It is initially startling but ultimately logical to learn that homeopaths use stinging nettle (Urtica urens) to treat people with first or second degree burns. Of course, a homeopath would not recommend actually touching a stinging nettle plant to the burned area. Instead, a homeopath would give a specially prepared, non-toxic dose of stinging nettle. Since stinging nettle causes a burn when exposed to it in toxic dose, it also helps heal burns when taken in small non-toxic dose.
The basic principle of homeopathic medicine is that a small dose of a substance will help cure that which it causes in overdose. Although this principle may be a bit confusing at first, it actually makes a lot of sense. Modern day physiology and biology are confirming a basic premise of homeopathy which recognizes that symptoms are efforts of the organism to adapt to stress or infection. Symptoms are therefore understood as the way the "bodymind" is trying, although not always successfully, to re-establish homeostasis or balance. Since symptoms are the best efforts of the organism to attempt to heal itself, it is best to avoid treating or suppressing specific symptoms, and it is preferred to aid and stimulate the body's defense and immune processes.
The homeopathic medicines are able to stimulate the defensesystem, since they, like conventional immunizations and allergy treatments, give small doses of what causes a condition in order to stimulate the immune system. Homeopathic medicines, however, are distinctively different from immunizations and allergy treatment, since the homeopathic medicines are more individually prescribed to people, given in much smaller and less toxic doses, and used for both prevention and treatment of a person.
Homeopathic medicine developed much of its popularity in the United States and Europe because of its success in treating people with cholera, scarlet fever, yellow fever and other infectious diseases that were ravaging populations. More recently homeopathic medicine has developed a reputation of successfully treating people with various chronic complaints. What many people do not know about homeopathy is that it also provides many valuable medicines in treating people who suffer from accidents and injuries. When these medicines are used in conjunction with conventional first aid procedures, the risk of long-term damage from an injury can be significantly decreased and the healing process can be noticeably enhanced.
One must study homeopathic medicine for many years in order to learn how to prescribe the correct medicine for people with chronic conditions. One can, however, learn to use the medicines for first aid very easily. Whereas treatment of a person's acute or chronic disease requires strict individualization of the person's total physical and psychological state, treatment for accidents and injuries does not require such individualized presciption. The reason for this difference is that people with acute or chronic diseases have distinct or subtlely different symptoms and causes of their condition, and thus need a different medicine to begin their curative process. People with injuries tend to experience very similar symptoms and usually need a similar metabolic stimulus to heal their complaint. Basically, when different people cut themselves, get burned, break a leg or injure themselves in some other way, they all tend to need a similar stimulus to heal their injury.
Homeopathic medicines for first aid and sports injuries are very easy to prescribe and are usually very effective in reducing pain of the injury and speeding the healing process. It is thus no wonder that many superstar athletes have heard about homeopathy and have begun to benefit from its use. Football superstar O.J. Simpson, tennis player Boris Becker, New York Knicks coach Pat Riley, ex-Yankee pitcher Jim Bouton, and pro golfer Sally Little are but some of the athletes who spell relief with H-O-M-E-O-P-A-T-H-Y.
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
How Much Does Professional Homeopathic Care Cost?
The cost of homeopathic care varies considerably from one homeopath to another. Generally, medical doctors who practice homeopathy charge more than non-M.D.s, and the longer the practitioner has been practicing, the higher the fees tend to be.
The first visit to a homeopath usually lasts from 60 to 90 minutes. When seeking the care of an M.D. homeopath, you will find the fees for this visit comparable with other physician specialists, ranging from $100.00 to $300.00. Other homeopaths charge from $50.00 to $250.00. Follow-up visits last between 15 and 45 minutes. M.D.s charge from $50.00 to $100.00, while nonM.D.s charge from $30.00 to $80.00.
While fees for homeopathic care by homeopathic M.D.s tend to be similar to conventional physicians', the amount of time that homeopaths spend with their patients tends to be significantly longer. Homeopathic physicians earn good incomes, though generally not as high as the average medical doctor.
