Intro to Homeopathy
When I was doing my clinical rounds for pharmacy at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, curiously I never found much information on the teaching hospitals namesake…the father of homeopathy. I understood that I was there for allopathic medicine, although when I questioned my instructors if we will be learning anything in regards to homeopathy and the treatment of patient care, I was looked at like I had two heads.
“The highest ideal of therapy is to restore health rapidly, gently, permanently; to remove and destroy the whole disease in the shortest, surest, least harmful way, according to clearly comprehensible principles.”
Samuel Hahnemann, Organon, 6’th ed.
The above statement by pharmacist and physician, Samuel Hahnemann, is the beauty of homeopathy. Homeopathy is an exceptionally safe and effective form of medicine that treats the whole individual, is applicable to all ages, and is tremendously under utilized.
Due to the significance of dilution behind homeopathy, there is generally no fear of drug interactions, thus is safe to take in almost any situation. Most homeopathic preparations are diluted down to the point where the active ingredient is no longer physically detectable.
The term homeopathy comes from two Greek words, omia (meaning “same”), and pathos (meaning “suffering”). What this means is that a homeopathic remedy is one that produces the same symptoms as those the sick person complains of, and in doing so sharply provokes the body into throwing them off.
This leads to the basic principle of homeopathy…The Law of Similars or “like cures like.” The Law of Similars states that a given substance in high doses will cause a set of symptoms, and the same substance can be used to treat those symptoms in lower doses.
Let me give you a few examples. An individual who has been stung by a bee experiences pain and inflammation, a stinging feeling. A remedy for this can be Apis mellifica, the honey bee.
Another example is for people who have trouble sleeping. The homeopathic of coffee, cofea cruda, can be a remedy of choice.
A common one we use to help alleviate hot flashes is lachesis mutas. This is the homeopathic of venom of a snake. What are the symptoms of a snake bite? Hot, burning constricted feeling.
To begin using homeopathy, it is easy. You can find homeopathic remedies at most health food stores and some pharmacies as well. A few common brands you can expect to find our boiron and hylands. Because homeopathic remedies are closely controlled under the FDA, homeopathic preparations can make a claim as if what they can treat. For example if you were to pick up a tube of arnica you would see on the side that is says “Trauma, Bruises, and Muscle Soreness.”
To hone in a step further you could purchase a repertory. A repertory is an index of symptoms and systems of the body with remedies that affect the system listed under each heading.
For example, if I pick up The Family Guide to Homeopathy by Dr. Andrew Lockie, and I look up Bronchitis. I will then look for the exact symptoms the individual is experiencing. I dial into a symptom description that parallels that of the individuals such as “symptoms get worse lying down or in stuffy rooms, cough is dry at night but loose in morning, lack of thirst.” The remedy points to pulsatilla 6c.
For those dealing with chronic disease states or really want to dial in a specific condition and see what a qualified homeopathic practitioner can do, contact the National Center for Homeopathy or the International Foundation for Homeopathy.