TOP QUESTIONS
Holistic Care Questions
WHAT IS HOMEOPATHY?
Homeopathy is a form of holistic medicine which has been used for over 200 years worldwide to treat both acute and chronic medical conditions. It is the second largest system of medicine in the world.
It works by stimulating your immune system and can also be taken along other medication to slowly return optimum health.
It is based on the principle of ‘like cures like’. In other words, a substance taken in small amounts will cure the same symptoms it causes if taken in large amounts. For example, drinking too much coffee can cause sleeplessness. In some patients the homeopathic remedy Coffea may be used to treat insomnia.
Homeopaths do not treat physical, emotional and mental symptoms separately but take the view that they are all interconnected as facets of the patient’s suffering. This is what makes homeopathy a holistic treatment.
Homeopathic medicines are safe to use as they rarely cause side-effects. This means when used appropriately under the guidance of a qualified homeopath they can be taken by people of all ages.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SEE A HOMEOPATH?
At the first consultation your homeopath will usually ask detailed questions about your current health, medical history, and lifestyle. A homeopath will be interested in you as an individual and the unique way in which your symptoms affect you, so that he/she can match your symptoms with the most similar remedy.
Subsequent consultations will involve checking how you have responded to the prescription and what the next steps of your treatment will be.
DO I GET A PRESCRIPTION OR MEDICINE ?
At the end of the consultation your homeopath will give you a prescription and advise you how often to take the medicine. Homeopathy is usually taken in tablet or pillule, but is also available in liquid and powder form.
DOES HOMEOPATHY INTERFERE WITH CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE?
Homeopathy doesn’t interfere with conventional medicine and should be seen as acomplementary treatment, not as an alternative. In fact, homeopathic and conventional treatments can work very well alongside each other. This approach also gives patients more treatment choices.
RESEARCH & EVIDENCE ?
Homeopathy is more than 200 years old, used by tens of thousands of physicians and over 500 million people worldwide, making it one of the most popular forms of integrated medicine.
Homeopathy is often used ‘to treat the patient, not the disease’ strengthening host defences and resilience rather than killing microbes or blocking pathophysiological processes.
There is a growing body of clinical evidence to show that homeopathy has a positive effect on health. There are a total of 163 peer-reviewed randomised controlled trials (RCT) in homeopathy: 67 had positive findings; 85 were non-conclusive; only 11 were negative. These trials represent research in 69 separate medical complaints.
To see a full list of those conditions where there is published positive evidence for homeopathy visit the website of the British Homeopathic Association, a charity that promotes patient access to homeopathy.