About Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a gentle yet deep method of natural healing for the whole person. It is not new or 'new age'; it has been practiced for 200 years and is well established in Europe and India, where it is often practiced in hospitals.  In France  and Germany 30 to 40% of MD's use homeopathic medicines in their medical practices.

Although the terms homeopathy and naturopathy are used interchangeably by the media, they are not the same.  Homeopathic medicine is a distinct system of medicine which uses ultra diluted doses of plant, mineral, and other substances to stimulate the immune system in accordance with the 'law of similars' (see below). 

Homeopathy is not the same as herbal medicine (naturopathy), and does not interfere with pharmaceutical drugs you may be taking. Naturopaths use diets, herbal supplements, chinese medicine, and some homeopathic medicines in their practice.

How does Homeopathy Work?

While the basic principles of homeopathy are found in ancient writings they were first scientifically developed over 200 years ago by German physician and chemist Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. Curious about the reasons why Chinchona bark was helpful for malaria, he ingested some of the bark himself, and found that he developed malaria like symptoms. This was the 'eureka' moment of homeopathy.  This discovery led to many years of experimentation and they found that any substance that causes symptoms in a healthy person will cure similar symptoms in a sick person.

A simplified example can be seen with the common onion. Slicing an onion causes symptoms of burning and watery eyes and a runny nose. Many hay fever sufferers with matching symptoms have benefited from the remedy Allium cepa, made from a diluted tincture of red onion.

What are ultra diluted doses?

Over years of experimentation, Hahnemann made many interesting observations. In trying to eliminate all side effects of the sometimes toxic substances he was using medicinally, he started diluting the original tinctures more and more. As one would expect, after a certain amount of dilution the remedy lost its medicinal effect. He decided one day to 'succuss', or vigorously shake, the remedies during preparation, in between each dilution. He observed to his amazement, that this action increased the medicinal effects with each dilution, while eliminating the side effects.  Today, scientists are still trying to understand exactly why this works, and for skeptics it remains a point of contention - they claim it can't possibly work.  There is emerging science that shows that ultradiluted substances do have effects on cells (see links to scientific journals on NCH website below).

There are many cases in orthodox medicine in which we do not understand the exact mechanism behind a medicine, yet we use it because it is effective. And there are hundreds of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment. 

Scientific Research

Hundreds of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies.  The National Center for Homeopathy website has links to over 80 studies here: http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/articles-research.

and a pdf of studies that you can download. http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/files/Research-in-Homoeopathy.pdf 

 Several Meta-Analyses have been conducted  which review large numbers of studies to look for an overall pattern. For example, one review of high quality clinical studies has shown that homeopathy is overall 200% more effective than placebo. (Lancet Sept. 20, 1997; see also British Medical Journal, Feb. 9, 1991). (There are more recent meta-analyses posted on the NCH website linked above)

What about the Placebo Argument?

Despite the fact that there are so many studies showing homeopathy's effectiveness, and so many documented cases of cure, some critics of homeopathy argue that the successes  must be due to the 'placebo effect' (ie that patients are all getting 'dummy pills' with no medicinal effect and it only works because they 'believe' in it).   This argument, however, fails to explain the success of homeopathy in treating babies and animals, neither of which are susceptible to the placebo effect.  Also, it fails to recognize that the placebo effect is taken into account already in most of the studies.

Healing for The Whole Person

The first thing you will notice when you come for a consultation with a homeopath is the relaxed, comfortable atmosphere and the length of time allowed for discussing all aspects of your health problems.

In homeopathy, we look for the connections between symptoms - so anything that you feel is relevant to your current problem is discussed, not treated as a separate problem with a separate solution. Together we build a complete picture of your overall state of health which I then use to select an individualized remedy that 'matches' your picture.

Homeopaths do not view symptoms as discomforts to be eradicated, but as clues to the whole picture, hints as to where we are 'stuck', where the energy is not flowing freely, where we find obstacles to being happy, healthy and whole. What is happening in the body is often a mirror for what is happening in the mind. Often people who are treated for a physical symptom find that they also experience improved energy and overall sense of wellbeing. 

 Simplicity

Although finding your deepest acting, best 'matching' homeopathic remedy is anything but 'simple' and requires  years of study on the part of the homeopath, the treatment from the patient's perspective is simple because it does not require challenging dietary changes or long term use of expensive herbal or dietary supplements.

This is because we are not using homeopathic remedies to alter your body's chemistry in a piecemeal way, adding a nutrient here or increasing a hormone over there; homeopathy goes deeper and treats the underlying imbalance that is giving rise to all the symptoms. When that is healed, your body will absorb nutrients more efficiently and not overreact to certain foods or environmental toxins.

Obviously, we believe patients will do better with an overall healthy lifestlye, and the remedy will not do its best work if there are serious lifestlye/diet issues. But what  I have seen in practice is that the deep acting homeopathic remedy will help the patient make needed changes, because when they feel better overall, and their symptoms are relieved, they will cope with stress better, their anxieties are alleviated, etc.  . I believe that most  'bad habits' are not due to ignorance on the part of the patient, but are coping mechanisms developed because of  'stuck' energy patterns, anxieties, emotions and beliefs that can be healed with the correct homeopathic remedy.

What can homeopathy treat?

v      Asthma, allergies

v      Anxiety and depression

v      Arthritic conditions

v      Bowel disorders

v      Chronic pain

v      Chronic fatigue syndrome

v      Emotional or mental symptoms

v      Environmental sensitivities

v      Hormonal imbalances

v      Infertility

v      Insomnia and sleep disorders

v      Menstrual disorders, PMS, fibroids

v      Menopausal symptoms

v      Migraines and headaches

v      Neuralgia

v      Ailments of Pregnancy and Labour

v      Skin conditions

v      Sinusitis, rhinitis

v      …and many more conditions

 The Remedies

 A homeopathic remedy may be made from any plant, animal or mineral substance.

1. Remedies are safe and non toxic, and can be used safely by infants and pregnant women with no side effects.
2. Homeopathic remedies do not interfere with other medications or treatments when prescribed by a qualified homeopath. 
3. The manufacture of homeopathic remedies is regulated by Health Canada.

NOTE:   It is important to distinguish between herbal and homeopathic remedies, as herbal remedies can interfere with some pharmaceutical drugs.