The following are some of frequently asked questions about Homoeopathy.
- Is Homoeopathy a proved science?
- Are Homoeopaths qualified doctors?
- Is it true that Homoeopathic medicines are only placebos ?
- Does the Homoeopath give the same white pills for all illnesses / patients?
- Is Homoeopathy really a slow acting system of medicine?
- Does Homoeopathy work in acute cases?
- What are the disease conditions that can be treated with Homoeopathy?
- Does Homoeopathy believe in Surgery?
- Does one need to have lot of diet restrictions to take Homoeopathic Medicines?
- Can patients suffering from Diabetes take Homoeopathic medicines?
- Should one take homoeopathic medicines only from a qualified doctor?
- Is cure possible with Homoeopathic medicines?
- Homoeopathic dilutions cannot act as medicines … Is it so?
- Why do homeopathic consultation have very detail history along with question that are not pertaining to your disease conditions?
Is Homoeopathy a proved science?
It definitely is. Homoeopathy is a science based on sound logic and vast experimental data. Homoeopathy is the only medicinal science where data has been collected by proving on healthy human beings. The principles of Homoeopathy have been derived and authenticated by vast clinical experiments and data. The homoeopathic medicines are prepared in a standardized manner. The homoeopathic pharmacopoeia lists more than 3500 remedies (more are being added after through proving every year), whose clinical efficiency has been proved in various clinical trials conducted all over the world. Various institutions and individuals are proving new medicines and increasing the scope of homoeopathic medicines. In fact according to WHO (world health organization) homeopathy is the second most sorted treatment after allopathic in the world for all kind of acute and chronic treatments. Innumerable diseases especially chronic ones like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, various allergies, skin disorders, psychiatric disorders, chronic gastritis along with ulcers, autoimmune disorders like lupus, crohn’s disease, sexual disorders and various disease’s that can only be maintained by current allopathic medical treatment have been treated successfully and complete cures have been documented with proper homeopathic treatment.
Are Homoeopaths qualified doctors?
Yes. There are more than 180 homoeopathic medical colleges in India and about 2000 colleges all over the world recognized by the Government and the University. The degree course is an extensive study of the human body and homoeopathic pharmacy, lasting for four and half years followed by internship for 1 year, which includes hospital training and patient management. After this the students are given the degree making them qualified doctors. There are now also postgraduate courses available in homoeopathy, also called as MD (Hom). In USA, the practice of homeopathy is governed differently by each state rules and regulations. There are no federal laws regarding practice of homeopathy. For information about homeopathy and its practice issue in United States please refer to this link https://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/ qualified homeopathic doctors can be defined as the one who has had a full length professional education and extensive training in a recognized or a government accredited homeopathic school, and the one who followed the homeopathic cardinal principles.
Is it true that Homoeopathic medicines are only placebos ?
No. The pills of homoeopathic medicines are made from sugar but they work only as vehicles. Actual liquid medicine prepared with alcohol base is then poured over them and allowed to dry. These pills are then dispensed as medications. Homoeopathic medicines are also available in liquid form or tinctures, which can be ingested directly or by diluting them in water. They are also supplied in form of topical preparation, sprays and ready strip packing.
Does the Homoeopath give the same white pills for all illnesses / patients?
Certainly not. Although it appears that same white pills are given for all illnesses or patients it is not so, as there are more than 3500 remedies to prescribe from and new medicines are added to the list regularly, after their proving and clinical trials. All homoeopathic medicines are available as liquids with an alcohol base. In order to dispense a medicine to a patient, the indicated remedy in the liquid form is poured on the white sugar pills, which merely act as vehicles to transfer the medicinal property. Hence it appears that the same white pills are administered to all. The medicine comes in different potencies. The X potency also called as decimal scale 1/10 dilution (eg 1X, 2X, 3X and so on). The C potency also known as centesimal scale is 1/100 dilution (6C, 30C, 200C, 1M, 10M, 50M and CM). The LM potency also known as 50th millesimal or Q potency isansometimes denoted as LM1, LM2 or 0/1, 0/2 and so on is approximately 1/50,000 dilution. Depending on severity of you disease condition and your sensitivity disposition, your homeopathic physician will carefully select the right medicine and the potency and will explain you how to administer it to yourself or others.
