What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine which has been used for over 250 years and works on the principle that 'like cures like' - an illness is treated with a substance which could produce a similar symptom in a healthy person.

 

What can Homeopathy treat?

HOMEOPATHY TREATS YOU NOT YOUR DISEASE LABEL

Prescribing a remedy is based on all aspects of your condition. It is successful in treating a wide range of conditions, mental, physical and emotional, often where allopathic (conventional) medicine fails.

 

What is a Homeopathic Consultation like ?

As a Homeopath, I will not only ask about your illness, but also, about how you are affected by environmental factors such as temperature and the weather, what kind of food you eat, your moods and feelings, as well as your medical history in order to establish a complete picture of you, as a person. This is then related to your current symptoms in order to prescribe the correct remedy at the right strength.

Whereas, in allopathic (conventional) medicine, people diagnosed with the same condition will generally be given the same medicine. Every individual reacts and adapts in a different way to their surroundings and this is accepted and respected in homeopathy for remedy selection. The way people adapt to a new home, family or work environment; their reaction to external circumstances; past and present experiences; and their general state of mind are all key attributes of client assessment and treatment.

Before the initial consultation, I request that you complete a questionnaire, where that is possible of course, which covers a wide range of relevant topics about you  and your health. This can either be emailed to you  and then worked upon online, or posted, should there be no access to a computer. I have found, from my experience, that clients feel far more comfortable doing this, as they are in the comfort of their own home. I also know and understand that it can be quite daunting, meeting someone for the first time, and talking about your personal health issues.

For many the only experience of talking about their health concerns is a visit to a GP, which if you are lucky or unlucky, depending upon your view, lasts all of 10 minutes! There is also no time pressure on you for completion of the questionnaire and I don't get concerned about spelling! The completed questionnaire allows me to make an initial assessment before the consultation.The consultation  may last for 1.5 hours thus allowing me  to gather a very comprehensive picture of you.  

What happens in a subsequent consultation?

The subsequent consultations entail discussions about what has happened to the particular symptom(s) - are there changes in intensity and frequency, have you noticed any change in your general health (appetite, sleep, bowel habit etc). 

A subsequent consultation usually lasts for 30 to 45 minutes.

 

REMEMBER ALL INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL

 

Designer Medicine

Unlike allopathic (conventional) medicine, homeopathy is not ready made but tailor-made to suit you. Therefore, in homeopathy, two people are unlikely to be prescribed the same remedy. Afterall, we are all individual and unique.

 

What reactions should one expect

A homeopathic remedy will be in either pill or liquid form and you will be given instructions on how to take. After taking a well indicated homeopathic medicine you should feel better in all aspects - physical, mental and emotional. Occasionally, after taking homeopathic medicine, your symptoms may become slightly worse. This effect will be brief and is a sign the body's natural healing energies have started to counteract the illness. After this the symptoms will subside as you regain your health. If symptoms remain or you have concerns, then please let me know. 

Are Homeopathic medicines slow acting?

Most people approaching homeopathy in the UK have a long history of chronic ailments, and hence the treatment takes time. Since homeopathy offers a much better alternative than conventional medicine in such ailments, it is believed that homeopathy is slow acting.

Long Live Dr Hahnemann's Teachings and Homeopathy

Carla Carmichael is a qualified and professionally registered Homeopath, Member of the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths (MARH) - http://www.a-r-h.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How effective are Homeopathic medicines?

The efficacy and effectiveness of homeopathic medicines has been demonstrated by more than 250 years of successful use by physicians all over the world. It is better and sometimes the only alternative in many ailments. Homeopathy cures curable conditions and palliates incurable conditions.

 

Can Homeopathy treat chronic illnesses?

Most definately. Homeopathy treats you and not your disease label, so whether you have a headache, acne, shingles, psoriasis, or arthritis, the list of disease names appears endless; the mode of treatment remains the same. Every case is dealt with on an individual basis.

 

Do I need to get ill before I benefit?

No certainly not, homeopathy is health's perfect partner. Prevention is always better than cure!

 

How safe is Homeopathy? 

Homeopathic medicines have no side effects. The term 'side effects of a medicine' comes from modern pharmacology. Conventional drugs are aimed at certain areas of the body,such as the cardiovascular system, the gut, the kidneys etc. Though they have a primary action, they also affect other areas of the body. If these other effects are undesirable, they are known as adverse side effects. Homeopathic medicines are not employed against any system or organ of the body. Rather, the homeopathic remedy is chosen on the basis of the totality of symptoms of the individual and targets the individual as a whole. Overall, it is a safe mode of treatment when practised in line with its Cardinal Principles.

 

Can I continue with conventional medicine? 

Absolutely, but overtime and where possible, a gradual reduction of your medication may be made. It is important that you maintain a good relationship with your GP/Consultant and advise her/him that you are using homeopathy. Further, I may deem it necessary that you have diagnostic tests done and that can only be carried out by the GP/Consultant. The aim is to get you off all medication including homeopathic medicine where at all possible! 

 

Someone told me that Homeopathy is quackery? 

DEFINITELY NOT. The founder of Homeopathy, Dr Samuel Christian Hahnemann, was a German allopathic (conventional) doctor of his time. He, disallusioned with his profession, left his career in allopathic medicine to research in to alternative treatments. He began treating his patients with the principle of 'like cures like' . He called this system of medicine Homeopathy, taken from the Greek word: homeo meaning 'similar' and pathos meaning 'suffering'. 

 

How are Homeopathic medicines made? 

Homeopathic medicines are derived from a variety of natural materials and are prepared, under strict quality control, in licensed Homeopathic pharmacies such  as Helios, Ainsworths, Nelsons and Freemans here in the UK. They are given in tablet, granules, pillules or liquid form and are available in different, but extremely dilute strengths known as potencies. 

 

Can Homeopathy treat anything and everything?

Like any other system of medicine, homeopathy has its own limitations. By homeopathy any ailment, acute or chronic, local or general, can be treated except where diseases have reached such a level of pathology thus making surgery unavoidable.