Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) - The founder of Homeopathy.
What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a system of medicine which involves treating the individual with highly diluted substances, given mainly in tablet form, with the aim of triggering the body’s natural system of healing. Based on their individual symptoms, a homeopath will match the most appropriate medicine to each patient. This medical system was developed by a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, in 1796 and has been used world-wide ever since.
The idea of treating ‘like with like’
Homeopathy is based on the principle that you can treat ‘like with like’ i.e. a substance which causes symptoms when taken in large doses, can be used in small amounts to treat those same symptoms. For example, drinking too much coffee can cause sleeplessness, agitation and even palpitations, but when made into the homeopathic remedy Coffea it can be used to treat all these problems. You may already have come across this concept in conventional medicine e.g. the stimulant Ritalin being used to treat ADHD, or small doses of allergens such as pollen being used to de-sensitise allergic patients. However one major difference in homeopathy is that substances are used in such tiny doses that they are completely non-toxic.
Finding your individual medicine
The example of Coffea given above is a simplified one to illustrate the concept of ‘like treating like’; when you see a homeopath it’s their job to get a thorough understanding of your health and the exact symptoms you are experiencing so that they can find a homeopathic remedy which matches you and your symptoms as precisely as possible. During this confidential, in-depth ‘case-taking’ process a homeopath will consider all aspects of your health including your past medical history, diet, lifestyle and personality type, as well as current health problems.
The holistic approach
Homeopathic medicine treats the person as a whole, rather than treating specific diseases. This ‘holistic’ approach is one of the main differences between homeopathy and conventional medicine. For example, if you are suffering from
anxiety, arthritis and a skin condition the conventional route might involve three entirely separate courses of treatment from three different specialists; by contrast a homeopath would consider all of these mental-emotional and physical symptoms to be linked and therefore treat them as a whole.
Is homeopathy safe?
Homeopathic treatment has an excellent safety record1 and because homeopathic medicines are non-toxic they can be used for babies, children and during pregnancy.
What will treatment involve?
The initial homeopathic consultation usually lasts for at least two hours, whilst follow up appointments are generally shorter and last usually an hour or less. Your homeopathic prescription will come in tablet or liquid form. As homeopathic remedies are taken differently from conventional medicines, do make sure that you understand the instructions given to you before you take your remedy.
How long does treatment take?
This depends very much on what sort of illness you have, as well as the other individual characteristics of your case. If you have a long-standing chronic condition, a course of treatment will be needed. As a guideline you can typically expect to see your homeopath once a month for three months to begin with. If further treatment is needed beyond this stage you may find that follow-ups are scheduled at progressively longer intervals as your health improves.
What else does my homeopath need to know?
Please tell your homeopath about any medicine that has been prescribed by your doctor and any recent dental treatment. Please also mention any other complementary or alternative treatments you are having, and anything else that you are taking regularly (such as herbs or supplements) as these may affect your homeopathic treatment.
What are homeopathic medicines made from?
Homeopathic medicines – often referred to as ‘remedies’ – are made from plant, chemical, mineral or animal sources. The original material is diluted, then shaken vigorously (succussed). The number of times this is repeated determines the strength or ‘potency’ of the remedy e.g. a ‘6c’ remedy will have been diluted 1 part in 100 then succussed, six times.
How can such dilute medicines work?
The fact that homeopathic medicines are so highly diluted has led some sceptics to say that homeopathic medicines are ‘nothing but water’. However research suggests that vigorous shaking during the manufacturing process may imprint information from the original substance into the water it is dissolved in,2 which would explain how preparations can still be active at very high dilutions. Such theories are still being explored, so we don’t yet understand exactly how homeopathic medicines work, but experiments have already shown that ’ultrahigh dilutions’ like homeopathic medicines have effects. For example, the hormone thyroxine, when prepared as a homeopathic ‘30c’ remedy, was shown to slow down the process of metamorphosis of tadpoles into frogs.3 This experiment was replicated by five separate laboratories in Austria.
Is homeopathy effective?
A service evaluation at the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital recorded the outcome of homeopathic treatment in over 6,500 consecutive patients during a 6 year period, and found that 70% of patients reported an improvement in their health.4 In Germany a health insurance company commissioned a study to help them determine whether they should continue to cover homeopathic treatment.5 This study found that homeopathic treatment was more effective than conventional treatment for some chronic conditions commonly seen in general practice, including headache, low back pain, depression, insomnia and sinusitis in adults, and atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma in children.
What scientific evidence is there that homeopathy works?
It is often said that there is ‘no scientific evidence’ that homeopathy works. This is not the case. More research is needed, but there are already high-quality randomised clinical trials demonstrating that homeopathy is clinically effective beyond placebo e.g. in the treatment of hay fever6 and childhood diarrhoea.7 For more information about homeopathy research please visit The Society of Homeopaths website at www.homeopathy-soh.org (Research)
What about seeing my doctor?