Is Homoeopathy really a slow acting system of medicine?
No. It is seen that people usually resort to homoeopathic treatment for chronic, long-standing ailments like arthritis, allergies, asthma etc., which usually take a longer time to be cured by any kind of medications. Hence the time taken for the cure is proportionate to the chronicity of the ailment. In fact if a patient seeks homoeopathic treatment at the onset of an ailment, he stands great chances of quick recovery. Also in acute illnesses, contrary to the popular belief, homoeopathic medicines act fast and effectively. Another advantage with Homoeopathy is, that after this duration of treatment the illness is cured, whereas with most of the other system of medicine symptoms are merely palliated or at times suppressed.
For example, say if you have gastritis and there is hyperacid secretion in stomach and there is burning is stomach and chest, bloating and fullness in abdomen. In modern medical treatment the allopathic doctor will give you an antacid and a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to be taken daily for 6-8 weeks or more, after which you may start feeling better and you will then stop treatment. In few weeks the same symptoms return and you allopathic physician will advice you to take the same medicine it for longer period time. After 4-6 months of treatment you have no such symptoms and you think you are cured. In one to two month the symptoms return again and now your doctor advice you to take the same medicine for whole year. Not only this cycle keeps repeating but over the time you will also develop the side effects of the medicine, for which you will need another medicines…………. Now on the other instance if you went to a homeopathic physician for same symptoms, in few weeks of treatment you symptoms get better, you feel good over all, your other symptoms associated with gastritis also get better. Your energy level increases and you feel good and healthy in mind and body. Your symptoms do not return, and in a rare case if it does, then a few doses of a constitutional treatment will cure you. So you can see that it generally does not take long for treatment. Your overall time is minimized compare to other treatments.
Does Homoeopathy work in acute cases?
Yes. Homoeopathy has wonderful remedies that give prompt relief in acute cases like fever, cough, cold, diarrhea, headaches etc. when the person opts for homoeopathy at the onset of the ailment. Not only the right homeopathic treatment acts promptly to cure you but it also reduces the natural cycle of disease process. For example if you get a common cold (Rhinitis or Coryza) which is viral in origin, and normally has a 7 day approximate cycle starting from sneezing, running nose, fever and headache sometimes. The watery secretion may start in one nostril then spread to another nostril. In 2-3 days the watery secretion changes to thick white or opaque mucus. In next 1-2 days it turns into greenish, yellowish or both yellow green, followed by brownish to blood stained mucus in next 1-2 days before all symptoms are abated (this is the most common cycle but symptoms and secretion stages can vary in different person). With proper homeopathic treatment this cycle can be reduced to 2-3 days instead of its normal 7 days period.
What are the disease conditions that can be treated with Homoeopathy?
Conditions from a simple cold to cancer can be treated with Homeopathy. It takes into account the individual symptoms of the patient suffering from any disease and not the diagnosis of the disease. By the virtue of this certain diseases that cannot be diagnosed clinically or even unknown diseases can also be treated. Remember that Homeopathy treats the person in disease not the disease in person.
Does Homoeopathy believe in Surgery?
Yes it does. Surgery is a separate branch of science. It has to be resorted to in conditions that are beyond the domain of medicine. But one can avoid surgery as homeopathy can effectively treat many so called surgical conditions like tonsillitis, piles, warts, kidney stones, polyps, tumors etc. If one takes homeopathic treatment from young age, then might be able to avoid surgery by becoming healthy and not developing chronic health issues that needs surgery in the end.
Does one need to have lot of diet restrictions to take Homoeopathic Medicines?
No. There are no major diet restrictions to be observed in the course of homoeopathic treatment. Diet restrictions are usually to be followed only pertaining to the clinical condition one has. Eg. restricting excessive sugar intake in diabetics etc. Most of the time the patient is only advised to abstain from eating or drinking 15 minutes before or after taking homoeopathic medication (specially strong smelling and tasting food like garlic, onions, tobacco etc). Coffee and camphor is asked to be avoided as it acts as antidote to many homoeopathic remedies. Also one needs to avoid menthol containing derivatives and strong smelling perfumes especially when he is taking the medicine and for few weeks after that.
Can patients suffering from Diabetes take Homoeopathic medicines?
