What is Homeopathic Medicine?
Homeopathic medicine is a branch of alternative medicine with the purpose to strengthen one’s immune system, along with the vital organs of the body, so that the body can heal itself and fight off any disease. Unlike herbal medicine that only treats symptoms of the disease without boosting the immune system or vital organs, Homeopathic medicine looks at the totality of the symptoms (pathology), personality, and mental state of the patient to provide overall wellness and inner balance of the body.
Homeopathic medicine is gentle on the body, has no side effects, and can be mixed with conventional medications without any contradictions.
Homeopathic medicine can be used for short-term (acute) illnesses and long-term (chronic) illnesses.
The objective of Homeopathic medicine is to treat and to prevent sickness. This is done by understanding the patient’s mental, emotional, and physical needs, then creating an individualized treatment plan to cure the whole body. It is important to understand that Homeopathic treatment is short-term and ends when the body’s immune system is capable to defend itself against recurring illnesses, unlike conventional medicine that is long-term treatment with life-time side effects.
History of Homeopathy:
The name homeopathy comes from the Greek word “homios” which means “like,” and the word “pathos” meaning “suffering”.
In the fourth century B.C., Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, observed that large amounts of certain natural substances can produce symptoms in healthy people resembling those caused by the disease, while smaller doses of these same substances can relieve symptoms.
In the 1790’s Samuel Hahnemann, a German doctor, amplified this concept and proposed the practice called Homeopathy. Dr. Hahnemann proposed the theory: “Let like be cured by like.” Today, millions of people in Britain , Europe and America use Homeopathy.
Homeopathic remedies, which are made from naturally occurring plant, animal, and mineral substances, are recognized and regulated under strict guidelines by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are manufactured by established pharmaceutical companies. There are over 4000 homeopathic remedies. These are derived from exotic sources such as bee stings, snake venoms, arsenic, gold, silica and even compounds from disease tissues. In addition to this, Homeopathic Doctors also prescribe tissue salts that are prepared from mineral sources.
Homeopathic remedies are diluted to such a minute size that there can be no possible side effects from even the most toxic substances. The dilution process is known as “potentation.” Taken in this ultra diluted form, Homeopathic remedies have no side effects and are perfectly safe, non-toxic and non-addictive.
Principle of Homeopathy:
The principle of Homeopathy is to boost the immune system and stimulate the vital organs so that the body is capable to fight disease by itself.
Homeopathic medicine follows the same principle as modern day immunizations as both will administer a mild form of the virus into the body so that it can fight the disease, virus, infection and/or illness etc. Administering a tiny amount of the virus (vaccine) into our body system will onset the body’s defenses so that when the actual virus shows up, the body will have enough barriers or fighting power to prevent the virus from entering the body. Yet, the difference between conventional vaccines and homeopathic vaccines is that homeopathic vaccines do not cause side effects because the vaccines are made up of minuscule doses that cause no side effects, is gentle on the body and is a short-term treatment to cure long-term or short-term illnesses.
The Law of Similar’s:
The Law of Similar’s stems from Dr. Hahnemann’s theory that “like shall be cured by like.” According to his research, nature will not allow two similar diseases to exist in the body at the same time, so by introducing a minuscule amount of the original propriety that is creating the problem into the body in diluted form, than the healing process can begin. Hence, part of the cure is within the problem itself. A Doctor of Homeopathic medicine then can prescribe a detailed remedy to begin the healing process.
The Principle of Minimum Dose:
The Principle of Minimum Dose describes the process of dilution of the original substance (that is causing the illness to occur) that makes up the remedy for healing. It is this minuscule doze that is the key to treatment—the smaller the doze the better the effect, unlike conventional medicine that believes the opposite.
Whole Person Prescribing:
Another unique characteristic of Homeopathic medicine is the treatment of the whole person. Unlike conventional medicine that treats each health issue separately, homeopathic medicine treats the whole person. Homeopathic Doctors are trained to analyze a patient’s temperament, personality, emotional and physical characteristics when prescribing a remedy for treatment; so, a Homeopathic Doctor may treat patients exhibiting the same symptoms differently.
(For example, two persons exhibiting flu like symptoms may get two different medications from the Homeopathic Doctor based on the appraisal of the mind body constitution.)
How Do Homeopathic Remedies Work?
Dr. Hahnemann believed that the process of dilution releases a spirit-like power that works on the energy level of the vital force in humans. Unlike conventional medicine that is chemical based, Homeopathic medicine is energy based (acupuncture and therapeutic touch are two examples of other forms of energy medicine) and it is this energy that is captured in Homeopathic remedies that stimulates the healing process by activating what Hahnemann called the “Vital force.”
Vital force is the healing power or energy that exists within us all. The Vital Force fuels the mind, body, and emotions which keeps us healthy and balanced.
When the balance of the Vital Force is disturbed by factors such as stress, pollution, improper diet and lack of exercise, it becomes weakened resulting in the person getting sick. Homeopathic remedies are prescribed by Homeopathic Doctors to restore the imbalance of the Vital Force hence healing the body of any illness.
Common Conditions Treated by Homeopathic Medicine:
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