What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is an advanced system of natural medicine that has been bringing healing to the world for over two hundred years and on every continent. Homeopathic medicines may be effectively applied in chronic (long-term) conditions, as well as acute (short-term) illnesses of adults, children and animals. Homeopathy is not to be confused with herbal medicine or nutritional therapy, as it is a distinct and integral system unto itself. The fundamental principle of homeopathy, termed the Law of Similars, is based on the observation that the specific medicine most truly curative for a patient, will be one that is able to cause a pattern of symptoms very similar to the characteristic symptoms from which the patient suffers. Samuel Hahnemann (1755 - 1843) rediscovered the ancient healing principle of curing through symptom similarity, and through careful clinical experiment created and refined the homeopathic system of medicine at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Homeopathy is a truly holistic approach to health; one that emphasizes people rather than diseases. Homeopathy recognizes that each person responds uniquely to the forces of their heredity and environment. The total pattern of mental, emotional and physical alterations from health (symptoms) are the indications of the body's effort to defend and heal itself. Classical homeopathic method seeks to discover the unique characteristics that mark each individual case of illness. In order to do so, a very thorough case taking procedure is an essential cornerstone of practice. A single homeopathic medicine is then selected for its symptom similarity to the foremost characteristics of the patient. The similar nature of substance and symptoms allows the homeopathic remedy to touch the deep root of disease. Since homeopathy acts upon the constitution as a whole, when a person becomes well through homeopathy they find improvements in their overall health.Information on the symptoms associated with homeopathic remedies is derived from tests on the healthy, known as 'provings', as well as through the study of clinically cured cases. The remedies themselves are derived from all possible sources and are prepared by licensed homeopathic pharmaceutical manufacturers. The homeopathic remedies are prepared according to a unique method that renders them entirely safe, yet brings out remarkable healing capacites within each individual substance. An increasing body of scientific research is proving the potent biological action of homeopathic preparations.
The practitioner of homeopathy must be well versed in the science of the body in both health and disease. They must further have a thorough grasp of homeopathic philosophy, case taking, case analysis and materia medica. They must have a shrewd apprehension of human nature and be able to recognize the obstructions to cure that are found in the diet and lifestyle of their patients.