The actual cost of the medicine itself is negligible. If only one medicine is prescribed (as is most common), it costs between $4.00 and $10.00. Some homeopaths provide whatever they prescribe without charge.
The costs of homeopathic care, like the costs of all medical care, are high, but the costs of illness, especially chronic illness, are even higher. Some people may be tempted to treat themselves and avoid professional homeopaths, but such decisions can be more costly in the longrun because it is highly unlikely that this care will be effective.
When one considers that homeopaths typically discourage frequent visits unless they are medically necessary, and that the time between visits ranges from one to six months, the yearly cost of homeopathic care is considerably less than conventional medical care as well as most types of alternative medicine. This does not even take into account the further cost savings that accrue from the ability of homeopathic medicines to strengthen one's immune system and prevent future costly diseases.
While medically trained homeopaths will recommend laboratory analysis when indicated, they rarely need to run such tests to determine the appropriate homeopathic medicine. Because of this, they tend to perform laboratory tests significantly less frequently than do conventional physicians,1 further reducing costs. The absence of side effects from homeopathic medicines also reduce the cost of care, since side effects usually lead to the need for more medical treatment.
The French government compared all the costs associated with treatment from a homeopathic physician with that of a conventional physician and discovered that homeopathic care costs one half as much.2 Considering the growing concern about the cost of health care, let alone the concerns about the efficacy of therapies, homeopathic medicine again seems to provide significant advantages.
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
The first visit to a homeopath usually lasts from 60 to 90 minutes. When seeking the care of an M.D. homeopath, you will find the fees for this visit comparable with other physician specialists, ranging from $100.00 to $300.00. Other homeopaths charge from $50.00 to $250.00. Follow-up visits last between 15 and 45 minutes. M.D.s charge from $50.00 to $100.00, while nonM.D.s charge from $30.00 to $80.00.
While fees for homeopathic care by homeopathic M.D.s tend to be similar to conventional physicians', the amount of time that homeopaths spend with their patients tends to be significantly longer. Homeopathic physicians earn good incomes, though generally not as high as the average medical doctor.
The actual cost of the medicine itself is negligible. If only one medicine is prescribed (as is most common), it costs between $4.00 and $10.00. Some homeopaths provide whatever they prescribe without charge.
The costs of homeopathic care, like the costs of all medical care, are high, but the costs of illness, especially chronic illness, are even higher. Some people may be tempted to treat themselves and avoid professional homeopaths, but such decisions can be more costly in the longrun because it is highly unlikely that this care will be effective.
When one considers that homeopaths typically discourage frequent visits unless they are medically necessary, and that the time between visits ranges from one to six months, the yearly cost of homeopathic care is considerably less than conventional medical care as well as most types of alternative medicine. This does not even take into account the further cost savings that accrue from the ability of homeopathic medicines to strengthen one's immune system and prevent future costly diseases.
While medically trained homeopaths will recommend laboratory analysis when indicated, they rarely need to run such tests to determine the appropriate homeopathic medicine. Because of this, they tend to perform laboratory tests significantly less frequently than do conventional physicians,1 further reducing costs. The absence of side effects from homeopathic medicines also reduce the cost of care, since side effects usually lead to the need for more medical treatment.
The French government compared all the costs associated with treatment from a homeopathic physician with that of a conventional physician and discovered that homeopathic care costs one half as much.2 Considering the growing concern about the cost of health care, let alone the concerns about the efficacy of therapies, homeopathic medicine again seems to provide significant advantages.
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
How Do I Know If a Homeopath Is Good?
This may be a more difficult question than at first it seems. While it may be easy to compare mechanics, it is not so easy to compare homeopaths or other types of healers. Still, there are various specialty board certifications available, some of which are open only to those who have certain professional degrees. One can generally assume that practitioners who have received one of the following certifications are qualified homeopaths.
