What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy (from the Greek words meaning ‘similar suffering’) is a gentle, holistic therapy that works by stimulating the body’s own healing power to clear itself of any imbalance, treating the whole person, not just the illness.
Modern homeopathy, as established by Dr Samuel Hahnemann in 1796, is based on the theory of treating ‘like with like’, also known as ‘the way of similars’ (as opposed to ‘the way of opposites’, i.e. conventional medicine).
When practicing the way of similars, homeopaths prescribe highly diluted natural substances that if given in stronger doses to a healthy person, would produce the symptoms the medicine is prescribed for. (Serial dilution and vigorous shaking of a homeopathic medicine increases its curative powers and avoids unwanted side effects*).
Confused? Take insomnia as an example: the way of opposites will treat insomnia by using a medication to bring on an artificial sleep, which may cause side effects or addiction. However by treating insomnia in the way of similars (homeopathy), a patient is given a minute dose of a substance, such as coffee, which in large doses causes insomnia in a healthy person. Surprisingly, this minute dose can enable the person to sleep naturally.
