Homeopathic Medicine is a fairly recent addition to the healing repertoire – just over 200 years old.
Its medicines have seemingly slow, but definitely lasting effects. This “alternative” is not usually trusted to meet emergency situations (although I’d be hard put to leave the house without my Arnica); if you break your leg, have it set, then use homeopathic treatment to speed up the healing.
Hahnemann claimed that quinine, a medicine widely used for successful treatment of malaria, produced symptoms of malaria in a healthy person (Malaria patients were treated with a medicine which created the same symptoms, in a healthy person, as the symptoms created by the disease).
The observations with quinine and other medicines led Hahnemann to his “Law of Similars.”
Four years later Hahnemann advanced his doctrine of “potentization of dynamization” which stated that medicines in small doses effectively exerted their curative power.
The homeopathic system of treatment is based on these two principles – Law of Similars and Potentization.
Potentization is a process where a substance is diluted in precise steps and subjected to a vigorous shaking action (succussion). This process brings about an energetic change that gives medicines a deeper curative effect.
Repeated dilution using the specific procedures guarantees that the medicine can have no toxic effect. This allows homeopathic use of many substances – animal, vegetable, and mineral – which would be unsafe under normal conditions.
New medicines and treatments are constantly being evolved and documented. Such research studies are called “provings”. As a result of these research studies, homeopathy is used in a wide variety of health conditions, and has thrived on the basis of its results.
I find homeopathic treatments to be some of the most successful in situations of chronic disease.
Any physical or emotional disorder produces certain symptoms in the body. and in many cases, different ailments produce similar symptoms.
On the other hand, three people with a headache most probably have different associated symptoms, so as with Chinese Medicine, would receive different treatment, according to their physical and personality type, their habits, and many other factors (constitution).
Traditionally, homeopathic medicines are prescribed to eliminate the cause of disease or discomfort; to cure the disorders, not just the remove symptoms.
Homeopathic medicines do not work strictly by chemical action.
At higher potency the medicine is diluted so much that concentration of original medicine reduces to insignificant level.
Yet the medicines not only work, they can be more powerful at higher potency (dilution). It seems counter-intuitive, but the potentization process brings an energetic change in the medicine.
It’s not yet understood how, but in some way, the homeopathic medicine stimulates your body’s defense mechanism to fight the cause of the disorder.
This approach produces a more stable cure as compared to treatment with drugs. Direct chemical action of the drugs often produces harmful side effects. Because of their extreme dilution, homeopathic medicines have no or little side effects. They are safe and non-toxic.
Strict homeopaths may use very high potencies under certain conditions. I have seen these high potency doses do some amazing things very quickly.
Hanna Kroeger believed (from studying Rudolph Steiner) that using high potencies might cause a homeopathic miasm under some circumstances, and the only way we know to treat miasma is with homeopathy. So Hanna stuck to low dose (6x) remedies in her recommendations.
If you are self-medicating, it might be wise to do the same, yourself. Please consult with a certified homeopath if you’re interested in very high potencies.
Two centuries of existence has firmly established homeopathy. It is accepted form of treatment in many parts of the world.
In fact, most of the doctors in the United States were Homeopathic Physicians up until the discovery of “germs.” Then Medicine went a different direction. The theories of homeopathy are inconsistent with known laws of biology and physics; therefore modern critics often dismiss it as pseudoscience and quackery.
The actions of homeopathy fit in quite nicely with the theories of Quantum Physics, however. As we come to understand more in this realm, I believe we’ll understand more about how homeopathy works, too.
Bach Flower Remedies
Dr. Edward Bach, a British surgeon and homeopathic physician, created these emotional homeopathic flower essences using a unique process.
Information you can use to