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what is it?
The basic principle of homeopathy is that of 'like cures like.' Symptoms of disease are considered signs that our body systems are trying to deal with some sort of internal upset, and homeopathy aims to support this natural healing process.
Unlike orthodox medicine, where you take to drug to reduce a fever, a homeopath will not try to suppress your symptoms but prescribe a remedy that in normal quantities would produce similar effects. This is intended to jolt our self-healing powers, the so-called 'vital force', into action. Arsenic poisoning, for example, causes vomiting and diarrhoea, but as a homeopathic remedy it is used to treat food poisoning and other digestive disorders.
These homeopathic preparations are quite safe because another basic principle of homeopathy is the 'minimum dose'. Remedies may be diluted thousands of times over until there is no detectable trace of the original substance. The greater the dilution, homeopaths believe, the more 'potent' (precise and active) the remedy.
The notion of 'like curing like' was known to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, but forgotten until a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, developed the principles of homeopathy in the early years of the 19th century. He noticed that dosing himself with bark of the Cinchona tree produced malaria-like symptoms, and he knew that Cinchona bark contained quinine, which was a treatment for malaria. In 1810 he published his theory of homeopathy, from the Greek homolos ('same') and pathos ('suffering').
Hahnemann's ideas spread through Europe, Asia and the Americas. Queen Adelaide, consort to King William IV, became a great fan of homeopathy and it is still popular with the Royal Family today. The first of five homeopathic hospitals opened in London in 1850 and they remained open and active within the NHS when it was founded after World War II.
what it's supposed to do
Homeopaths prescribe a remedy to match symptoms in the belief that two similar diseases cannot exist in the body at the same time. Using a homeopathic remedy to introduce a harmless copycat ailment is said to stimulate our natural healing processes and drive out the original disease.
Homeopathic 'potencies' refer to the number of times the mother tincture is diluted. If one drop is added to 99 drops of water or alcohol and 'succussed' (or vigorously shaken), this is known as 1c potency. If a drop of this is then diluted again in the same way, it is a 2c potency. Most remedies are 6c for acute and self-limiting ailments, and 30c for emergencies and chronic conditions. Homeopaths believe that remedies work with vibrational energy rather than chemically, and that increased dilutions 'potentise' their therapeutic effect.
Conditions claimed to respond particularly well to homeopathy include hay fever, eczema, asthma, migraine, PMS, anxiety and recurring childhood infections.
what happens
The initial consultation can take 60-90 minutes as it is important for the homeopath to find out as much as possible about you and the type of person you are. You will be asked detailed questions about your medical history, diet, moods, personal circumstances, likes and dislikes ('Are you afraid of thunderstorms?' 'Do you dislike fatty food?' 'Do you seek sympathy?').
A third basic principle of homeopathy is that every person is different and the same remedy will not necessarily help everyone with the same ailment. Therefore it is vital to match the remedy to the whole person. There may be many different remedies for eczema, for example, depending not only on the symptoms, but also your emotional characteristics, appearance and general physical condition. As there are over 2,000 remedies from plant and mineral sources, the skill of the homeopath lies in getting this constitutional diagnosis right.
Some homeopaths take a different approach. They use less diluted medicine (often several mixed together and in combination with diluted herbal medicines in liquid form) which they prescribe for the disease rather than to treat you 'constitutionally'. This kind of homeopathy used to be common in the UK and still is in Europe, where it is called 'complex homeopathy'.
Remedies usually come as tiny lactose tablets, granules, powders or liquid. Ideally they should be taken between meals, placed directly in your mouth with a spoon or from a special container, and you should avoid strong-tasting substances like coffee or peppermint. Suck or chew them — don't swallow them whole.
Simple homeopathic remedies are available from health shops and pharmacies with information about how to take them. Arnica, for example, is a universal remedy for shock, falls, bruising, bleeding, exhaustion and jet lag. Other preparations might help acute ailments such as colds and sore throats, but people with chronic conditions are advised to consult a professional homeopath.
what's the evidence?
Several studies support homeopathy, notably trials published in The Lancet in 1986 and 1994 and the British Medical Journal in 2000 that show it to be effective for asthma, hay fever and rhinitis. Homeopaths claim dilutions might retain an electromagnetic 'footprint' of the original substance, though sceptics say there is no current scientific explanation for how it might work. But a recent finding by South Korean chemists, reported in New Scientist in 2001, that some molecules clump together when a solution is diluted has stunned scientists and may help provide an answer.
precautions
Go to the safety first section of 'before you start' for some general precautions to take into account when considering a complementary therapy.
- Check any symptoms with a medical doctor. Don't discontinue conventional medication without consulting your doctor.
- Homeopathy is not suitable for surgical emergencies or conditions such as cancer, though it has may have a supportive role.
- Tell your practitioner if you are using aromatherapy essential oils, as in certain cases they are thought incompatible with homeopathic remedies.
- If you are allergic to milk-based products, definitely have a lactose intolerance, ask for lactose-free tablets.
how to find a practitioner
About half the practitioners in this country are non-medical. Many practitioners are either doctors, nurses, dentists or veterinarians who have taken a postgraduate course in homeopathy, or non-medical homeopaths. A homeopathic doctor offers the additional reassurance of conventional medicine, and with a referral form from your GP, you can claim private health insurance. But the quality of homeopathic treatment won't necessarily be any better.
The recent House of Lords' Select Committee on Complementary and Alternative Medicine placed homeopathy in the top five therapies, and homeopaths are working towards statutory regulation.
» help and info
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(July 2002)
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