Homeopathy: A Little Treatment Goes a Long Way

Homeopathic treatment today falls under the category of "alternative medicine," along with acupuncture, herbs, essential oils and other remedies that come from nature. However, since the dawn of medicine, healers have been deriving their treatments from the plant, mineral and animal kingdoms. The patent medicines that define allopathy, or mainstream medicine, have only been developed in the last few generations. By contrast, homeopathic treatment has been a viable way of looking after yourself for more than two hundred years.

In Homeopathic Treatment, Like Cures Like

Homeopathy was discovered and named by a young German medical student, Samuel Hahnemann. The word homeopathy comes from the Greek for "similar suffering." Based on the principle of "like cures like," Hahnemann found that the same substance that would make a healthy person sick could, in a vastly diluted dose, make an ill person well. In fact, the more dilute the remedy, the more potent the homeopathic treatment will be.

Taking Homeopathic Coffee Can Put You to Sleep!

This "law of similars" is what sets homeopathy apart from conventional medical treatment. Allopathic medicine relies on opposites, such as a sleeping pill to counteract insomnia. But pharmacological treatment can often cause side effects, or result in a dependency on the drug. By contrast, homeopathic treatment might be a minute dose of a remedy such as coffee, which in very large doses could create sleeplessness in a healthy person.

It may seem magical that an infinitesimal dose of a specially prepared coffee remedy could ease an insomniac into slumber. Yet, these are the kinds of results that typically occur when one is using homeopathic treatment correctly.

Seek Out A Skilled Homeopathic Practitioner

While homeopathic treatment has no side effects (the "wrong" remedy simply will not work) and isn't addictive, for serious or chronic conditions it makes sense to seek out a skilled homeopath rather than attempt to administer your own homeopathic treatment. Since there are more than 500 individual homeopathic remedies, it would be difficult to determine which one to buy.

In order to prescribe the treatment you need, your homeopath will make a detailed assessment. Like many knowledgeable practitioners of alternative medicine, your homeopath may spend an hour or more getting to know all about you, since holistic healing takes the whole person into account.

A "Healing Crisis" Means the Homeopathic Treatment Is Working

Homeopathic treatment works by stimulating your body's innate healing wisdom. This means that you may experience a "healing crisis" as you begin to grow healthier. Homeopathy works from the inside out, from superficial to deeper symptoms, and in the reverse order in which your symptoms appeared. So, for example, you may re-experience a cough or a rash that you thought gone, as your body "clears" this imbalance from your energy field.

It's important to recognize that these changes signify the remedy is working, and are no cause for alarm. If you are at all concerned, contact your homeopath to discuss what's happening, both for reassurance as well as to see whether any change in either the dosage or the homeopathic treatment is indicated. Most likely, the symptoms will pass quickly and you will experience an increased sense of well being.

Adhere to the "20 Minute Rule" For Homeopathic Effectiveness

Homeopathic treatment is usually administered as tiny white pills or a clear liquid, to be taken under the tongue. In order for your remedy to be effective, it's vital that you don't put anything else in your mouth for twenty minutes before and after taking the treatment. Your homeopath will probably also advise you to abstain from coffee, peppermint and anything containing eucalyptus or menthol (such as breath mints), since these can interfere with the homeopathic treatment's effectiveness.