What is Homeopathy? History of Homeopathy Principles of Homeopathy Homeopathic Remedies Homeopathic Provings and Research Differences between Conventional Medicine and Homeopathy Homeopathic Treatment Homeopathic Consultations What is Homeopathy? Homeopathy is a gentle, safe, and natural system of healing that is based on using minute ‘homeopathic’ doses to stimulate and encourage the natural healing systems of the body. The human body is self-sufficient equipped with its own healing system that repairs and preserves the structure and functions of the body. This same healing system thus maintains a healthy and harmonious balance between mind, body, and spirit. Based on this fact, homeopathy is designed to stimulate and support this healing mechanism and help maintain health. History of Homeopathy Although the basic principle of homeopathy was observed throughout the history of medicine, a German physician Dr. Samuel Hahnemann accidentally stumbled upon this phenomenon in the early 1700’s and explored this phenomenon further. Later, he developed it as a system of healing, and named it Homeopathy. Principles of Homeopathy Like Cures Like Every Action is followed by an equal and opposite reaction Law of Minimum Dosage: Less is more powerful Vital Force is the primary healing force Symptoms: Self Preserving Measures of Vital Force Law of the Direction of Cure Concept of Suppression Mind and body: Two sides of the same coin Like Cures Like Homeopathy refers to ‘homeos’ - similar and ‘pathos’ - disease. The primary principle of homeopathy is the Law of Similars or like cures like. Dr. Hahnemann observed that when a sick person is given minute doses of the same substance that produced similar symptoms of sickness in healthy person, the sickness disappears leaving the patient healthy. It is similar to taking Ipecac. Ipecac is used successfully in emergency situation to induce vomiting in poisoning cases, and for this capability, in minute dosage, it is capable of halting the vomiting. Similarly, coffee, in minute dosage, can be used effectively in the similar way to relax the excessively restless and sleepless person or minute dose of red onion can be used to stop the watering of eyes and running of nose during an attack of hay fever. Every Action is followed by an equal and opposite reaction Hahnemann verified this observation repeatedly by conducting many experiments. From his experiments, he concluded that the basic concept that every action has an equal and opposite reaction is responsible for this phenomenon. Newton’s third law of gravity describes that every action will have an equal and opposite reaction of similar magnitude. Thus, in order to remove symptoms of sickness, if they were slightly enhanced in a controlled, safe setting, the equal and opposite reaction from the body will be enough to eradicate the pre-existing symptoms as well as the artificially enhanced symptoms. Law of Minimum Dosage: Less is more powerful Through his continued experiments on the dosage, he observed that the artificial enhancement was extremely gentle and almost unnoticed when he used the minutest doses of the substances. This is in congruence with the Nature where most poisonous animals and plants require very little quantity to accomplish what they need to. This concept is the most contrary to the popular medical practices of past as well as present which believes that the physical quantity of the substance must match the intensity of the symptoms even though less is more principle is used effectively in other scientific fields. For example, in order to make an atomic bomb, a scientist requires merely two atoms of Uranium to enhance the magnitude of its effect. Vital Force is the primary healing force He made another important revelation that the earliest sensations of illness are experienced at the level of the life force (Vital Force as he called it) instead of previous notion which believed disease to be a purely physical phenomenon. He discovered that since the sensations are experienced at this level, the mode of reaction throughout the body is also decided at this level. Although a general awareness of the life force existed during his times, it wasn’t applied to the healing systems. Symptoms: Self Preserving Measures of Vital Force The logical conclusion from these previous discoveries was that the physical symptoms of discomfort were the mode of reaction to the illness felt by the Life Force or the Vital Force, in order to preserve itself. Removing the mode of reaction will not bring the person to well being again. Rather, helping remove the sensation of illness at the level of Life Force is essential for it to change its mode of reaction. For example, if a person is extremely restless, fidgety, and sleepless because of the fear of a dog barking next door, he will not be at peace even with sleeping pills or anti-anxiety medication until the person moves or the dog is moved away. The agitation, the sensation of a great threat and discomfort is experienced at the level of vital force in this situation. Unless and until the measures to bring peace are taken at this level, the sleeplessness or restlessness will turn into an allergy to dogs or dust in the house he lives in. This allergy will help him to remove himself from the same environment of the dog creating him a temporary peace. Thus, most symptoms are parts of the defense mechanisms orchestrated by the life force in order to preserve and protect itself and the body it resides in. Law of the