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FAQ - Frequently Asked
Questions
What is
homeopathy?
Practiced holistically, homeopathy is a powerful and effective
western medicine system that is very individualized to treat all of a
person’s mental, emotional, and physical symptoms with a single remedy
at a time. Persons with recurrent or chronic conditions receive
constitutional treatment, which begins with an extensive intake
appointment of 2-3 hours. The practitioner then selects one remedy from
over 2,000 remedies made from plant, mineral, or animal substances. The
remedies are carefully prepared in homeopathic pharmacies and so diluted
and shaken in water that they work entirely at the energetic
level. Homeopathy is different from herbal medicine, which uses
traditional and evolving knowledge of plant properties at the
material level to promote health and heal disease. Click on About
Homeopathy and its links to further information, including research
on homeopathy.
How is homeopathy
different from conventional medicine?
Both conventional medicine and homeopathy define health as a state
of well-being, with all body systems working in balance. Conventional
medicine classifies disease by its perceived material cause and
acts to suppress the cause and the symptoms. For example, sinusitis is
believed to be caused by either a viral or bacterial infection traveling
from the nose as a typical complication of a common cold. When you are
sick with sinusitis, you go to the doctor for your diagnosis and
prescription drugs such as antibiotics, decongestants, and
antihistamines. You usually feel better after a time and consider
yourself cured. However, the drugs have side effects, the sinusitis
often returns with the next cold, and you may eventually develop
recurring bronchitis.
Homeopathy describes
disease as the body’s energetic vital force becoming mistuned and
disordered and creating symptoms. All symptoms are considered valuable
information to identify an appropriate remedy. Homeopathic practitioners
do not focus on a specific illness, but rather on the whole picture of
mental, emotional, and physical symptoms a person currently presents.
When that picture is well matched with a remedy, the remedy acts like a
catalyst to the body’s vital force, which gradually returns the immune
system and all body systems to genuine balance and harmony.
Who can benefit
from homeopathy?
Homeopathy can help or heal persons with almost any chronic or acute
medical condition. For over 200 years, homeopathy has been used to treat
people around the world with a wide variety of physical, mental, and
emotional health concerns. It has been used effectively in cholera and
flu epidemics, including the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. Even with
advanced pathology, a well-chosen remedy can reduce pain and enhance a
person’s mental-emotional state, thus improving his/her quality of
life.
Persons with acute
conditions, such as bronchitis, food poisoning, or sprains may recover
in a matter of days with homeopathy. Children’s ear infections, coughs,
sore throats, and other childhood illnesses may respond even more
quickly and dramatically to a well-chosen homeopathic remedy. Homeopathy
can help women have a healthier pregnancy, labor, and delivery and help
people recover more quickly from surgery or accidents. Adults can learn
to treat their own minor illnesses and those of family members and
companion animals with a homeopathic handbook and a home remedy kit, but
will find capable assistance from a trained homeopathic practitioner.
Persons with
recurrent or chronic conditions, for which conventional medicine
may have little to offer beyond suppressing symptoms, may soon feel more
energetic, although more time will be required for clear improvement of
other symptoms. Menopausal women, children with ADHD or
autism, and people with depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue,
sleep disorders, migraine headaches, pains of aging, and other
ailments – or immune system disorders such as asthma, allergies,
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, colitis, or fibromylagia,
may find their quality of life significantly improved by working with a
skilled homeopathic practitioner.
What are
homeopathic remedies and how do I take them?
Remedies are initially natural substances taken from the animal,
mineral, and plant kingdoms. Tinctures are prepared from the substances
and then potentized by sequential dilution and succussion – the forceful
pounding of the liquid dilution against a firm but resilient surface.
Remedies are prepared by homeopathic pharmacies according to precise standards
established by the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS)
and the regulatory requirements of the FDA.
Homeopathic remedies
are taken either in solid or liquid form. Solid remedies can be pellets,
tablets or granules that are dissolved under the tongue. A single dose
consists of the number of pellets that form the size of a very small
pea. For acute conditions, a remedy may be repeated frequently in a
short period of time. For chronic conditions, doses are generally
repeated much less frequently, although liquid remedies are often taken
as ½ teaspoon daily.
How does the
practitioner know my remedy is working?
In assessing clients’ reactions to constitutional remedies,
homeopaths are guided by Hering’s Law of Cure, named after Dr.
Constantine Hering, an American homeopath. Its first and most reliable
principle is that healing proceeds from the inside out, from the most
important internal organs out to the skin. Even before you notice a
measurable difference in your physical symptoms, you may experience an
increase in well-being, optimism, and energy within days or weeks of
taking a well-chosen remedy. The mind is of central importance, and this
is a signal that healing has begun from within.
The second principle
of Hering’s Law of Cure is that healing proceeds from the top down.
Although not always true in practice, stiffness and pain in the upper
body may lessen before improvement is noticed in the lower extremities
and joints. You may find your headaches improve, while your knee pain
remains the same or temporarily worsens before later improving.