Medical doctors (M.D.s) and osteopathic physicians can obtain a doctorate in homeotherapeutics (DHt) from the American Board of Homeotherapeutics.
Naturopathic physicians (N.D.s) can obtain doctoral certification (DHANP) in homeopathy through the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians.
The Council of Homeopathic Certification was formed to provide certification to any individual, otherwise licensed or not. This test for certification is considered one of the most challenging given by any certifying agency. The certification (CCH, Certificate in Classical Homeopathy) does not guarantee the legal right to practice homeopathy, though it does convey to the public that the holder is knowledgeable in homeopathy.
There are other certifying organizations in the U.S., though as yet they have not established the same high standards as those listed above.
Because certification is not presently required to engage in homeopathic practice, many homeopaths have not sought to be certified. There are, however, some general guidelines which can help a consumer determine if a homeopath is good. You are more likely to know that the practitioner is a good homeopath if he or she:
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
Medical doctors (M.D.s) and osteopathic physicians can obtain a doctorate in homeotherapeutics (DHt) from the American Board of Homeotherapeutics.
Naturopathic physicians (N.D.s) can obtain doctoral certification (DHANP) in homeopathy through the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians.
The Council of Homeopathic Certification was formed to provide certification to any individual, otherwise licensed or not. This test for certification is considered one of the most challenging given by any certifying agency. The certification (CCH, Certificate in Classical Homeopathy) does not guarantee the legal right to practice homeopathy, though it does convey to the public that the holder is knowledgeable in homeopathy.
There are other certifying organizations in the U.S., though as yet they have not established the same high standards as those listed above.
Because certification is not presently required to engage in homeopathic practice, many homeopaths have not sought to be certified. There are, however, some general guidelines which can help a consumer determine if a homeopath is good. You are more likely to know that the practitioner is a good homeopath if he or she:
- specializes in homeopathy as the primary therapy;
- prescribes constitutional medicines, not just remedies for acute or recurrent symptoms
- asks you to describe each symptom that you have in exquisite detail;
- conducts a first interview at least one hour in length;
- devotes a significant part of the interview process to a detailed series of questions about your psychological state;
- uses a computer to help find the correct medicine;
- uses a book called a repertory in your presence (this may not be necessary if he or she has a computer).
It is important first to recognize that these guidelines are based on the premise that "classical homeopathy"--that is, the prescription of only a single medicine at a time--is the preferred method of prescribing homeopathic medicines. Although there are different ways to practice homeopathy that are also effective (for more details, see "What are the Different Ways that Homeopathy is Practiced?" Sorry, not on online--see book), classical homeopathy is generally the preference of the greatest number of homeopaths throughout the world.
Because homeopathy is a deep system of medicine that requires many years of study and practice, a practitioner tends to be better at it when he or she specializes in this system. If a practitioner uses homeopathy, acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, and massage, it may suggest that he has not focused his learning on homeopathy. Please note that there are exceptions to this rule because some practitioners may have seriously studied other disciplines prior to, during, or after their involvement in homeopathy, but unless these practitioners have been serious students of the healing arts for at least ten to twenty years, it is unlikely that they could have effectively mastered these various disciplines at the same time.
The best practitioners question you about each symptom in exquisite and sometimes infuriating detail. The first interview is at least one hour long, and many good practitioners will not prescribe a medicine at the end of this first interview because they still need more information about you and your symptoms.
A significant part of this first and most of the subsequent interviews should be devoted to detailed questions about your psychological state. This is essential because a person's psychological symptoms play an important, sometimes vital role in selecting the correct remedy, even when the ailment seems purely physical.
Another sign that the practitioner is good is if he or she uses a computer to help find the correct medicine. The most informed practitioners know that they cannot have information about every symptom and every medicine in their head. Computers now provide access to the incredibly large store of information accumulated on homeopathic medicines and help practitioners be more accurate in their prescribing.
