Homeopathy - The Gentle Art to Cure

What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a medical method that was first defined by the German doctor Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.

During the treatment special medicines are used (during their preparation they are diluted and potentized - what is done by sucussion or trituration). They are used according to the „Law of Similarity“: for the treatment of certain diseases remedies are used that are able to induce similar symptoms during provings in healthy people.

An example:

The Deadly Nightshade (in Latin: Belladonna) causes the following symptoms during an intoxication:
- red hot face with cold hands and feet
- restlessness and hallucinations
- dry mouth
- wide pupils
- strongly pulsating Carotid arteries

According to this Belladonna is often used sucessfully in homeopathy to treat feverish states during which the patient (the child) is restless with wide pupils and clearly pulsating carotids, when the face is red and hot, hands and feet cold.

Hahnemann called this principle:
"Similar should be cured by similar" (latin: "similia similibus curentur")

The manufacturing of the homeopathic remedy:

During the production of a homeopathic remedy the healing-information is gradually separated from the starting substance and subsequently linked to a new neutral agent (mostly diluted alcohol or lactose) because the information can only be passed over by a carrier of information. This procedure is called “potentiation”. In first step of the starting substance (a plant, mineral or from animal origin) a so-called mother-tincture is made, in most cases an alcoholic dilution, to make the following steps more easy. Substances that are not soluble in water/alcohol are pulverized. In the following steps the dilution is increased and succussed with every step of dilution, until the final potency is reached (eg a D6 od C30 or C200).

The work of the homeopathic doctor:

The doctor has an extensive interview with the patient, the so-called „case-taking“ that usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours. During this interview he/she explores as detailed as possible all the complaints and symptoms of the patient. This picture of the disease he compares with the well-known descriptions of the homeopathic remedies. The most similar remedy is the best-fitting medicine for the patient.

The following diseases can be cured ore clearly ameliorated by homeopathy:

• repeated colds and infections (in children and grown-ups)
• allergies
• complaints of the digestive tract (gastritis, peptic ulcers, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, flatulence, gastroesophageal reflux disease, …)
• diseases of the skin (atopic dermatitis, eczema, hives,...)
• mental disturbances (depressions, anxiety disorders,..)
• asthma and COPD
• rheumatic complaints
• sleep disorders
• hormonal disturbances (pre-menstrual complaints, climacteric complaints, dysfunctions of the thyroid gland,..)
• migraine and tension headaches
• pain disorders and neuralgias
• recurrent bladder infections
• complaints during pregnancy

Normally in chronic diseases the doctor has to see the patient every 4 - 6 weeks, in acute conditions more often.