814 patients were taking conventional treatment for their condition and 424 [52%] of these were able to reduce or stop conventional medication.”
“An observational study at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital included over 6,500 consecutive patients with over 23,000 attendances in a six-year period;3 70% of follow-up patients reported improved health, 50% major improvement. The largest improvements were reported in childhood eczema or asthma, and in inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, menopausal problems and migraine.”
From a German study: “…severity [of chronic disease] decreased significantly (p < 0.001) between the start of the study, after 2 years and after 8 years of homeopathic treatment. Notably, after 8 years, figures were almost identical to 2-year follow-up, indicating steady long-term health benefits.
Summaries of these studies source from the British Homeopathy Research Institute.
In this american study, observing the development of chronic illnesses under homeopathic treatment over four years, showed a positive improvement in 80.23% of cases. The most remarkable improvements happened in treatment of skin conditions, followed by conditions of the respiratory tract and the digstive tract.
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can be found at the web page of the Homeopathy Research Institute.
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In public discussions of homeopathy it is not uncommon to hear about the placebo-effect or our “sugar pills”. However, studies in veterinary medicine (and even on plants) show that neither believe nor even consciousness about the homeopathic treatment is necessary to achieve beneficial results.