Despite the value of using computers in homeopathic practice, it is important to acknowledge that there are many older and more experienced homeopaths who don't use computers but are excellent homeopaths. One of the most important criteria for measuring a good homeopath is decades of experience. It is, however, important to find out if the practitioner's experience was primarily in homeopathy or if it was dispersed among many types of treatment.
If a practitioner does not have a computer, he or she will often need to review the homeopathic resource books called repertories. Do not consider the practitioner ill informed if this takes place; it is a good sign that special effort is being made to individualize a remedy specifically for the patient.
Another strategy for determining whether the practitioner is good before you see him is to go to his office and talk to people in the waiting room. This strategy is not always viable because some people in the waiting room may be new patients and without experience, and it may be a bit uncomfortable "hanging out" in the waiting room to talk to them.
One other factor worth considering is how you feel intuitively about the homeopath. Do you like him, feel comfortable talking to him, and confident in his knowledge and skills?
An important final note is that people sometimes have to travel long distances to see a good homeopath. Although such efforts may have their downside, the special health benefits that accrue from quality homeopathic care make these efforts worth the extra cost and aggravation of traveling.
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
How Do I Find a Homeopath?
The National Center for Homeopathy publishes a directory of homeopaths in the United States and Canada. It is available from them as well as from Homeopathic Educational Services of Berkeley (addresses for these organizations are in the Resources section, Part IV). In addition to listing homeopathic practitioners, it also lists several hundred homeopathic study groups. These groups of laypeople meet once or twice a month to learn homeopathy together. Homeopathic study groups are usually the best resource for learning about homeopathy and for getting recommendations for the best practitioners in the area.
This directory is by no means complete because every practitioner listed must be a member of the National Center for Homeopathy and must pay a small listing fee, and many good practitioners do not need or want additional publicity. For further recommendations of practitioners, consider checking out the following:
1) Health food stores. It is useful to go to local health food stores and ask people who work in the homeopathic section for recommendations. Some health food stores have personnel who are more knowledgeable than others, so you may have to check out a couple of stores.
2) Homeopathic pharmacies. Some pharmacies have begun to specialize in homeopathy. Such pharmacies are a great source for finding a homeopath.
3) Conventional pharmacies that sell homeopathic medicines. There are also a growing number of conventional pharmacies which sell a small number of homeopathic medicines. These pharmacies are usually relatively new to the field and may not know much about homeopathy. Still, it may be worth asking them.
4) Health and medical professionals. Health and medical professionals, especially those who utilize some natural therapies themselves, are sometimes aware of homeopaths in the area. Many conventional physicians still remain ill informed about homeopathy and homeopathic practitioners, though a select few have seen enough of their own patients improve under homeopathic care to refer patients to homeopaths.
5) Alternative newspapers and magazines. Newspapers and magazines that cover natural health and healing often have listings and advertisements for homeopaths.
6) The Yellow Pages. You may be able to find homeopaths by simply looking in your Yellow Pages. However, because many homeopaths do not know that they can obtain this separate listing, the number of homeopaths in the book is usually limited.
7) Check with the Internet. There are now various alternative medicine/holistic health forums with people discussing homeopathic and natural medicine. The Internet is great for asking for what you need and getting it.
8) Your friends. One of the tried-and-true ways to find a homeopath is to ask a friend. You'd be surprised how many people assume that their friends aren't into "this homeopathic stuff," but once the question is broached, you may discover that they and their family have been using these medicines for a long time and may be aware of a good homeopath in the area.
9) Get a free list from Homeopathic Educational Services (HES): HES gives a free list of homeopaths in your state in the U.S. with any book order .
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
This directory is by no means complete because every practitioner listed must be a member of the National Center for Homeopathy and must pay a small listing fee, and many good practitioners do not need or want additional publicity. For further recommendations of practitioners, consider checking out the following:
1) Health food stores. It is useful to go to local health food stores and ask people who work in the homeopathic section for recommendations. Some health food stores have personnel who are more knowledgeable than others, so you may have to check out a couple of stores.