Direction of Cure Law of Cure as the name defines the direction of cure under homeopathic treatment. This law states that the cure takes place from the more important organ to the less important organ, from above downwards from within outward, in the reverse order of the appearance of the symptoms. Since it defines the direction of cure, it also indirectly provides the direction how the disease will progress. Thus, the disease must progress in the opposite direction of cure, from less important organs to the more important organ, from below upwards and from outward within. Dr. Constantine Hering, an American physician was the first to observe the distinct pattern of diseases. During his extensive clinical practice, and research, he concluded that there is a distinct hierarchy amongst the organs in the human body according to the level of importance for the survival. Brain, spinal cord, heart, and kidneys are the most important organs for the survival and the healing mechanisms of the body will protect them at any cost until there is no other recourse. Skin, upper respiratory tract, upper digestive tract are able to rejuvenate themselves completely, the disease is allowed to express itself in those organs before it can afflict deeper organs. This was one of most invaluable contribution made to the field of healing as it took the definition of cure further into the whole being. It changed the perspective of local organ pathology into a whole being with some organs being affected. It helped to map the chronology of the disease, the chronology of the cure and the duration of time to arrive at total health. It made clear that a patient will go through the reappearance of previous complaints in the lesser important organs before experiencing a complete restoration of health. To put it simply, if a patient has a past history of suffering with skin eruptions which were treated by ointments, and now complaints of asthma, then he is likely to experience a disappearance of asthma followed by reappearance of skin eruptions before experiencing total health. Unfortunately the popular view of disease is fragmented. The patient may feel discouraged with the reappearance of the skin eruption since they thought the skin disease was cured. But the will be very excited with the return of the past complaints because according to the Law of Cure, s/he is sure that the patient will achieve total health as the skin complaints disappear again under further homeopathic treatment. Concept of Suppression This brings us to the concept of Suppression in homeopathy. In the above example, the reappearance of eczema is significant because usually most skin complaints are treated with ointments and cortisone applications. Even though most skin diseases are non-life threatening conditions (except cancer of skin - melanomas), most of them are extremely discomforting and visible forcing the patient to seek drastic measure to suppress them with local treatments. When these manifestations of discomfort at the level of Vital Force are suppressed, it is forced to compromise a deeper organ and patient experiences disease of another organ system. This concept is as unique to homeopathy as the holistic view and expectation of total health. Most of the modern drugs provide symptomatic relief but have potential to suppress and divert disease to the deeper and more important organs. They also have a greater potential to create drug dependence as discontinuing the drug brings back the symptoms. On the other hand, under homeopathic treatment, patients have a far higher potential to experience a complete freedom from any kind of dependence on medications or such as well as total health. Mind and body: Two sides of the same coin Hahnemann observed that the symptoms of the body exist concurrent with an altered state of the mind during the time of an illness. When he gave a substance in homeopathically minute dosage based on the Law of Similars, he observed that physical symptoms disappeared as well as the symptoms of the altered state of the mind. The relief was seen at both levels with the same substance. This showed that an ill person must be treated as a unit – mind and body, not as a conglomeration of the parts. It also showed that when chosen correctly and applied on the basis of Law of Similars, the same substance is capable of removing the illness from all levels. This was an important discovery as it gave the fundamental basis to the holistic view of the disease and health. Over the past 200 years homeopathy has evolved into a widely recognized, extensively practiced system of medicine all over the world. Homeopaths all over the world continue to enhance this natural system of medicine further through careful clinical observations and research. It continues to relieve suffering and enhance the health of millions around the world. Homeopathic Remedies Source of Homeopathic Remedies The substances used to make homeopathic remedies are from Nature. Plant, mineral and animal kingdom is used to produce homeopathic remedies in addition to chemical drugs such as penicillin, cortisone and others as well. These substances are diluted carefully until little of the original substance remains. The homeopathic remedies are prepared carefully under strict guidelines provided by Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States. Preparation of Homeopathic Remedies The preparation of homeopathic remedies is a two-fold process - dilution and succussion. Dilution - Each original