Histroy of Homepathy
In 1796 a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, discovered a different approach to the cure of the sick which he called homeopathy (from the Greek words meaning 'similar suffering'). Homeopathy has been used in the UK for over two hundred years, but has an honourable tradition dating back to ancient Greece. It was Samuel Hahnemann, a brilliant doctor working in 1796 who developed the scientific and philosophical foundations of this gentler way of healing. These scientific principles form the basis of successful homeopathic practice today.

Are homeopathic remedies safe?
Homeopathic remedies are a unique, potentised energy medicine, drawn from the plant, mineral and animal worlds. They are diluted to such a degree that not one molecule of the original substance can be detected .They work by gently boosting the natural energy of the body, and are very safe, even for pregnant and sensitive patients. There is no danger of addiction or toxicity.

How are the remedies discovered?
The clinical indications of our medicines are discovered in all of three ways:

• The toxicity symptoms or poisoning picture, eg. vomiting and diarrhoea caused by arsenic

• The ‘signature’ of the medicine, an ancient medical idea based on the ‘affinities’ of certain substances eg. Deadly Nightshade, Atropa belladonna has large shiny black berries that resemble the dilated pupils of the eyes in high fever.

• The ‘proving’, in which the highly diluted substances are tested blind on a group of healthy volunteers who then record the symptoms they experience. Where there is agreement amongst provers, the symptoms are documented in a Repertory.

All this information is used to match the remedies with your symptoms.

How are the remedies made?
There are five regulated homeopathic pharmacies in the UK .The raw extracts (from plants or animals) or triturations (from minerals and salts) are made into a ‘tincture’ with alcohol which forms the basis of the dilution procedure. Dilutions are made up to either 1 part tincture to 10 parts water (1x) or 1 part tincture to 100 parts water (1c). Repeated dilution results in the familiar 6x, 6c or 30c potencies that can be bought over the counter: the 30c represents an infinitessimal part of the original substance.

If they are so dilute, how can they work?
After each dilution the mixture is vigorously agitated in a machine that delivers a calibrated amount of shaking. This is called succussion. It is thought that this process imprints the healing energy of the medicinal substance throughout the body of water (the diluent) as if a message is passed on. The message contains the healing energy. Even in ultra-molecular diltions, information specific to the original dissolved substance remains and can be detected.

What can homeopathy treat?
Homeopathy has a wide application, from acute fevers, sore throats and toothache, to chronic illnesses such as arthritis, eczema, asthma, anxiety, mild depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. There has been some very good research evidence to support this (see Research section).

What happens when you see a homeopath?
Your homeopath understands that establishing good health involves treating both mind and body, so time is taken to listen to your emotional and physical symptoms. To stimulate your body's own healing process, a remedy closest to your individual symptom picture is prescribed. Healing beings from within your body, strengthening your health and immune system, without any danger of damaging side effects.

Starting homeopathic treatment
Homeopathy is an effective and scientific system of healing which assists the natural tendency of the body to heal itself. It recognises that all symptoms of ill health are expressions of disharmony within the whole person and that it is the patient who needs treatment not the disease.As a new patient, these ideas may be new to you, but homeopathy has been established for about 200 years.

Homeopathic remedies cannot cause side effects and you cannot become addicted to them. This is because only a very minute amount of the active ingredient is used in a specially prepared form. Your homeopath will give you a homeopathic medicine or remedy which matches your symptoms as you experience them. This also takes account of you as a person - your individual characteristics emotionally as well as physically.

How does it work?
Homeopathic remedies work by stimulating the body's own healing power. This stimulus will assist your own system to clear itself of any expressions of imbalance. The aim is to get you to a level of health so that eventually you will need infrequent treatment.

How long does treatment take?
This depends very much on what sort of illness you have, as well as the other individual characteristics of your case. So it is not realistic for your homeopath to assess this until it can be seen how you respond to the remedies prescribed over some time. It is possible to say that a slowly developing complaint, or one that has been experienced for some years, will not disappear immediately although there may be a response and some improvement quite soon. Other acute complaints may get better more quickly.

Homeopathy cures from the inside, and often outer symptoms such as a skin complaint, are the last to clear. Be patient! In the long term it is much better for you to be cured of both the cause of your illness and its symptoms, rather than merely relieving or suppressing the symptoms. Remember that every case is different, and no two patients are alike.

Is there any advice about diet and lifestyle?
A homeopath will ask you about your usual diet and lifestyle, and may suggest changes, especially if it seems that this is contributing to your illness. Of course, a good basic diet is necessary for good health, with less sugars, fats, alcohol and refined foods. There is an increasing awareness of the benefits of foods free from artificial colourings, preservatives and flavourings. Whole foods and organic foods, free from chemical pesticides and fertilisers, are also increasingly available.

Key concepts of homeopathy include:

Treatment involves giving very small doses of substances called remedies that, according to homeopathy, would produce the same or similar symptoms of illness in healthy people if they were given in larger doses.

Treatment in homeopathy is individualized.Homeopathic practitioners select remedies according to a total picture of the patient, including not only symptoms but lifestyle, emotional and mental states, and other factors.