Introduction to Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a complete system of alternative that addresses the full spectrum of health concerns, from the common cold to complex physical and psychological conditions.
The Initial Homeopathic Intake
The initial interview in classical homeopathy typically lasts around two hours for chronic complaints and as needed in the case of acute complaints. The homeopath begins by listening to the details of the patient’s ailments as well as anything else that the patient feels is relevant to the case. In addition to eliciting objective symptoms relating to these complaints, the … → Continue
Case Analysis
The portrait of disease is represented through a totality of symptoms which the homeopath deduces from the information collected during the interview. This totality is a carefully selected subset of the collected symptoms, one which emphasizes those things about the patient that are strange, rare, or peculiar: strange symptoms are ones that do not make sense from a logical point … → Continue
The Prescription
The homeopathic remedy that is prescribed is based on matching patient and remedy with respect to their totality of symptoms, following the law of similars on which classical homeopathy is based. These remedies originate from a huge variety of substances of natural or man-made origin: remedies can be prepared from various minerals, from plants, from animal products, from synthetic chemicals, … → Continue
The Followup Appointments
After the first prescription the patient returns for regular appointments so that the homeopath may determine the response to it and decide what to do next. These visits are scheduled once every few weeks—more frequently at first and less so as treatment progresses. The whole process of interview, analysis, and prescription is repeated during every appointment, albeit on a smaller … → Continue
Overview of Homeopathic Philosophy
Classical homeopathy rests on a rich philosophical foundation established by Hahnemann in his Organon of the Healing Art at the turn of the nineteenth century and developed over the past two centuries since:
A clear understanding of the dynamics of health and disease
Classical homeopathy is rare among systems of medicine in having a clear and thorough view … → Continue
Why Homeopaths Emphasize Clinical Results over Theory
Classical homeopathy is first and foremost a clinical science concerned with the healing of living beings. As such its foremost concern is the practice of medicine, in contrast with conventional medicine where theoretical considerations (such as through what mechanism a medication exerts its effect) are primary.
What is important for homeopaths is that their observations correspond with the … → Continue
Unique Diagnostic Method = Clinical Effectiveness
Classical homeopathy takes a very specific perspective on a patient’s problem. Its point of view is quite distinct from (yet often complementary to) the perspective of other clinical systems such as conventional pharmacology and surgery, physiotherapy, psychology, and nutrition. What makes the homeopathic perspective especially powerful is that the homeopathic diagnosis leads directly to homeopathic treatment (as described below). This … → Continue
The Distinction Between Classical Homeopathy and Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic medicine is a medical movement and profession that has recently moved to the forefront of health-care innovation in North America and whose influence in beginning to be noticed elsewhere in the world. Naturopathic medicine is a comprehensive medical approach which integrates scientific knowledge with several well-established alternative therapeutic systems. It combines what is known as naturopathy (an approach based … → Continue
Overview of Naturopathic Philosophy
Naturopathic medicine as a philosophy of medicine has its roots in antiquity, while it modern form it dates back to the late-1800s when it was established as a profession by European immigrants to North America. According to naturopathic medicine, the actual symptoms that patients complain of do not represent the disease but are the manifestation of some underlying imbalance in … → Continue