It is recommended that you maintain your relationship with your GP or specialist. When necessary homeopathic and conventional approaches can be used alongside one another to give the most effective and appropriate medical care. Your local NHS services will also be able to arrange any diagnostic procedures you may need and provide emergency cover. Some people choose homeopathy because they are unhappy with side effects from their current conventional medication, and in many cases homeopathic treatment can gradually reduce or remove the need for conventional drugs.8 However you should continue with any conventional medical treatment that may have already been prescribed as it may be dangerous to stop this suddenly. Any change in use of conventional medication should be discussed with both the prescribing doctor and your homeopath as treatment progresses. If at any stage of your treatment you are concerned about changes in your symptoms, you should contact your homeopath and/or medical practitioner immediately.
* References – The Society of Homeopaths (Homeopathy simply explained)
1 Endrizzi C et al. Harm in homeopathy: aggravations, adverse drug events or medication errors? Homeopathy. 2005; 94(4):233-40
2 Montagnier L et al. Electromagnetic signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial DNA sequences. Interdiscip Sci Comput Life Sci, 2009; 1: 81-90
3 Endler PC, Heckmann C, Lauppert E, et al. The metamorphosis of amphibians and information of thyroxine. In: Schulte J, Endler PC (eds). Fundamental Research in Ultra High Dilution and Homoeopathy. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998
4 Spence D, Thompson E and Barron S. Homeopathic treatment for chronic disease: A 6-Year, university-hospital outpatient observational study. J Altern Complement Med 2005; 5: 793-8.
5 Witt C, Keil T, Selim D, et al. Outcome and costs of homeopathic and conventional treatment strategies: a comparative cohort study in patients with chronic disorders. Complement Ther Med, 2005; 13: 79-86
6 Taylor MA, Reilly D, Llewellyn-Jones RH, et al. Randomised controlled trials of homoeopathy versus placebo in perennial allergic rhinitis with overview of four trial series. Br Med J 2000; 321: 471–6
7 Jacobs J, Jonas WB, Jimenez-Perez M, Crothers D. Homeopathy for childhood diarrhea: combined results and metaanalysis from three randomized, controlled clinical trials. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2003; 22: 229–34
8 Christie EA, Ward AT. Report on NHS practice-based homoeopathy project. Analysis of effectiveness and cost of homoeopathic treatment within a GP practice at St. Margaret’s Surgery, Bradford on Avon, Wilts. The Society of Homeopaths, September 1996.
Homeopathy is a system of medicine which involves treating the individual with highly diluted substances, given mainly in tablet form, with the aim of triggering the body’s natural system of healing. Based on their individual symptoms, a homeopath will match the most appropriate medicine to each patient. This medical system was developed by a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, in 1796 and has been used world-wide ever since.
The idea of treating ‘like with like’
Homeopathy is based on the principle that you can treat ‘like with like’ i.e. a substance which causes symptoms when taken in large doses, can be used in small amounts to treat those same symptoms. For example, drinking too much coffee can cause sleeplessness, agitation and even palpitations, but when made into the homeopathic remedy Coffea it can be used to treat all these problems. You may already have come across this concept in conventional medicine e.g. the stimulant Ritalin being used to treat ADHD, or small doses of allergens such as pollen being used to de-sensitise allergic patients. However one major difference in homeopathy is that substances are used in such tiny doses that they are completely non-toxic.
Finding your individual medicine
The example of Coffea given above is a simplified one to illustrate the concept of ‘like treating like’; when you see a homeopath it’s their job to get a thorough understanding of your health and the exact symptoms you are experiencing so that they can find a homeopathic remedy which matches you and your symptoms as precisely as possible. During this confidential, in-depth ‘case-taking’ process a homeopath will consider all aspects of your health including your past medical history, diet, lifestyle and personality type, as well as current health problems.
The holistic approach
Homeopathic medicine treats the person as a whole, rather than treating specific diseases. This ‘holistic’ approach is one of the main differences between homeopathy and conventional medicine. For example, if you are suffering from
anxiety, arthritis and a skin condition the conventional route might involve three entirely separate courses of treatment from three different specialists; by contrast a homeopath would consider all of these mental-emotional and physical symptoms to be linked and therefore treat them as a whole.
Is homeopathy safe?
Homeopathic treatment has an excellent safety record1 and because homeopathic medicines are non-toxic they can be used for babies, children and during pregnancy.
What will treatment involve?
The initial homeopathic consultation usually lasts for at least two hours, whilst follow up appointments are generally shorter and last usually an hour or less. Your homeopathic prescription will come in tablet or liquid form. As homeopathic remedies are taken differently from conventional medicines, do make sure that you understand the instructions given to you before you take your remedy.
How long does treatment take?