2) Homeopathic pharmacies. Some pharmacies have begun to specialize in homeopathy. Such pharmacies are a great source for finding a homeopath.
3) Conventional pharmacies that sell homeopathic medicines. There are also a growing number of conventional pharmacies which sell a small number of homeopathic medicines. These pharmacies are usually relatively new to the field and may not know much about homeopathy. Still, it may be worth asking them.
4) Health and medical professionals. Health and medical professionals, especially those who utilize some natural therapies themselves, are sometimes aware of homeopaths in the area. Many conventional physicians still remain ill informed about homeopathy and homeopathic practitioners, though a select few have seen enough of their own patients improve under homeopathic care to refer patients to homeopaths.
5) Alternative newspapers and magazines. Newspapers and magazines that cover natural health and healing often have listings and advertisements for homeopaths.
6) The Yellow Pages. You may be able to find homeopaths by simply looking in your Yellow Pages. However, because many homeopaths do not know that they can obtain this separate listing, the number of homeopaths in the book is usually limited.
7) Check with the Internet. There are now various alternative medicine/holistic health forums with people discussing homeopathic and natural medicine. The Internet is great for asking for what you need and getting it.
8) Your friends. One of the tried-and-true ways to find a homeopath is to ask a friend. You'd be surprised how many people assume that their friends aren't into "this homeopathic stuff," but once the question is broached, you may discover that they and their family have been using these medicines for a long time and may be aware of a good homeopath in the area.
9) Get a free list from Homeopathic Educational Services (HES): HES gives a free list of homeopaths in your state in the U.S. with any book order .
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
A Modern Understanding of Homeopathic Medicine
Summary and Conclusion
Homeopathy is a sophisticated medical science which individualizes a substance based on the totality of a person's symptoms. A person's unique pattern of symptoms, his/her headache, stomachache, constipation, low energy in the morning, sensitivity to cold, irritability at the slightest cause, and fear of heights are all interrelated. No matter what the individual symptoms are, they are recognized as primarily an intrinsic effort of the organism to adapt to and deal with various internal or external stresses. Methods that simply suppress, control, or manage symptoms should be avoided since such therapies compromise the innate tendency of the organism to defend and heal itself. The side effects which these suppressive treatments cause are actually direct effects of the treatment. Homeopathic medicines, on the other hand, are prescribed to aid the organism in its highly sophisticated efforts to heal. Inherent in the homeopathic approach is a basic respect for the body's wisdom; it is thus no wonder that it is a safer medicine.
At a time in our civilization when it is essential to develop practices that strengthen the immune and defense system, homeopathic medicine is quite naturally gaining popularity. Homeopathy embodies the characteristics of a medical science one could hope and dream for in the 21st century...and the best news is that we do not have to wait until the 21st century to draw upon of its benefits.
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
Homeopathy is a sophisticated medical science which individualizes a substance based on the totality of a person's symptoms. A person's unique pattern of symptoms, his/her headache, stomachache, constipation, low energy in the morning, sensitivity to cold, irritability at the slightest cause, and fear of heights are all interrelated. No matter what the individual symptoms are, they are recognized as primarily an intrinsic effort of the organism to adapt to and deal with various internal or external stresses. Methods that simply suppress, control, or manage symptoms should be avoided since such therapies compromise the innate tendency of the organism to defend and heal itself. The side effects which these suppressive treatments cause are actually direct effects of the treatment. Homeopathic medicines, on the other hand, are prescribed to aid the organism in its highly sophisticated efforts to heal. Inherent in the homeopathic approach is a basic respect for the body's wisdom; it is thus no wonder that it is a safer medicine.
At a time in our civilization when it is essential to develop practices that strengthen the immune and defense system, homeopathic medicine is quite naturally gaining popularity. Homeopathy embodies the characteristics of a medical science one could hope and dream for in the 21st century...and the best news is that we do not have to wait until the 21st century to draw upon of its benefits.
