“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”  - Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1810)

 
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a system of medicine that treats individuals with highly diluted substances. These substances trigger the body’s natural system of healing allowing for a safe and gentle method of treating disease and restoring health. Samuel Hahnemann, a German medical doctor, developed this method over 200 years ago when he was dissatisfied with the unsafe manner in which the medical community treated diseases. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann’s initial experiments were with Cinchona bark, from which quinine is derived. He found that if it is given in daily doses to a healthy person it can cause symptoms similar to malaria. He then gave a homeopathic preparation of Cinchona to many patients with malaria and found it was curative. Dr. Nate Champion provides homeopathy at Partners in Healing of Minneapolis.

One major difference between homeopathic medicine and conventional medicine, also called allopathy, is that homeopathy is based on the law of similars, a method often referred to as like cures like. This means what a substance can cause in a healthy person, it can also cure in a person who is sick. One example of this is coffee. Many people experience the stimulating effect of coffee which can keep them awake and alert. In homeopathy, highly diluted coffee can be utilized in small doses to treat patients with insomnia associated with an overly alert mind. Allopathic medicine (allopathy meaning other disease) gives medicines to treat the opposite of what someone has. For example, antidepressants, antacids, antihistamines, antibiotics all treat to oppose the symptoms.

What is a homeopathic remedy and is it safe?
Homeopathic medicines are made from natural substances and prepared in such a way that leaves them entirely non-toxic. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the manufacture and sale of homeopathic medicines in the United States. Due to the process in which homeopathic remedies are diluted, they are safe and free from the side effects that are commonly associated with the use of pharmaceuticals. Conventional pharmaceuticals change the body chemically whereas homeopathic remedies provoke a healing response in the body that restores the body to health. Besides being very dilute medicines, homeopathic remedies are also given in minute doses so it is extremely safe for everyone including infants, children, pregnant and nursing women and elderly. In fact, homeopathy is an ideal therapy for these populations.

What can homeopathy treat?
Homeopathy can treat both acute and chronic conditions, including most common conditions that people seek medical treatment for in the United States. There are some conditions that may not be appropriate for homeopathic treatment such as those requiring surgery, or those requiring changes in lifestyle. However, homeopathy can help accelerate healing and recovery, being a safe and effective therapy when part of one’s pre- and post-surgery protocol. There are over 2000 homeopathic remedies and it takes an experienced practitioner to successfully treat individuals with homeopathy. A well-trained homeopath understands the proper remedy a person needs, what dose to prescribe, when to change a remedy, dose, or potency, and how to properly follow-up and manage their treatment. Most Naturopathic Doctors alaso have training in homeopathic medicine and can help with those conditions that can only be corrected through lifestyle changes such as nutrition and exercise. Other therapies may be necessary to achieve full recovery and an experienced practitioner will refer you to other practitioners when necessary.

Is Homeopathy right for me?
Not everyone’s insomnia will be cured by coffee as seen in the example above. We all experience sickness in different ways. One person may experience insomnia that leaves them feeling over-stimulated whereas another’s insomnia may be due to aches and pains keeping them up or perhaps thoughts and worries about their work or business. It is these distinct symptoms that make each person’s illness unique and therefore each individual will likely require a different remedy. Homeopathy is one of the few modalities that acknowledges that we are not all the same and especially in how we experience disease. 

 
Another distinction of homeopathic treatment is its holistic view of health and treating the whole person rather than just symptoms or parts. For example, when we are sick we can suffer from the physical symptoms but we can also feel changes in our emotional state or cognitive state or even changes in bodily functions like loss of appetite. A homeopathic practitioner looks at all of the symptoms and matches a remedy that will best fit the whole picture in order to restore proper balance in the body.

Since homeopathic remedies are prepared in such a way that they are safe and free of all chemical toxicity, it is the ideal medicine for people of all ages.  This includes pregnant women, newborns, elderly people and everyone in between.  Homeopathy is also safe to use while taking other medicines, such as pharmaceuticals or botanicals (herbs). 

What can I expect at my visit?
A homeopathic intake goes into much more depth than a typical medical history intake and can last up to two hours. This allows the doctor and patient the opportunity to have a comprehensive discussion in order to obtain a detailed description about all of a person’s symptoms. This also helps the doctor get to know you better as a whole person and what makes your illness unique to you. The physician then studies your case and prescribes a homeopathic remedy that is most appropriate for you.  A typical follow-up visit would then be scheduled in two to six weeks, depending on the individual, the nature of their condition, and the patient’s will. Follow-up visits are much shorter, typically lasting 20-60 minutes.

Self-Healing
The body has the ability to heal. It is seen in acute illnesses when the body produces mucus, a runny nose, diarrhea, a cough or even a fever. Excess mucus production is used to sweep away pathogens, coughing helps to loosen and bring up any lung congestion and a fever raises the body temperature in order to kill pathogens. These are some of the healing processes the body innately possesses. The homeopathic practitioner uses dilute natural substances to provoke this healing response in the body in order to support the body in healing rather than suppressing these symptoms. Homeopathy is a safe, gentle, and effective therapy that helps to increase vitality and health.