About Homeopathy
Recent years have seen an unprecedented growth of interest in homeopathy. This has been part of the
surge of interest in complementary therapies driven by worries about environmental problems such as
chemicals in food and anxieties about the side-effects of some conventional drugs and
treatments. People would like to be treated as individuals and want their practitioners to take
time to listen to them.
The Benefits of Homeopathy
Homeopathy has been in worldwide use for over 200 years. Samuel Hahnemann, a German doctor, developed homeopathy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, although the notion of 'like cures like' can be traced back to Hippocrates two thousand years ago.
Homeopathy is the second most widely used form of medicine for primary care in the world today. Many doctors now refer patients to professional homeopaths.
Homeopathy is safe. Homeopathic remedies do not have any chemical action, so they do not have the potential to cause any
sustained damage, and are considered safe through pregnancy, birth, childhood illnesses,
puberty, menopause and old age. Remedies have no known side effects or interactions, and are non-addictive. Some people claim that taking homeopathic pills for a condition that should be treated by conventional means could be dangerous, if they are ignoring symptoms that signify serious illness, so you should always consult your GP if you are worried about your symptoms.
Is it just a placebo? The placebo effect is known about and is thought to account for about 30 percent of all perceived improvement, whether you are taking a homeopathic remedy or a more conventional treatment. Some trials have shown homeopathy to be more effective than placebo, though the jury is out on whether there have been enough of these trials to prove this beyond doubt. However, homeopathy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of babies and animals, who are unlikely to be susceptible to the placebo effect.
Homeopathy considers the complaints of a patient in totality. Homeopaths don't treat diseases as such. They treat the whole person. You are considered to be a whole
entity, not a mere collection of body parts.
Homeopathy is a system of healing which uses the body's own powerful capacity to heal itself. Homeopaths believe that the remedies stimulate that process.
Homeopathy aims to provide a high standard of care. Homeopaths want to help their patients.
Homeopathic treatment is individualised and considers a wide range of aspects of your condition - physical, mental and emotional states, personality traits, physical features, the effects of a variety of environmental influences, lifestyle, patterns of disease within your family, and relationships.
When Samuel Hahnemann developed homeopathy, he said that his aim was to produce rapid, gentle and permanent cure. Homeopathy may be worth trying in conditions for which conventional medicine may have nothing to offer or offers only symptom control.
Homeopathic remedies can be used alongside conventional drugs.
Good homeopathic treatment can improve your mental outlook on life and increase your
energy levels.
People quite often arrive at the homeopath's clinic already knowing what is wrong with them as they have had a diagnosis from a doctor, and are seeking additional support from a complementary system. Sometimes they have been told it is stress-related and the homeopath can assist them with stress reduction.
A consultation with a professional homeopath can be a turning point.
Does it work?
The widely accepted 'gold standard' for assessing the efficacy of a treatment is a meta-analysis or systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Since 1991 there have been five published meta-analyses of homeopathic RCTs concluding that homeopathy has a positive and specific effect beyond that of placebo.
"Homoeopathy ... cures a larger percentage of cases than any other method of treatment and is beyond doubt a safe and economical, and a most complete medical science." - Mahatma Gandhi
