Renata Hines
BSc(Hons) DDS Lic.LCCH MARH
Classical Homeopath 
Shefford

Homeopathy is a safe, gentle, and natural system of healing that works with your body to relieve symptoms, restore itself, and improve your overall health. It is extremely safe to use, even with very small children and pets and it has none of the side effects of many traditional medications.    Homeopathy uses natural remedies in dilute quantities to stimulate the body’s own healing ability.  Remedies can act fast in some conditions whilst others require more consistent treatment. Remedies can act fast in some conditions whilst others require more consistent treatment. 

Homeopathy is  non-toxic, effective and suitable for all age groups, including women during pregnancy. Both, patients with acute and chronic conditions have benefited from homeopathic treatment. 

The aim is to improve your health and to maintain lasting well-being. Homeopathic remedies can be taken alongside medications prescribed by your doctor. 

Homeopathy offers  much of what conventional medicine has to offer(anti-inflammatories, anti-bacterials, anti-virals, analgesics) but without the side effects of conventional drugs. Homeopathy can be used for the whole family, and has been successfully prescribed for a variety of health problems, from asthma, eczema, allergies and hay fever to flu, fever, anxiety, depression, migraine, arthritis, IBS, menopause symptoms and fertility problems, to name but a few.  

Homeopathy is a branch of medicine that helps people who doctors or conventional medicine cannot help and  helps those who would rather be treated by a discipline that  follows natural order or natural laws of health and disease without causing side effects. Homeopathy also avoids or reduces reliance on conventional medication, on powerful drugs such as antibiotics or steroids, or surgery, only with the co-operation of your regular doctor.  

Homeopathy is a department of science in general medicine. It is therefore a comprehensive medical system and as  it should be with all specialities and branches of medicine; homeopathy makes no claims to cure. 

Homeopathy is based on the principle of “like treats like” – that is, a substance which can cause symptoms when taken in large doses, can be used in small amounts to treat similar symptoms. For example, drinking too much coffee can cause sleeplessness and agitation, so according to this principle, when made into a homeopathic medicine, it could be used to treat people suffering from sleeplessness and agitation.  

The principle of treating “like with like” dates back to Hippocrates (460-377BC) but in its current form, homeopathy has been widely used worldwide for more than 200 years.

Homeopathy was discovered, founded  and developed by a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, who was looking for a way to reduce the damaging side effects associated with the medical treatment of his day, which included the use of poisons. He began experimenting on himself and a group of healthy volunteers, giving smaller and smaller medicinal doses, discovering that as well as reducing toxicity, the medicines became more effective as the doses were lowered. 

Samuel Hahnemann also observed that symptoms caused by the toxic ‘medicines’ of the time, such as mercury which was used to treat syphilis, were similar to those of the diseases they were being used to treat.  This observation led to the principle he described as ‘like cures like’.

It is used to treat acute illnesses, like colds, ear infections, migraines, and sore throats, as well as chronic conditions, like asthma, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, etc.

Homeopathy has been known through its history to have the power to heal many health problems, apart from mechanical ones, as long as the practitioner is able to understand the patient in depth as an individual and has good knowledge  about  homeopathic medicines to match the remedy to the patient. It is a holistic treatment of the individual, not just of their disease.

Therefore the selection of the homeopathic remedy that most matches the patient is the most important part of the process. In order to do this, the makeup of the individual – not only physically but mentally and emotionally, and in relation to his or her environment – is of vital importance. For this reason, emotional, mental and physical problems are treated together. 

So homeopathy provides remedies for people as individuals, rather than for disease names/labels they were given.

The information about the individual  is ascertained during the homeopathic consultation. The substance from which the remedies are obtained are derived from animal, vegetable or mineral sources. It is not the substance that produces the curative effect, but the inherent energy that is released from the substance when it is homeopathically prepared by the pharmacists trained in this speciality.

The purpose of the homeopathic remedy is to stimulate the natural healing potential of the body. 

Homeopathy is safe, non-toxic with no side effects, effective and suitable for all age groups, including women during pregnancy. Both, patients with acute and chronic conditions have benefited from homeopathic treatment. Remedies can act fast in some conditions whilst others require more consistent treatment. The aim is to improve your health and to maintain lasting well-being. 

As for the way Homeopathy is prescribed; it is about single remedy, similar remedy, and minimum dose. 

Homeopathic medicines are prepared in tablet, pillule, granules or liquid. They are simple to take – under the tongue, when the mouth is clean. 

Those who have come to choose classical  homeopathy; rather than conventional and traditional medicine;  as their first choice of treatment for their symptoms, have realised that   classical homeopathy keeps one as well as possible within the bounds of your genetic inheritance which is, most times, either triggered or activated by a prolonged emotional state due to life's trials and situation, by environment or by suppressive conventional treatments. 

Does it work?

There is an incorrect assumption that the prescription of homeopathic remedies is a pharmaceutical intervention based on physiological responses and therefore should be tested in the same way. Multi-centre laboratory trials (Belon, 2004) have demonstrated biological effects of highly diluted preparations and a number of scientific theories have been used to explain this phenomenon (Baumgartner, 2002). Research using the latest technologies is underway to test these theories experimentally [Homeopathy Research Institute website]. What we understand in practice is that a homeopathic remedy, correctly selected for you as an individual, can return your body to a healthy balance. (Baumgartner, S. 2002 Basic research efforts to elucidate the potentiation procedure of homeopathy. In: Future directions and current issues of research in Homeopathy, Freiburg: Samueli Institute, 1-10. Belon, P et al. 2004 Histamine dilutions modulate basophil activation. Inflammation Research, (53), 181-188.) 

How about evidence? Research evidence?

Homeopaths make use of tried and tested knowledge documented over two centuries of clinical cases, and put this into practice  by recent research and up-to-date understanding of health. Clinical trials play an important role in the development of homeopathy, and indeed homeopathy was the first health discipline to systematically compare treatment to placebo in 1829. There is a growing body of high quality research into homeopathy in practice that supports the suggestion that homeopathy can be effective, cost- effective and safe as a treatment option. Up-to-date resources are available from The Society of Homeopaths  and Homeopathy Research Institute.

How safe is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy has an excellent safety record (Bornhöft et al. 2006; Dantas & Rampes 2000; Woodward 2005). As homeopathic remedies are non-toxic, they can be taken by babies, children, during pregnancy and can work very well alongside prescribed medicines. As remedies are dispensed on sucrose tablets or tasteless liquid, children find them quite acceptable.
(Bornhöft G, Wolf U, et al. 2006. Effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of homeopathy in general practice – summarized health technology assessment. Forsch Komplementarmed; 13 Suppl 2: 19-29.Dantas F, Rampes H. 2000.Do homeopathic medicines provoke adverse effects? A systematic review. The British Homoeopathic Journal, 89:S35-8
Woodward KN., 2005. The potential impact of the use of homeopathic and herbal remedies on monitoring the safety of prescription products. Hum Exp Toxicol;24:219-233.) 

Who visits a homeopath?

I have seen people of all ages seeking help for a wide spectrum and variety of complaints - from babies to elderly, from acute to chronic ailments, from  minor to the more serious. Many come with long term chronic conditions such as migraines, problems with digestion, tiredness and post surgery. I am consulted by women with hormonal issues, and for remedies to take during childbirth. Children are booked by their parents concerned about complaints such as allergies, skin problems, asthma, recurrent infections and some behavioural problems. I am frequently consulted by people with a range of emotional issues. To help you decide whether homeopathy is for you and to answer any questions you may have, follow this link to The Society of Homeopaths.