Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that uses natural substances, prepared by a particular process called potentisation, as curative remedies.

Potentisation involves repeated diluting and vigorous shaking. This releases the energetic healing quality of the substance which is conveyed to the patient in the form of small lactose tablets, which act as a 'carrier' for the remedy.

Homeopathy can be used to treat virtually any acute or chronic illness.

Particular strengths of homeopathy include the treatment of:

• all children's ailments, physical or behavioural
• hormonal (e.g. PMT) and menopausal problems in women
• recurring infections
• people who have "never been well since" a particular event in their lives, for e.g. loss, separation, abuse, drug treatment, vaccination, injury, trauma
• stress-related conditions

Homeopathy draws upon the natural 'Law of similars' or 'Like cures like' to stimulate and assist the body's own curative powers. Each remedy has its own characteristic set of symptoms, including mental, emotional and physical symptoms. This information is contained in books called materia medicas or in computer software. Different remedies have different leanings or affinities. The homeopath's job is to identify as clearly as possible the nature of the disease disturbance in the patient and to find the remedy that most fits or resembles this. A good fit of remedy will stimulate the innate 'vital force' of the patient and an improvement in symptoms and general well-being will follow.

Homeopathy is not diagnostic in the sense of giving a name to the illness, but more so in the sense of recognising or identifying the quality and nature of the particular disease disturbance in any individual. Hence homeopathy can be helpful to people with vague or ill-defined symptoms where clear medical diagnosis is difficult or impossible.

For further information on homeopathy, visit the Society of Homeopaths website at www.homeopathy-soh.org

Practitioners:

• Gordon Adam
• Richard Napper