The final principle
is that symptoms disappear in reverse order of their appearance. If you
had severe eczema as a baby, then developed bronchitis, then asthma, you
usually find your asthma symptoms improve first. You may then develop a
bronchial cough which, if it runs its course without antibiotic
suppression, will no longer be a common winter occurrence. Old skin
symptoms of eczema may then reappear. If cortisone and similar
suppressive treatments are avoided, your body will eventually heal
itself of this more superficial, although unpleasant, symptom. In the
meantime, you enjoy heightened energy and well-being, as well as overall
better health and ease in your daily life.
How is homeopathy
different from naturopathy?
Both homeopaths and naturopaths study physical and medical sciences,
including anatomy and pathology. High quality training programs are
about four years in length and include professional ethics and
supervised clinical experience with clients. In addition, naturopaths
study homeopathy, acupuncture, nutrition, herbalism, and a variety of
other healing modalities. By contrast, homeopaths study in depth a wide
variety of remedies (Materia Medica), repertory, homeopathic philosophy
and history, miasmatic theory, case-taking, case analysis, and case
management. To use a medical analogy, a naturopath is somewhat similar
to a family practitioner or internist, and a homeopath is somewhat
similar to a specialist.
Do I have to give
up coffee and peppermint toothpaste?
Coffee (either regular or decaf) in moderation (1-2 cups per day)
does not usually interfere with the action of homeopathic remedies. If
you are very sensitive to coffee, you may want to limit its use for
reasons other than its possible interference with homeopathy. If needed,
remedies can be taken daily in liquid form by people who drink a lot of
coffee. Peppermint-flavored toothpaste, foods, and teas generally do not
interfere with remedy action, but you may want to avoid
peppermint-flavored Altoids. Black, green, or herbal teas and other
caffeinated drinks do not interfere with remedies.
What kinds of
things may interfere with the action of homeopathic remedies?
Using substances with camphor such as Tiger Balm, Noxzema, Vicks,
and Carmex lip balm; using tea tree oil; sleeping all night with
electric blankets, heating pads, or heated waterbeds; exposing remedies
to direct sunlight or extreme heat such as a closed car on a hot summer
day or to strong X-rays such as those airlines use for checked baggage;
touching remedies with your hands; or undergoing dental work with
drilling and chemicals may interfere with the action or potency of
homeopathic remedies. Be sure to store all homeopathic remedies away
from microwave ovens, computers, TVs, and other electromagnetic
devices. Talk with your practitioner if any of these factors may be
affecting your response to homeopathy.
Do I have to be
off all other medications or supplements for homeopathy to work?
No, homeopathy works at the energetic level, on a different
plane from conventional medications or supplements, which work at the
material level. Homeopathy will not interfere with any medications
you are currently taking. It is important, however, to inform your
homeopath of all current medications and supplements you are taking, so
your remedy dosing can be adjusted to be most effective. You should
not discontinue any prescribed medications without first consulting
your doctor.
Will I have to
keep seeing my homeopath frequently for an extended period of time or
years?
This varies by individual. Homeopathy works by stimulating the
body-mind to heal itself and come back into balance, and each person’s
response to a remedy is unique. For best results with recurrent or
chronic conditions, you should plan on seeing your practitioner for
30-60 minute follow-up appointments every 4-8 weeks for six months to
one year. The purpose of these appointments is to ensure that your
remedy is right for you, working well, and being taken at the optimal
potency and frequency. After several months on a well-chosen remedy,
clients are usually familiar enough with the subtle but powerful way
homeopathy works and can simply schedule appointments as needed. If you
have very complex and long-standing symptoms, you may need to continue
to see your homeopath every 8-10 weeks until you feel such frequency is
no longer necessary.
For acute
conditions, such as influenza or an ear infection, a half-hour phone
consult with your practitioner and a well-chosen remedy can produce
results in minutes, hours, or days.
Does homeopathy
work with animals?
Yes, homeopathy works beautifully with animals. Both practitioners
at our clinic enjoy and have experience working with animals. Between
the two of us, we have worked with horses, birds, dogs, cats, guinea
pigs, and others. As with humans, acute conditions of animals generally
respond more quickly than chronic or recurrent conditions, and
homeopathic remedies do not interfere with any medications prescribed by
veterinarians. After the intake appointment and one or two follow-ups by
phone or in person, you can usually take over the care of your animal,
calling your practitioner with any questions.
Why should I work
with a practitioner at the Homeopathic Health Clinic?
Both Homeopathic Health Clinic practitioners are graduates of the
Northwestern Academy of Homeopathy and have extensive prior career
experiences that enrich their practice of homeopathy. Both are
experienced and skilled at working with people and animals with
recurrent or chronic conditions. Both pursue continuing homeopathic
education. Both use contemporary and evolving methods of case-taking,
but firmly ground these contemporary techniques in those of Hahnemannian
classical homeopathy. Click on Practitioners for more
information. |