substance is diluted according to primary scales - either decimal (designated by an ‘X’ in homeopathy), or centesimal (designated by ‘C’). As the terms suggest, the decimal scale is when one part of the original substance is diluted with 10 parts of water (or water/alcohol), whereas the centesimal scale uses a ratio of 1:100. This merely makes the first dilution. The second dilution is made by mixing one drop from the first solution with another 10 or 100 parts of dilutant. As more and more dilutions are made, the concentration of the original substance is diluted tremendously. Scientific testing shows no molecular evidence of the original substance in homeopathic remedies after they have reached the dilution of 6C. Succussion is a violent shaking method, and is the most important part of the remedy-making procedure. This is the process by which the latent energy of the substance is aroused and stored in the medium for later use. To demonstrate the power of succussion, Uranium stays in its latent form in earth’s crust until the collision of two atoms occurs. This collision is primarily responsible for liberating the tremendous destructive energy of Uranium. The process of succussion is nothing but controlled collisions of atoms and molecules of the substances used as homeopathic remedies. During preparation, every dilution is followed by succussion, thus liberating, storing, and magnifying the dynamic energy in the medium. The next step is to mix one part of previously succussed dilution with 10 or 100 parts of the medium. This process is called potentization, and the resulting remedy solution is said to be ‘in potency’. The higher the potency, the more dilute the original substance, and the greater the dynamic (healing) energy. Homeopathic Provings and Research There is a standard methodology for determining the effects of homeopathically prepared natural substances so that they can be matched with ill human beings. This methodology is known as a homeopathic ‘proving’, and the volunteers that conduct these provings are known as ‘provers’. Since practitioners of homeopathy require knowledge of the mental, emotional and physical characteristics of an individual for the effective application of the Law of Similars, provings must yield information on all three levels. The use of humans to elicit the action, instead of the rats or monkeys or guinea pigs, provides the accurate and exact information of the effect of the substance on all levels of human being. Provers take a homeopathic remedy repeatedly, until they begin experiencing the effects. Every symptom experienced by each individual prover is carefully recorded in exact detail and exact description. The proving is continued for the duration of a few weeks to few months. Short term as well as long lasting effects are carefully monitored and recorded. Several provings of the same substance are conducted in different settings, in different cultures and geographical locations, to ensure the thoroughness and accuracy of the information. Later information from provings of every substance is carefully compiled and organized in books specially formatted by homeopathic practitioners. The provings provide anywhere between hundreds to thousands of symptoms experienced by provers. With almost 3000 proved remedies, it is almost impossible to remember the effects of all homeopathic remedies. Thus, homeopathic practitioners are often seen referring books or special computer software during their homeopathic consults with patients. Differences between Conventional Medicine and Homeopathy There are many fundamental differences between the two systems of the medicine. Conventional medicine classifies diseases as effects from the structural or chemical anomalies in the organs. Disease classification is based on tissue changes as well as pathologies. The causes of these diseases are believed to be various deficiencies, excesses, or an invasion by biological or chemical agents. Thus, methods of treatment include supplementing what is deficient, removing what is in excess (often by surgically removing a diseased organ) and killing the invading agents. Homeopathy perceives disease as a state of disharmony experienced by every part of a being. It believes the origin of disease is dynamic at the level of life force or Vital force, and this intelligent, indwelling Vital Force creates symptoms in response to difficult circumstances, but always keeps the disharmony at the most superficial level possible. Thus the measures applied by homeopathy are towards helping the Vital Force fully heal itself and reestablish the harmony and balance throughout the being, not just at the level of each individual organ. In conventional view, disease is perceived as a linear problem with isolated cause and effect. Local measures are applied to remove the cause in the hope that the effect will recede. The focus is on removing disease and health is presumed to return. Whereas in homeopathic view, disease is treated as a general phenomenon, taking place at multiple dimensions, and the focus is on helping the innate healing power of the individual to prevail, rather than finding and removing the physical cause and effect of the disease. The focus is on enhancing health and healing power, and the presumption is that the disease will be eradicated by the Vital Force. Often with conventional medicine, the relief is instant but the symptoms return as soon as the treatment is discontinued. With homeopathic treatment, the relief is gradual