Written by, Dana Ullman, MPH
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Homeopathic Perspective on Health and Healing in the 21st Century
- Futurists commonly predict impressive high-tech developments in medicine that await us in twenty-first century. The new computerized diagnostic equipment, the emerging uses of lasers in treatment, and the pharmacological advances due to genetic engi- neering are all expected to make contemporary medicine seem relatively primitive.
- Each new technology, however, brings with it new problems and does not necessarily solve old ones. For instance, despite the many advances in medicl testing, most medical tests are accurate only 90% of the time. Thus, if a physician recommends a battery of 20 medical tests, only 36% of the patients would receive accurate results.
- And medical treatment may not be as effective or as safe as we might like, hope, or expect. One study of patients in a respected Boston university hospital discovered that over one- third of the patients were admitted for iatrogenic (doctor-in- duced) disease (such statistics are excepted to be even higher in hospitals not affiliated with a medical school).
- Futurists often ignore the problems of present technologies and assume that new technologies will solve these problems. It is likely, even obvious, that twenty-first century medicine will not only have a high-tech side, but also be a "high-natural" side to medicine's future.
- As the result of new understandings of the body and mind and as a result of growing popularity in the self-care, wellness, and alternative health movements, futurists are now having to rewrite the future...or at least their thoughts about it.
The High-Natural Revolution in Medicine
- New research from neurology, internal medicine, and psychiatry has begun to help us better understand and map the links between specific psychological states and certain diseases. The new field of "psychoneuroimmunology" has emerged, and its implications for helping us understand disease processes and develop potentially valuable therapeutic approaches are tremendous.
- These new understandings of body-mind connections will have significant impact of medical care. Not only will this new knowledge provide insight into how illness develops, but it will also suggest new or even very old strategies for treating acute and chronic conditions.
- The high-natural revolution in medicine is already taking place. Self-care practices have grown considerably in the past decade and even faster growth is projected for the next decade. Market research on the three most popular at-home medical diagnostic tests are expected to grow by nearly 300 percent from 1984 to 1990. A University of Chicago study found that those people who engage in self-care practices spent 26 percent less on hospital bills and 19 percent less on physicians' services. Since the cost of health care has been and will continue to be a serious problem, self-care will not only be important for encouraging better health but also for saving money.
Wellness programs at corporations have also experienced impressive growth in the past five years. In 1982 only about five percent of employers had some kind of wellness program, but by 1986, 36 percent had such a program. A group benefits survey of 1,418 employers found that an impressive 49 percent of them have some form of health promotion programming. Even hospitals are developing wellness programs, both for their patients and for their community.
Predictions for significantly greater recognition of various alternative health practices may surprise some people; however, these forecasts are simply projections from present-day trends. The number of alternative birth centers in hospitals has grown astronomically in the past fifteen years. Hospices have gained broad support from hospitals, federal agencies, and various charitable medical organizations, including the American Cancer Society. There is more interest in nutrition and fitness than ever before, and this interest does not seem to be simply faddish, but seems to represent a significant change in lifestyle.
Just ten years ago, biofeedback was considered a part of "alternative medicine," but today it is an integral part of the care provided by many physicians and psychologists. Relaxation and visualization exercises are not simply pasttimes for idle moments when one has nothing better to do, but are becoming consciously planned activities that provide their own health benefits.
Acupuncture is not just gaining wider credibility from the public, but is being practiced by a growing number of various health professionals. In 1974 no states licensed acupuncturists, and yet today, over 20 states license them.
An even more controversial alternative therapy, homeopathic medicine, has begun to achieve increased respectability as well. New research has been published in highly respected scientific journals on homeopathy which shows that the small doses of medicines that homeopaths use definitely have action, and a meta-analysis of clinical studies which was published in the British Medical Journal found the medicines to be particularly effective in treating allergies, arthritic conditions, migraine headaches, common infections, and rheumatoid arthritis. Sales of homeopathic medicines in the U.S. have grown from a $100 million market in 1988 to a $200 million market in 1992.
