Homoeopathy

What is Homoeopathy?

Homeopathy is a system of natural medicine introduced and developed by a German physician, Samuel Hahnemann, at the end of the 18th century. Hippocrates (460 BC – 370 BC), the father of medicine, had insisted that the physician has to study the patient, not just illness. In treating patients, he should do everything to assist the nature, the great healer, to affect cure. He advocated similimum. Rig Veda, the source book from which ayurveda originated, states that ‘a cure for poison lies in the poison itself’. It was by an accident that the German physician Dr. Christian Fredericke Samuel Hahnemann came across a similar statement by Dr. Cullen that the Cinchona barks’ decoction (which helps to relieve the symptoms of malaria) causes intermittent fever in healthy persons. To understand the effects of Cinchona bark in intermittent fevers, Hahnemann experimented on his own self. Intake of Cinchona resulted in occurrence of condition simulating intermittent fevers. This effect that Cinchona bark produced on him gave birth to the idea of homoeopathy. Hahnemann continued to experiment on himself and on others, close to him, noting that every substance he took produced definite distinct symptoms. He further noted that no two substances produced, exactly the same set of symptoms. Each substance provoked its own unique pattern of symptoms, both on physical and mental plane. At first, Hahnemann tested substances commonly used as medicines in his time (such as Antimony and Rhubarb) and also, poisons like Arsenic and Belladonna. To avoid harmful effects from normal doses of the substances he diluted each medicine until he reached the greatest dilution that would still produce a response. These experiments were called provings and led him to observe and describe the basic principles of homoeopathic medicine. One can observe the similarity of basic concepts of homoeopathy for curing diseases with Hippocrates’s statement and the Rig Veda. Dr. Hahnemann today is considered as father of experimental pharmacology and father of homoeopathy. According to World Health Organization, homoeopathy is the second largest system of medicine in the world.

Homeopathy effective against the following diseases:

• Asthma • Acne • Anal fissure • Allergic rhinitis • Adenoids • Bed wetting • Chikungunya • Cirrhosis • Corns • Colitis • Cancer • Dandruff • Eczema • Gall stones • Gastritis – chronic • Gerd • Hair falling in men •Hair falling in women • Hepatitis-B • Hypertension • Hirsuitism • Headache  sinusitis • Hypothyroidism • Herpes zoster           • Infertility • Impotency • Keloids • Lichen planus • Migraine • Muscular dystrophy • Nasal polyps • Neck pain • Nephrotic syndrome • Osteoarthritis • Osteoporosis • Obesity • Psoriasis • Parkinson's disease • Poly cystic ovarian disease • Renal calculi • Rheumatoid arthritis • Reactive arthritis • Small joint pain • Sciatica  •Syphilis • Tonsillitis • Uterine fibroids • Urticaria • Varicose veins  • Vitiligo • Varicocele

Myths and Facts about homoeopathy:

According to reports, number of people using homoeopathy is increasing year after year. Apart from the people regularly seeing homoeopaths as the first choice of doctor, or using homoeopathy as first line of therapy, there are people who use homoeopathy only occasionally. Many more think to use homoeopathy. Many of them are reluctant because of certain unrealistic myths. Here we have tried to clear some of the myths surrounding homoeopathy explaining the real facts behind them.

Myth 1: Homoeopathy is an unproven science.
Fact: Homoeopathy (some times also spelled homeopathy) is based on experimental pharmacological and clinical data. Over the years, homoeopathic medicines have been extensively studied for their efficacy in a variety of indications. Clinical studies have been conducted in India as well as other countries. In fact, the term 'Allopathy' was coined by the founder of homoeopathy whom the allopaths regard as the founder of experimental pharmacology.

Myth 2: Homoeopathic medicines are only sugar pills which act more as placebos and have no medicinal value as such.
Fact: Yes, the white sugar pills, as such do not have any medicinal value. But these act as vehicles or carriers for the medicines, which are alcohol based. Otherwise the medicine can be taken directly or dissolved in water. Homoeopathic medicines have been scientifically studied the world over and found to be effective in a wide range of diseases. Thus they are not placebos.

Myth 3: Homoeopathy is slow acting and cannot be used in acute cases of diarrheoa, fever, cough, cold, etc.
Fact: Homoeopathy is fast acting in acute cases and can be effectively used in treating infections, fever, cold etc. Unfortunately, people tend to go to a homoeopath only when the acute problem becomes chronic. Naturally, these cases take longer to treat. Also, most people take recourse in homoeopathy in cases of arthritis, allergic asthma or skin conditions etc., which take a longer time to treat with any other system of medicines.

Myth 4: Homoeopathy is a 'magic remedy' that can treat any disorder.
Fact: Homoeopathy, like any other field of medicine, has its limitations. For example, it cannot treat cases where surgery is unavoidable, dental cases, etc.

Myth 5: Homoeopathic doctors are quacks who do not have formal training in the field of medicine.
Fact: Qualified doctors practice Homoeopathy, in most parts of the world. In India, there are over 180 medical colleges, which offer degree and post-graduate studies in Homoeopathy. At present, there are over 2, 00,000 trained homoeopaths in the country.

Myth 6: One has to follow strict dietary restrictions while on homoeopathic treatment.
Fact: Some patients are asked to abstain from onions, garlic, coffee, tea, alcohol etc. as these substances interfere with the action of certain homoeopathic medicines. But then, restricting alcohol and tobacco is also safe and healthy.

Myth 7: Homoeopathy is only useful in chronic cases.
Fact: Very often it is - where everything else has failed! But the true reason for this perception is because people turn to homoeopathy so late when everything else has failed! After years of allopathic treatment often an illness becomes chronic. The treatment will now naturally take longer than in case of using homoeopathy right from the beginning.

Myth 8: Homoeopathy cannot be used in diabetic patients.
Fact: It can! The minute amount of sugar globuli (the little round pills) taken daily does not matter. Sugar intake in the daily diet is significantly higher than that taken by a few globuli. In very severe cases, the dilution may be taken as drops in water or over lactose.

Myth 9: The homoeopath gives the same white pills for all types of illness. How can they be really effective?
Fact: Depending on the illness, homoeopaths medicate with different medicines. The sugar pills serve only as a vehicle for transfer of the medicine. The selected medicine, out of a range of more than 1200 different dilutions, is targeted to the individual problems.

Myth 10: Are there really no side effects of homoeopathic medicine?
Fact: Generally there are no side effects of homoeopathic medicine if prescribed in potencies of 3CH and above. However, some tinctures and triturates in very low potencies like 1x, 2x have some side effects of minor nature.