in chronic diseases and the patient experiences health at all levels for a long time. On the other hand, even though conventional medicine it is extremely useful for providing instant relief for the life-threatening conditions due to its easy availability and local action, it provides merely palliation in chronic disease by controlling it with medications. Homeopathic treatment provides far more successful results providing complete recovery from chronic diseases and providing total health rather than compromise with the disease. Many of the conventional medications often act invasive and accompany extremely uncomfortable side effects. Homeopathic remedies applied on the basis of Law of Similars, do not create any side effects. Also, with the dose reduced to the minutest levels, homeopathic remedies are incapable of producing any harmful effects at any levels. An incorrectly prescribed homeopathic remedy is incapable of producing any effects making it safe for everyone including babies, pregnant women, elderly, and animals. Finally, the cost of manufacturing the homeopathic remedies is drastically less than the cost of conventional medications and drugs. Homeopathic Treatment Homeopathic treatment is a two-fold process - constitutional for chronic complaints and acute for complaints of acute nature. Most patients seek homeopathy for the chronic diseases that have failed to respond to conventional medications. Since chronic diseases develop relatively slowly over a long period of time, the recovery takes place over a period of time under homeopathic treatment. Also patient with presence of or even the history of severe pathology takes longer time to recover and heal completely. To name a few chronic diseases responding successfully to the homeopathic treatment are allergies, asthma, recurrent respiratory infections, ADD/ADHD, ear infections, migraines, sinus infections, reflux esophagitis/acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Fissures, menstrual irregularities, menopause related complaints, thyroid problems, growth disorders, chronic yeast infections, chronic and recurrent bladder infections, neuralgias, nervous disorders, depressive and anxiety disorders, autism, insomnia, eczema, psoriasis, Rosacea, acne, neuro-dermatitis, and vitelligo. Acute complaints are also handled efficiently and promptly with homeopathy and often relief is achieved more quickly than with conventional drugs. For example, homeopathic Apis mellifica, given for a bee sting, can take away the stinging pain and itching in a matter of few minutes, even faster than an injection of Benadryl. Each headache may seem to be a new complaint, but when the life pattern is examined carefully, the homeopath may recognize that the headaches in question are actually recurring chronically. Such a situation may require an immediate remedy for the acute pain, but also a constitutional remedy to treat the underlying cause of the ongoing problem. Constitutional treatment, which can only be performed by a trained classical homeopath, is essential to correct the deep-seated roots of the disease disturbance, such as the tendencies toward different recurring ailments. The complete homeopathic treatment (constitutional as well as acute) increases the level of resistance, reduces susceptibility to illnesses, prevents occurrence of severe chronic diseases and brings about a deep change in the whole person. Most of all, it brings health and harmonious balance at all levels of human existence. Homeopathic Consultations Homeopathic consultations are of two types - 1.  The initial consultation for the assessment of the whole case. 2.  The follow-up consultations for monitoring the progress of the patient on homeopathic treatment. Initial Consultation: This is the most important part of the homeopathic treatment. The initial consultation takes approximately 2 hours to gather the individual characteristics of the complaint as well as the patient such as appetite, cravings and aversions, perspiration, bowel habits, temperature preferences, hormonal functions, sleep, dreams, and most of all, emotional temperament followed by the careful analysis and choice of a suitable homeopathic remedy. The past history of the patient and their family members is also carefully analyzed to make the assessment complete. The choice of homeopathic remedy is merely the first step in the process of the treatment. During this treatment, a good homeopath also lays down the parameters for changes and makes an approximate prediction of the prognosis. Follow-up Evaluations: The shorter follow-up assessments take approximately 20-40 minutes and are scheduled 4-6 weeks apart. These consults are extremely important for determining the progress of the patient as well as for determining if the patient’s treatment requires any change of action. During these consults, the homeopath evaluates, assesses and monitors the progress of the patient’s health as well as their complaints during the homeopathic treatment. Depending on this assessment, the homeopath makes further decision regarding dosage, frequency or the change in the homeopathic remedy. The homeopath ensures that the patient is progressing towards health according to the Law of Cure by Hering. Each of the complaints is monitored for their frequency, intensity and duration along with all the changes in patient’s health as well as situation in life. The frequency of these evaluations decreases as the patient progresses on the path of recovery and health.