Naisbett, Bezold, Carlson, and Peck are not the only futurists who are predicting the emergence of high-natural medicine in the twenty-first century. The American Council of Life Insurance has published a series of reports on health care in the year 2030. One of the Council's scenarios for the future predicts, "Osteopaths, acupuncturists, massage therapists, ethnic healers, and allopathically trained diagnositicians (conventional physicians) will have equal status---and roughly equal earnings."
The Emergence of Collaborative Health Care
Health care in the twenty-first century will inevitably have both high-tech and high-natural components. A "collaborative model of health care" will inevitably emerge. High-tech physicians will collaborate with various high-touch health practitioners, and the patient him or herself will play an active role as an integral part of the health care team. Such health care will have its difficulties, complexities, and problems too, but it will also probably help us die young...as late in life as possible.
written by, by Dana Ullman, MPH
What is the history of the discovery and use of homeopathy?
In the late 1700s, Samuel Hahnemann, a physician, chemist, and linguist in Germany, proposed a new approach to treating illness. This was at a time when the most common medical treatments were harsh, such as bloodletting, purging, blistering, and the use of sulfur and mercury. At the time, there were few effective medications for treating patients, and knowledge about their effects was limited.
Hahnemann was interested in developing a less-threatening approach to medicine. The first major step reportedly was when he was translating an herbal text and read about a treatment (cinchona bark) used to cure malaria. He took some cinchona bark and observed that, as a healthy person, he developed symptoms that were very similar to malaria symptoms. This led Hahnemann to consider that a substance may create symptoms that it can also relieve. This concept is called the "similia principle" or "like cures like." The similia principle had a prior history in medicine, from Hippocrates in Ancient Greece--who noted, for example, that recurrent vomiting could be treated with an emetic (such as ipecacuanha) that would be expected to make it worse--to folk medicine. Another way to view "like cures like" is that symptoms are part of the body's attempt to heal itself--for example, a fever can develop as a result of an immune response to an infection, and a cough may help to eliminate mucus--and medication may be given to support this self-healing response.
Hahnemann tested single, pure substances on himself and, in more dilute forms, on healthy volunteers. He kept meticulous records of his experiments and participants' responses, and he combined these observations with information from clinical practice, the known uses of herbs and other medicinal substances, and toxicology, eventually treating the sick and developing homeopathic clinical practice.
Hahnemann added two additional elements to homeopathy:
A concept that became "potentization," which holds that systematically diluting a substance, with vigorous shaking at each step of dilution, makes the remedy more, not less, effective by extracting the vital essence of the substance. If dilution continues to a point where the substance's molecules are gone, homeopathy holds that the "memory" of them--that is, the effects they exerted on the surrounding water molecules--may still be therapeutic.
A concept that treatment should be selected based upon a total picture of an individual and his symptoms, not solely upon symptoms of a disease. Homeopaths evaluate not only a person's physical symptoms but her emotions, mental states, lifestyle, nutrition, and other aspects. In homeopathy, different people with the same symptoms may receive different homeopathic remedies.
Hans Burch Gram, a Boston-born doctor, studied homeopathy in Europe and introduced it into the United States in 1825. European immigrants trained in homeopathy also made the treatment increasingly available in America. In 1835, the first homeopathic medical college was established in Allentown, Pennsylvania. By the turn of the 20th century, 8 percent of all American medical practitioners were homeopaths, and there were 20 homeopathic medical colleges and more than 100 homeopathic hospitals in the United States.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous medical advances were made, such as the recognition of the mechanisms of disease; Pasteur's germ theory; the development of antiseptic techniques; and the discovery of ether anesthesia. In addition, a report (the so-called "Flexner Report") was released that triggered major changes in American medical education. Homeopathy was among the disciplines negatively affected by these developments. Most homeopathic medical schools closed down, and by the 1930s others had converted to conventional medical schools.
