How Homeopathic Remedies Work

Homeopathy relies on minute amounts of herbs, minerals and other substances to stimulate a person’s natural defenses and help the body heal itself. It can often heal illnesses with just a single dose of medicine and has little to no side effects. Homeopathy looks at the individual not just the disease. Classical homeopathy is a holistic medicine, meaning it treats the whole person not just the symptoms. Allopathic (modern, conventional medicine) often treats just the symptoms one at a time. General painkillers are given regardless of the type of pain while the homeopathic index of symptoms describes over 5000 types of headaches, which does not even touch on all the other types and forms of aches and pains.

Homeopathy stimulates the body to recover itself. All symptoms represent the body’s attempt to restore its health. Homeopathy also realizes that every person may experience different symptoms for the same illness, like not everyone who gets a cold will have the same exact symptoms. Homeopathy sees a healthy person as someone who is free on all levels: physical, emotional, and mental. Not someone who is just free of symptoms. Homeopathy aims to restore perfect health, to cure the illness not just stop the symptoms.

Today more than 1200 substances are recognized as homeopathic remedies. In the United States, homeopathic medicines are drug products made by homeopathic pharmacies in accordance to processes described in the “Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States” and are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration unlike most herbs and herbal remedies that you will find in a store. Many homeopathic remedies can be purchased in health food stores, drug stores, in catalogs and online. Be careful purchasing products online, some stores are not in the US or may sell products not made in the US and may not be subject to US FDA rules and regulations.

Some substances used in homeopathic remedies, if used alone and undiluted are very poisonous such as arsenic, mercury and belladonna. Yet the substances are so diluted for homeopathic remedies that they are safe to take, as long as they are made by a trained homeopathic doctor or pharmacist. Do not ever try making your own homeopathic remedies at home.

A highly trained homeopath will take 1 drop of medicine and mix it and dilute it and mix it again and keep that up until it is highly diluted. Between each dilution it is mixed up. The shaking process is known as succussion. This process often continues for 1000 or more dilutions. By the time it is done there is only the smallest minute amount of the original substance which makes it extremely safe to consume for most people when used properly. The homeopathic remedies used must be for illness they are labeled for.

Remedies labeled X have been diluted 1 to 10 while remedies labeled C have been diluted 1 to 100 and are more potent. For example a 3C remedy has been diluted three times the ratio of 1 to 100 and is equivalent to one million drops of a solution of water and alcohol to just one drop of the original homeopathic remedy. Let a licensed homeopath decide which remedy may be right for you.

Many studies show homeopathy to be effective but some are still baffled as to how it really works. Many homeopaths believe the answer is in the dilutions and the shakings. They believe the shakings energize the solution with an electromagnetic impression of the original substance and that the impression remains long after the original substance has been diluted. It may be the electromagnetic energy pattern that jolts the body’s defenses into action against a specific ailment. Researchers at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia examined 23 homeopathic remedies and found that the remedies had active subatomic particles, a sign that the remedies had been energized and left an electromagnetic impression. Placebos were also tested and found to have no sub-atomic particles.

A homeopathic remedy is prescribed based on the combination of all your symptoms and should be done by a trained homeopath. A homeopathic consultation will often take an hour or more because they will interview you over a wide variety of topics to get a clear and entire picture of your condition. Homeopathic medicines are not something you should prescribe for yourself or ever try to make yourself. They are not quick and easy home remedies. Use caution before deciding if homeopathic medicines are right for you.