Homeopathy is a safe, effective system of natural medicine, used by millions of people worldwide for more than 200 years. Homeopathic medicines are prepared from natural sources, are used in extremely small amounts, and are recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They are non-toxic and when properly administered, can be safely used with infants, children, adults, and animals.
How does homeopathy differ from conventional medicine?
Homeopathy is based on the principal that “like cures like.” That is, if a substance can cause symptoms of disease in a healthy person, then it can cure a sick person suffering from similar symptoms. Suppose a person has hay fever, with watery eyes and a burning nasal discharge. Instead of giving an antihistamine to dry up the discharge, a homeopath might prescribe Allium cepa — a tiny dose of onion, specially prepared by a homeopathic pharmacy in accordance with FDA-approved guidelines — because onion is known to cause watery eyes and a burning nasal discharge.
Homeopathy regards symptoms as the body’s healthy attempt to restore itself to balance. A homeopath will choose a remedy that supports the symptoms—rather than opposing them or suppressing them as in conventional medicine.
Homeopathy recognizes that each person manifests illness in a unique and slightly different way. That is why two people with the same illness will not necessarily receive the same homeopathic remedy. A cold sufferer with a stopped up nose and dry eyes would receive a different remedy than a cold sufferer with a runny nose and watering eyes. Unlike the “one size fits all” approach often used in conventional medicine, a homeopath chooses a remedy that matches a person’s unique symptom profile—including physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.
What is homeopathy’s history?
The principals of homeopathy were developed into a system of medicine by the German physician, Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Homeopathy spread quickly throughout Europe and the rest of the world, including the U.S. The exact mechanism by which homeopathy works is unknown, but 200 years of medical experience along with research published in such medical journals as The Lancet, Pediatrics, and the British Medical Journal have confirmed homeopathy’s effectiveness.