In the 1960s, homeopathy's popularity began to revive in the United States. According to a 1999 survey of Americans and their health, over 6 million Americans had used homeopathy in the preceding 12 months.The World Health Organization noted in 1994 that homeopathy had been integrated into the national health care systems of numerous countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Mexico. Several schools of practice exist within homeopathy.
Persons using homeopathy do so to address a range of health concerns, from wellness and prevention to treatment of injuries, diseases, and conditions. Studies have found that many people who seek homeopathic care seek it for help with a chronic medical condition. Many users of homeopathy treat themselves with homeopathic products and do not consult a professional
Hahnemann was interested in developing a less-threatening approach to medicine. The first major step reportedly was when he was translating an herbal text and read about a treatment (cinchona bark) used to cure malaria. He took some cinchona bark and observed that, as a healthy person, he developed symptoms that were very similar to malaria symptoms. This led Hahnemann to consider that a substance may create symptoms that it can also relieve. This concept is called the "similia principle" or "like cures like." The similia principle had a prior history in medicine, from Hippocrates in Ancient Greece--who noted, for example, that recurrent vomiting could be treated with an emetic (such as ipecacuanha) that would be expected to make it worse--to folk medicine. Another way to view "like cures like" is that symptoms are part of the body's attempt to heal itself--for example, a fever can develop as a result of an immune response to an infection, and a cough may help to eliminate mucus--and medication may be given to support this self-healing response.
Hahnemann tested single, pure substances on himself and, in more dilute forms, on healthy volunteers. He kept meticulous records of his experiments and participants' responses, and he combined these observations with information from clinical practice, the known uses of herbs and other medicinal substances, and toxicology, eventually treating the sick and developing homeopathic clinical practice.
Hahnemann added two additional elements to homeopathy:
A concept that became "potentization," which holds that systematically diluting a substance, with vigorous shaking at each step of dilution, makes the remedy more, not less, effective by extracting the vital essence of the substance. If dilution continues to a point where the substance's molecules are gone, homeopathy holds that the "memory" of them--that is, the effects they exerted on the surrounding water molecules--may still be therapeutic.
A concept that treatment should be selected based upon a total picture of an individual and his symptoms, not solely upon symptoms of a disease. Homeopaths evaluate not only a person's physical symptoms but her emotions, mental states, lifestyle, nutrition, and other aspects. In homeopathy, different people with the same symptoms may receive different homeopathic remedies.
Hans Burch Gram, a Boston-born doctor, studied homeopathy in Europe and introduced it into the United States in 1825. European immigrants trained in homeopathy also made the treatment increasingly available in America. In 1835, the first homeopathic medical college was established in Allentown, Pennsylvania. By the turn of the 20th century, 8 percent of all American medical practitioners were homeopaths, and there were 20 homeopathic medical colleges and more than 100 homeopathic hospitals in the United States.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous medical advances were made, such as the recognition of the mechanisms of disease; Pasteur's germ theory; the development of antiseptic techniques; and the discovery of ether anesthesia. In addition, a report (the so-called "Flexner Report") was released that triggered major changes in American medical education. Homeopathy was among the disciplines negatively affected by these developments. Most homeopathic medical schools closed down, and by the 1930s others had converted to conventional medical schools.
In the 1960s, homeopathy's popularity began to revive in the United States. According to a 1999 survey of Americans and their health, over 6 million Americans had used homeopathy in the preceding 12 months.The World Health Organization noted in 1994 that homeopathy had been integrated into the national health care systems of numerous countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Mexico. Several schools of practice exist within homeopathy.
Persons using homeopathy do so to address a range of health concerns, from wellness and prevention to treatment of injuries, diseases, and conditions. Studies have found that many people who seek homeopathic care seek it for help with a chronic medical condition. Many users of homeopathy treat themselves with homeopathic products and do not consult a professional
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