Homeopathy

Homeopathy is an extremely popular, accessible and versatile form of alternative therapy that has gained an increasingly high profile over the last decade or so. However, homeopathic medicine is no newcomer to the health scene, since its history goes back to approximately two hundred years to the ground-breaking work of the conventional physician Samuel Hahnermann. Since then, its had established itself as an effective form of alternative treatment on a global basis, practised by professional homeopaths and conventional doctors alike.

It is one of the most genuinely holistic forms of therapy available, since it is the aim of the homeopath to support each patient to an optimum experience of health through the prescription of the most appropriate homeopathic remedy. In order to arrive at this point, it is necessary for the practitioner to find out as much about each individual patient as possible through sensitive and detailed questioning. As a result of the in-depth nature of the case-taking, the first homeopathic consultation should taken roughly an hour to an hour and a half.
During this time questions are likely to be asked about the patient’s experience of health on all levels including history of previous illness, current health problems, stress load, sleep patter, energy levels, digestive problems, the presence of any allergies and a detailed family history. Rest assured, this shouldn’t feel like an inquisition since once the patient realises that they can relax and have plenty of time to explore their problems in details, things tend to flow easily and naturally. In fact, many patients find this experience of making sense of the development of their problems a therapeutic experience in itself.
Once the homeopath has obtained enough information to gain an insight into the patient as an individual, it is time to do a case analysis when the relevant homeopathic prescription can be selected. This may be done by using custom-made homeopathic software, or a number of text books. The object of the exercise is to find the single homeopathic remedy that matches the symptoms of the patient most closely on mental, emotional and physical levels.

When the most appropriate remedy is selected and taken, it appears to act as a catalyst, giving the self-balancing and self-curative potential of the body the kick start it needs in order to get on with the job efficiently. As a result, when improvement takes place there should be an appreciable improvement in energy levels, emotional and mental balance and a general increase in a sense of well-being. As a result, homeopathy may be seen as a system of healing which is aimed at positive health promotion, rather than being limited to disease management. Homeopaths have an especially important role to play in helping patients who suffer from a range of chronic conditions such as skin disorders, stress-related problems, menstrual problems and a tendency to recurrent infections.
There is no age barrier to treatment, new-borns can be treated appropriately as the elderly, whilst animals can also be treated by vets who have trained in homeopathy.

All homeopaths have to be officially licenced.