While still not commonly used here in Denmark homeopathy is a recognized and widely used medical practice in for example Germany where hospitals with up to 11.000 patients/year work after homeopathic principles.
Homeopathy is a very gentle and effective treatment with little risk for unintended side effects (my all-time favorite combination of all things regarding therapy!) and thus in many cases also suited for children and during pregnancy.
Although it is true that there are still many questions open on HOW homeopathy works, there sure is convincing evidence that it indeed DOES work. The most sold sleeping pill in Germany is actually a homeopathic one!!
Sounds all very well but I still have at least a few more questions! 🤔
Below I collected & answered some of the most common questions. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to know more!
🌼 What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a 250-year-old form of complementary medicine that uses very small amounts of natural substances, mostly from plants and minerals in order to stimulate the self-healing properties of the body.
It is based on the theory that "like cures like” in other words “that which makes sick shall heal.” This means that the symptoms caused by an overdose of a substance in its crude form are the same symptoms that can be alleviated in a case of disease with only a small, minute, diluted amount of the same substance. For example, we all know what happens when we cut up an onion. Our eyes may water. Our noses start to run. In its crude form, a healthy person becomes affected by the symptoms stimulated by the onion. However, this same substance (onion), as a diluted homeopathic remedy, can heal a person of these symptoms, which may be part of a cold or allergies.
In homeopathic treatments, each case is regarded as unique and each patient is treated on an individual basis. Questions arising are: how is the disease characterized, what might be maintaining it and what might be the root cause of It? An example could be asthma -- two individuals, two kinds of asthma, and, most probably, two different homeopathic remedies and healing trajectories.
One patient has asthma periodically. Asthma gets worse at a change of weather and, particularly, in any cold, damp, stormy weather. This individual experiences severe reactions to cats and smoke. Bronchitis is in the medical history, with wheezing and scant perspiration. Lastly, this person feels much better with any warmth and warm drinks.
Another patient with asthma has a marked, tickling cough that is worse in a cold wind and better in damp, rainy weather. Symptoms worsen with talking or laughing, and it's often hard to get a deep enough breath. On top of asthma, this person suffers from chronic sinusitis and bronchitis.
Although two people have asthma, homeopathic medicine looks at how they have asthma and treats them accordingly. Understanding your medical history (anamnesis) is thus an important element of a homeopathic session.
🌼 Do I have to believe in it for it to be effective?
No. Although trust is important in any doctor-patient relationship and any treatment, conventional or other, homeopathy has been shown to work in fx babies and animals who are completely unaware of the treatment.
🌼 How long does it take to see an effect?
In acute cases, there should be an immediate reaction to the medicine in the first 15 min after taking the remedy.
In chronic cases, the rule of thumb is that for each year of the disease it takes about 1 month to resolve.
🌼 Is there a risk for unintended or even harmful side-effects?
Homeopathy has little risk of unintended side effects. Side effects can occur however if the wrong remedy has been taken over a prolonged period of time as it may induce the symptoms that the remedy was supposed to cure.
🌼 How do I know that I am taking the right remedy?
If you are taking the right remedy, you should feel relief in the symptoms and an increase in energy and well-being.
However also an intensification of the symptoms at the beginning of the treatment (initial aggravation) is a sign of having picked the right remedy, but having used for high a dosage. If it is uncomfortable, stop the treatment and start again with a lower dosage when symptoms are more manageable.
🌼 Does it work for everyone?
No, homeopathy doesn’t work for everyone. Some are more receptive to the remedy’s impulses than others. If the remedy is not showing the desired result it might be because something else needs to be addressed first. Most of the time, however, it simply is an indication that it is not the right remedy.
🌼 What is it effective for?
Homeopathy is used to treat a wide range of conditions, including acute and chronic physical conditions and psychological conditions like colds and sports injuries, bladder infection, migraine, gastrointestinal disease, allergy, depression, and anxiety, as well as lifestyle diseases like stress and sleeping disorders.
🌼 Can I combine homeopathy with other types of medicine?
Homeopathy is a complementary medicine and can often be successfully integrated into more conventional treatments or treatments of natural medicine.
Be aware of contra-indication though, in some cases, homeopathic remedies can influence the effect of conventional and natural medicine, while on the other hand conventional medicine can mask some symptoms of disease, which needs to be taken into consideration when choosing a remedy.