Yes, why not ? As the daily dietary intake of sugar by a person would normally far exceed the small quantity consumed in the form of homoeopathic pills (Approximately the quantity of sugar consumed with 1 cup of tea is same as being consumed by entire week of Homoeopathic medicine). The patient also has an option of taking the medicines in liquid form, or by inhalation.
Should one take homoeopathic medicines only from a qualified doctor?
Yes. There have been instances of miracle cures by lay people practicing homoeopathy, but it is always advisable to go to a homoeopathic physician, as he is qualified to judge the severity and depth of your illness and thereby prevent undue complications later on, which could be overlooked by a hobby practitioner due to his ignorance of medical knowledge. Only a qualified physician can guide you towards a complete (mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and pathological) recovery.
In Era of modern technology and information, it has become a trend to search information on internet and other resources. Unfortunately the information on internet may not be true and might be biased from writer’s point of view, which may give rise to more questions and more confusion. It is always good idea to be informed with variety of choices before one can make a decision. It’s prudent to seek help from a qualified professional homeopathic physician.
Is cure possible with Homoeopathic medicines?
Yes. Homoeopathy is curative. It treats the cause (internal malady or the imbalanced energy) and not the expression (diagnostic symptoms specific to the disease) of the disease. The symptoms are only used as an indication to select the right remedy for the individual. It treats the person as a whole and not his individual body parts. Homoeopathy takes into account the expressions of an illness characteristic to the individual and a curative remedy chosen on this basis gives a gentle and permanent cure.
Merely treating the expressions and not the cause only leads to palliation where as with the homoeopathic medicines, when the cause is addressed and treated the expressions automatically get ameliorated leading to cure. Thus Homoeopathy brings about balance, peace and harmony in the body as a result of its curative property.
Homoeopathic dilutions cannot act as medicines … Is it so?
No, they definitely act. This misconception persisted for a very long time and there was no technique to demonstrate the same. But newer researches go to show that dilutions definitely act.Each medicine prepared homeopathically undergoes a process of dilution and succession. Dilution is on which scale the medicine is prepared (decimal, centesimal or LM) and the succession is a special process of vigorous agitation in which each stroke of agitation is done at equal distance and of equal strength for 100 times. This process raises the latent energy of the medicine, which has ability to influence the energy of living tissues. Therefore higher the potency of the medicine, higher the power or energy it has.
For example :
When rats are drugged with the substance Arsenic, they excrete the same in the urine to a certain extent. When these rats are given potentised Arsenic the rate of excretion increases considerably; and higher the potency, the faster is the elimination.
Another experiment showed that when homoeopathic Belladona(potentised) was given to guinea pigs, it produced contractions in the ileum (part of intestine); and higher the potency stronger was the contraction.
Though this is yet a hypothesis, it seems that beyond Avogadro’s number, the molecules in solutions appear to develop a ‘stamp’ or ‘image’ of the original substance, which does not get wiped off even in extremely diluted preparations.
Why do homeopathic consultation have very detail history along with the questions that are not pertaining to your disease conditions?
Homeopathic consultation, especially the initial one is usually lengthy and detail, as it’s designed to understand you as a person, you as an individual. Each person are unique in they own way and no two person are alike (even identical twins are different in personality), so are the disease manifestation in each individual person. Two persons suffering with similar disease will differ in their manifestation.
For example two people with migraine headache will have different area or location of head (right, left, top or on back), the pain felt will be of different characteristics (dull, pressing, stitching, cutting, hammering, throbbing etc.), the factors that causes or aggravates the episode may be different (strong light, sunlight, change in temperature, barometric pressure changes, stress, alcohol, loud noise). The factors that make it little better may differ in every individual (rest, applying hard pressure, applying hot or cold application, sleeping, drinking hot or cold drinks, lying on left or right side etc.)
Before a medicine is given for any disease condition your homeopathic physician will need to know you as a person. He will need to know your personality; your mental make up, your constitution. How you react in different situation and environment both physically and mentally. Your cravings, level of thirst and temperature preferences that suite you well. The history of your disease, factors that make your disease worse and better. Other associated complaints along with your main complaints. Therefore to understand all this it’s vital that lots of questions are asked and detail answer obtained. Both subjective and objective (observed by others) are important part of your history.