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A Chick’s Guide to Homeopathy

posted by ChickSpeak
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 3:32pm CDT

Homeopathy, also known as homeopathic medicine, is the alternative practice of using natural remedies to heal, or thwart ailments as serious as hepatitis or depression, to ailments as minor as eczema or headaches.

German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) began formulating homeopathic remedies as early as the 1700s. He is often referred to as the “Father of Homeopathy”.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, “the principle of similars (or “like cures like,” as founded by Hahnemann) is a central homeopathic principle. The principle states that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people.” The theory can be traced back as far as Hippocrates, but was officially coined by 16th century physician Paraclesus who declared that, “what makes a man ill also cures him.”

Hahnemann founded homeopathy after actively rejecting early mainstream practices of bloodletting, and purging. Such practices, he understood, often worsened symptoms, and in many cases, proved ultimately fatal. Hahnemann believed in the administration of low dose single drugs prepared using animal, plant, mineral, and synthetic substances.

The process of preparing a homeopathic remedy is related to the “principle of dilutions”, which basically states that the lower the dosage, the greater its effectiveness. One would dilute a substance (flower petals, for example) using water or alcohol (a process called potentisation), and then vigorously shake the substance by ten hard strikes against an elastic body in a process called “succussion”.

Steven B. Kayne, author of the 2006 book Homeopathic Pharmacy: Theory and Practice, writes that Hahnemann believed the process of “succussion” activated the vital energy of the diluted substance. Karen Robinson, author of the blog entry The Principle of Dilution in Dynamic “Homeopathic” Remedies, adds that “Hahnemann’s purpose was at first merely to weaken the medicine to such an extent that it was able to stimulate therapeutic action in a diseased organ without burdening this organ unnecessarily with medicine.”

The “dynamic” preparation of the remedy acts, according to Robinson, on a deeper level than simply the biochemical (for example, Hahnemann believed diseases were brought on spiritually, as well as physically). So, even though there is less actual material substance in the end, the remedy becomes more powerful through the process of succussion. .

There is a specific dilution scale used to measure levels of potency in remedies, and while some advocate Hahnemann’s practices closely, there are those who challenge high dilution remedies, instead favoring lesser-diluted options. This debate verges on ideological, and yes, gets very philosophical and complicated.

Apart from physical symptoms, homeopathic physicians take a patient’s physical and psychological state into account when prescribing specific remedies. These physicians consult reference books known as reperotries, which list all homeopathic remedies, and their properties. A diagnosis is made based on the totality of the patient’s symptoms, and a remedy is prepared. Today, remedies are available for purchase at many local pharmacies, though he effectiveness of homeopathy has been disputed since its inception.

There are many who claim homeopathy to be useless, likening homeopathic remedies to your basic Psychology 101 placebo effect. Homeopathy is a taboo subject for some, and many countries do not cite homoeopathy as a legitimate form of medicine. In some cases, homeopathy is not funded or supported by national governments.

Regardless, homeopathy has been utilized for centuries as a safe alternative to corporate drug company prescriptions. There are little to no side effects. According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by Americans, an estimated 3.9 million U.S. adults and approximately 900,000 children used homeopathy the previous year. The Royal Family in England supports homeopathy, as well as celebrities such as Pamela Anderson, who swears by its ability to control her chronic hepatitis.

Today, the product Rescue Remedy, as created by modern homeopathic physician Dr. Edward Bach, is very popular among stressed college students. More information can be found here.

While homeopathy is not for everyone, if you do decide to look into it, make sure to do your research. Hahnemann may have coined the phrase “like cures like”, but it was Sir Francis Bacon who said “knowledge is power”. And in this case, it couldn’t be more true.

For more information, check out ABC Homeopathy, and the National Center for Complimentary and Alternativ