Article appeared in After 50 News, Buffalo, NY

March 2005 issue

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: HOMEOPATHY

There has been a lot of information (and mis-information) in the news lately about Alternative Medicine. Alternative Medicine could be defined as therapeutic practices that are not currently considered an integral part of conventional allopathic medical practice. Alternative Medicine encompasses many different therapies including Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Therapeutic Massage, Chiropractic, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Herbal Medicine, Reiki, Yoga, and quite a few others. Some, such as Physical Therapy, proper diet, and Acupuncture, have become widely accepted. Therapies are termed as Complementary when used in addition to conventional allopathic treatments and as Alternative when used instead of conventional allopathic treatment. The therapy that I will focus on this month is Homeopathic medicine, or simply Homeopathy.

Homeopathy is a 200-year-old medical system used the world over. Great Britain’s Royal Family, Mahatma Gandhi, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Tina Turner, and Yehudi Menuhin do not have much in common, except for the fact that they all have been strong supporters of Homeopathic medicine. There is one simple reason that these and other respected individuals all over the world have supported Homeopathic medicine: it works.

Homeopathy is a natural pharmaceutical science that uses various plant, mineral or animal extracts in very small dosages to stimulate the person’s natural healing process. These extracts are then refined under strict controls and are called Homeopathic medicines or remedies. “Homoios” in Greek means similar and “pathos” means disease or suffering. This form of natural healing is based on the idea that a disease can be cured by treating it with very small doses of the very substance that, in larger amounts, would actually cause symptoms of the same disease in a healthy person. Homeopathy is based on the principle of “like cures like.” Much like a vaccine triggers the body’s defense system to build immunity to specific diseases, Homeopathic medicines activate the body’s natural defense systems to combat specific ailments or conditions.

HISTORY OF HOMEOPATHY IN THE U.S.

The FDA has approved of Homeopathic medicines since 1825 when they were used successfully in the treatment of severe diseases such as cholera and yellow fever. At one time, the US had 110 Homeopathic hospitals and 22 Homeopathic medical schools, including the University of San Francisco. Many U.S. trained physicians were homeopaths until 1910, when pharmaceuticals were introduced. With the discovery of cortisone, insulin and penicillin, some doctors changed their views about medicine, illness, and how to work with patients. Doctors began to perceive symptoms as something to eliminate with a drug, rather than clues in understanding the process and healing of disease.

Since the resurgence of Homeopathy throughout the world in the late 1970’s, many people are again turning to more natural approaches to healing. Homeopathic medicines, when prescribed correctly, remove the root cause of ill health. All Homeopathic medicines are derived from nature, made into specific potencies, and are not chemically altered. The secret to their unique success is not by adding anything more to the body, but by removing the obstruction that is preventing wellness. The medicines elicit an electro-chemical response from the nervous system and immune system in a gentle and permanently lasting way. Responses to a correct remedy can often be astounding. Potential side effects are usually minimal to none. What is commonly noticed is a detoxification response of mind and body. The disease process is at first slowed, then set in reverse, and then set on the path to full recovery. The medicines are FDA approved and are safe in infants, children, pregnant and nursing mothers, and the elderly. Healing is attained through stimulation of the body’s natural healing process. To stimulate the process of healing, the homeopath must perceive the underlying cause of each patient's disease and select the proper remedy to “jump start” the body’s own healing mechanism.

A TYPICAL HOMEOPATHIC APPOINTMENT

A consultation with a Homeopathic doctor is very thorough. Upon your first visit, you will be asked to complete a comprehensive health appraisal questionnaire, including your chief concern about your health and/or your reason for seeing a homeopath. The comprehensive health appraisal and interview will help to analyze your current health status. A typical consultation will last anywhere from 1 ½ to 2 hours. During this time, you will be asked many questions about your physical, mental and emotional symptoms. All this information is extremely valuable to the homeopath as they select the proper remedy. Since there are over 3,000 remedies in varying potencies, the homeopath needs all this information to select just the proper remedy to put you on the path to wellness. You should always consult a qualified Homeopathic doctor before administering any Homeopathic medicines.

For more information about Homeopathy or Maria, visit: www.YourNaturalDoctor.com or call 
(716) 913-3017.

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email: mariatarnev@yahoo.com