How to Describe Homeopathy

Homeopathy is an alternative medical system that originated in Germany and has been practiced in the U.S. since the early 19th century.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. The key idea in homeopathy is that everybody has an energy that triggers a self-healing response. Health problems occur when this energy becomes disrupted. Homeopathy works to restore this balance.

2. Homeopathy emphasizes that “like cures like.” Treatment involves giving very small doses of substances that produce similar symptoms of illness when given to people in larger doses. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, various explanations have been proposed for how homeopathy works, however, none of these explanations has been scientifically verified.

3. Treatment is individualized and a homeopath selects remedies that are tailored to the whole picture of the person, taking into account not only symptoms, but other mental, emotional and physical lifestyle factors.

4. Homeopathic remedies are made from natural substances that come from plants, minerals and animals. Remedies are made by diluting the substance. Homeopathy asserts that this process can maintain a substance's healing properties regardless of how many times it has been diluted, according to NCCAM. Some remedies are so diluted that not even one molecule of the substance remains.

5. Remedies are FDA regulated in the same manner as over-the-counter medications, and therefore are available without a prescription. Remedies are required to meet certain legal standards for strength, quality, purity and packaging, and they also list the indications for its use, the ingredients, amount diluted and instructions on the label.

6. Few side effects occur with homeopathic remedies. Highly diluted remedies taken under the supervision of trained professionals are considered safe and unlikely to cause severe adverse reactions, according to NCCAM.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep out of reach of children
• Consult a doctor if symptoms permit longer than 5 days
• A pregnant or nursing woman should consult a health care provider before using homeopathy.

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on 7/13/2009 Homeopathy was created in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann.

It involves the mystical belief that water has a selective memory and can 'remember' particular substances that have been added to it before it is diluted and shaken many many times.

No scientific studies have been produced showing Homeopathy to be any better than placebo.

The James Randi foundation has offered a multi-million dollar reward to anyone who can demonstrate homeopathy to be effective.

You don't need qualifications to administer homeopathy because all you are doing is giving someone a small amount of ordinary water.

[DrNancyMalik]

on 8/1/2008 Homeopathy is a system of medicine that treats diseased individuals on the basis of using medicinal substances capable of producing similar changes in the health of a person as that of the diseased person. The term Homoeopathy is derived from the Greek words - homoios, meaning similar, and pathos, mean suffering. Homoeopathy is based on the principle - like cures like. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, himself an allopathic doctor (M.D.). Homeopathy was established it in the late 18th and early 19th century by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. He realised his own school of medicine (allopathy) wasnt helping the patients and spent years researching on homeopathy.