This depends very much on what sort of illness you have, as well as the other individual characteristics of your case. If you have a long-standing chronic condition, a course of treatment will be needed. As a guideline you can typically expect to see your homeopath once a month for three months to begin with. If further treatment is needed beyond this stage you may find that follow-ups are scheduled at progressively longer intervals as your health improves.
What else does my homeopath need to know?
Please tell your homeopath about any medicine that has been prescribed by your doctor and any recent dental treatment. Please also mention any other complementary or alternative treatments you are having, and anything else that you are taking regularly (such as herbs or supplements) as these may affect your homeopathic treatment.
What are homeopathic medicines made from?
Homeopathic medicines – often referred to as ‘remedies’ – are made from plant, chemical, mineral or animal sources. The original material is diluted, then shaken vigorously (succussed). The number of times this is repeated determines the strength or ‘potency’ of the remedy e.g. a ‘6c’ remedy will have been diluted 1 part in 100 then succussed, six times.
How can such dilute medicines work?
The fact that homeopathic medicines are so highly diluted has led some sceptics to say that homeopathic medicines are ‘nothing but water’. However research suggests that vigorous shaking during the manufacturing process may imprint information from the original substance into the water it is dissolved in,2 which would explain how preparations can still be active at very high dilutions. Such theories are still being explored, so we don’t yet understand exactly how homeopathic medicines work, but experiments have already shown that ’ultrahigh dilutions’ like homeopathic medicines have effects. For example, the hormone thyroxine, when prepared as a homeopathic ‘30c’ remedy, was shown to slow down the process of metamorphosis of tadpoles into frogs.3 This experiment was replicated by five separate laboratories in Austria.
Is homeopathy effective?
A service evaluation at the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital recorded the outcome of homeopathic treatment in over 6,500 consecutive patients during a 6 year period, and found that 70% of patients reported an improvement in their health.4 In Germany a health insurance company commissioned a study to help them determine whether they should continue to cover homeopathic treatment.5 This study found that homeopathic treatment was more effective than conventional treatment for some chronic conditions commonly seen in general practice, including headache, low back pain, depression, insomnia and sinusitis in adults, and atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma in children.
What scientific evidence is there that homeopathy works?
It is often said that there is ‘no scientific evidence’ that homeopathy works. This is not the case. More research is needed, but there are already high-quality randomised clinical trials demonstrating that homeopathy is clinically effective beyond placebo e.g. in the treatment of hay fever6 and childhood diarrhoea.7 For more information about homeopathy research please visit The Society of Homeopaths website at www.homeopathy-soh.org (Research)
What about seeing my doctor?
It is recommended that you maintain your relationship with your GP or specialist. When necessary homeopathic and conventional approaches can be used alongside one another to give the most effective and appropriate medical care. Your local NHS services will also be able to arrange any diagnostic procedures you may need and provide emergency cover. Some people choose homeopathy because they are unhappy with side effects from their current conventional medication, and in many cases homeopathic treatment can gradually reduce or remove the need for conventional drugs.8 However you should continue with any conventional medical treatment that may have already been prescribed as it may be dangerous to stop this suddenly. Any change in use of conventional medication should be discussed with both the prescribing doctor and your homeopath as treatment progresses. If at any stage of your treatment you are concerned about changes in your symptoms, you should contact your homeopath and/or medical practitioner immediately.
* References – The Society of Homeopaths (Homeopathy simply explained)
1 Endrizzi C et al. Harm in homeopathy: aggravations, adverse drug events or medication errors? Homeopathy. 2005; 94(4):233-40
2 Montagnier L et al. Electromagnetic signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial DNA sequences. Interdiscip Sci Comput Life Sci, 2009; 1: 81-90
3 Endler PC, Heckmann C, Lauppert E, et al. The metamorphosis of amphibians and information of thyroxine. In: Schulte J, Endler PC (eds). Fundamental Research in Ultra High Dilution and Homoeopathy. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998
4 Spence D, Thompson E and Barron S. Homeopathic treatment for chronic disease: A 6-Year, university-hospital outpatient observational study. J Altern Complement Med 2005; 5: 793-8.
5 Witt C, Keil T, Selim D, et al. Outcome and costs of homeopathic and conventional treatment strategies: a comparative cohort study in patients with chronic disorders. Complement Ther Med, 2005; 13: 79-86
6 Taylor MA, Reilly D, Llewellyn-Jones RH, et al. Randomised controlled trials of homoeopathy versus placebo in perennial allergic rhinitis with overview of four trial series. Br Med J 2000; 321: 471–6
7 Jacobs J, Jonas WB, Jimenez-Perez M, Crothers D. Homeopathy for childhood diarrhea: combined results and metaanalysis from three randomized, controlled clinical trials. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2003; 22: 229–34
8 Christie EA, Ward AT. Report on NHS practice-based homoeopathy project. Analysis of effectiveness and cost of homoeopathic treatment within a GP practice at St. Margaret’s Surgery, Bradford on Avon, Wilts. The Society of Homeopaths, September 1996.
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