History:

The founder of homeopathy was Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Based on his observations and extraordinary clinical experience, he formulated the so-called principle of similarity, which states that a given substance can cure in a diseased person the symptoms that it produces or causes in a healthy person. Similia Similibus Curentur translates to the meaning "like can cure like".

Homeopathy is a well-described, scientifically based system of approaching health and disease. "Scientific" because the insights are based on reproducible experiments. "Well-described" because from these observations a number of precise basic fundamental rules became evident, first among them the "similarity principle."

A Definition of Classical Homeopathy:

Classical homeopathy includes a thorough interview to discover the totality of signs and symptoms. This total picture is our most important guide to the medicine. By "signs" we mean that which the physician can objectively assess. By "symptoms" we mean what the patient himself feels subjectively.

How a homeopathic medicine acts is found out by administering it to healthy volunteers and recording the symptoms the volunteers report. By repeating these trials often, we get a complete profile of the medicine. Such trials are known as "provings." All homeopathic medicines have been "proved" on healthy volunteers to learn how they act. Other reliable sources that are used are those from toxicology reports and clinical experience.

The total picture of the patient should be as similar as possible to the drug picture of the selected medicine. This is known as similia similibus curentur (let likes be cured by likes). The medicine should match the so-called characteristic (striking, unusual, and uncommon) symptoms of the patient as closely as possible.

Philosophy:

Since a homeopathic remedy corresponds only superficially if prescribed for a specific disease or diagnosis, it must be customized to match the individual with that disease, a process we call "individualization." The very same illness in another patient will most often be relieved with an entirely different remedy - thus we could have two different remedies that work in two different patients with the same disease.

According to homeopathic philosophy, a disease originates from a disturbance of the patient's "vital force." Homeopaths describe this as the life force energy that sustains us, much like the traditional Chinese medical term life energy as "Qi" (pronounced "chi"). As the origin of disease occurs on this energetic level, the homeopathic remedy must be able to act on this level. Diluting the original active substance and succussing (vigorously shaking) it makes it homeopathic medicine. All homeopathic medicines are "potentized", i.e., diluted and succussed. This method of preparation imparts considerable energy to each substance.

Classical homeopathy means that only one homeopathic medicine is given at a time because only one homeopathic medicine can correspond to the total picture of the patient. A prescription that does not aim for this totality is not homeopathic. Your homeopathic doctor may change the prescription over time. As the presenting symptoms change, so can the medicine given. But a prescription will tend to change over time. By analogy, in homeopathic philosophy cases present themselves somewhat like the layers of an onion, each with their own set of symptoms, where all of the layers together represent the entirety of the patient.

A prescription for complementary supplements can also be prescribed along with the homeopathic medicine to deal with the more superficial complaints or "obstacles to cure". For instance there is little chance that a homeopathic medicine will work if the individual is deficient in a vitamin and will continue to be so if no supplementation is prescribed- this deficiency is one example of an obstacle to cure.

The Medicine:

The main homeopathic medicines are derived from vegetable, mineral, or animal sources. Some of these are highly poisonous in their original, undiluted form and patients who learn that they are being given medicines derived from such sources sometimes feel apprehensive, but the homeopathic method of preparation yields such extremely high dilutions that there is never a danger of toxicity.

Another important group of homeopathic medicines are the "nosodes", derived from disease products. They can be given for symptoms that persist after recovery from the disease in question - the "never well since" clinical picture. Some of the nosodes have been used so widely that they have taken on the status of independent homeopathic medicines and are prescribed on the basis of symptoms even when there is no history of the disease they are related to.
Homeopathic medicine may be given in liquid form or, more usually, as sugar pills or powders. Sometimes they are given as a single long-acting dose, or else they may be given once a day or more frequently for days or weeks. They should be allowed to dissolve under the tongue. It is often said that patients taking homeopathic medicines should avoid drinking tea or coffee, but there is no good evidence that these substances really interfere with treatment. However, minimizing coffee intake in general is a well researched nutritional consideration. It is probably enough to avoid eating or drinking for 10 to 20 minutes before and after taking the medicines.

There is no good evidence that conventional drugs interfere with homeopathic medicines. In any case, it is always undesirable to stop any prescribed treatment without the approval of your medical doctor (M.D.). There are no known dangerous interactions between homeopathic medicines and conventional drugs.

The principal claim made by homeopathic doctors is that their treatment is safe, and this is true, provided that no serious disease process or pathology has been overlooked and that conventional treatment is not withdrawn unadvisedly. To reiterate, there are no dangerous interactions between homeopathic medicines and conventional ones.

Understanding the different medicines:

Vitamin/Mineral:

Vitamins and minerals are essential to life. They contribute to good health by regulating the metabolism and assisting the biochemical processes that release energy from digested food. They are apart of a class of micronutrients called coenzymes which act to assist enzymes in their function to make food available to our bodies. Vitamins are considered micronutrients because the body needs them in relatively small amounts compared with nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats and water. Orthomolecular medicine is the treatment of disease using vitamins in large quantities to act therapeutically or in some cases replace an existing deficiency.

Minerals are needed for the proper composition of body fluids, the formation of blood and bone, the maintenance of healthy nerve function. They are also used in the regulation of muscle tone, including that of the muscles of the cardiovascular system. Like vitamins, minerals work as coenzymes, enabling the body to perform its functions, including energy production, growth, and healing. Because all enzyme activities involve minerals, they are essential for the proper utilization of vitamins and other nutrients.

Herbs:

Herbs are essentially "natural" drugs. Theoretically, botanical medicines have similar therapeutic uses to the medicines that exist in the conventional drug world but with a fraction of the potency and with the bonus of a "holistic" action. This means that the plants active ingredients are not the only ingredients that play a role in healing. The majority of today's herbal remedies and photochemicals exhibit varying degrees of therapeutic value. Some- such as ginkgo, valerian, and saw palmetto- seem genuinely useful, while others- such as ephedra and nightshade- can actually be dangerous. As the use of unfamiliar botanicals spreads, the need to steer patients towards the few truly useful preparations, warn patients away from ineffective and dangerous alternatives, and limit the overuse of botanicals will be my priority when it comes to herbal therapeutics.

Homeopathy:

The science and art of homeopathy embody what many people envision as a 21st century medicine. Homeopathy is a medical approach that respects the wisdom of the body. It is an approach that utilizes medicines that stimulate the bodies own immune and defense system to initiate the healing process. It is an approach that individualizes medicines according to the totality of the person's physical, emotional, and mental symptoms. It is an approach that is widely recognized to be safe. And it is an approach that can be potentially very effective in treating the new types of diseases that are afflicting us now and will affect us in the 21st century.