So, what is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a complete scientific system of medicine created by Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. It has over 220 years of clinical data and evidence. “Homos” means similar, “pathos” means suffering. So homeopathy means similar suffering. The thing that defines homeopathy is similars.
Hahnemann worked with the Natural Law of Cure.
“Like cures like” meaning any substance occurring in nature that can cause symptoms in a healthy person has the potential to alleviate those same symptoms in a sick person.
Homeopathy is based on similars…not the same, but similar. It involves using small doses of a substance to provoke the body’s innate healing ability. It is based on the totality of symptoms, meaning the homeopath traces the symptom picture in its entirely…mentally, emotionally, and physically. A single symptom is never just a single fact. The totality is the sum of symptoms. The totality of symptoms means the homeopath can trace, track, and understand what is going on in a case. A last important element in homeopathy is individualization. This means that 10 people could have the same “disease” but each person would need a different remedy based on their symptom picture or their totality.
“Dis-ease” means that we are out of balance with our body. When we are out of balance, we get symptoms. It indicates that there is a block or a stuck-ness somewhere in our body. When we give a remedy, it allows our body to become unstuck and achieve a level of balance again.
In The Organon, Samuel Hahnemann describes what health is…
“In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force, the dynamis that animates the material body, rules with unbounded sway and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regard both sensations and functions, so that indwelling reason gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purpose of out existence.”
Homeopathy relies on our bodies innate wisdom to heal. A remedy is a signal to the body to provoke a response that leads to healing. How do homeopaths know which “signal” or remedy to give? Through the totality of symptoms. It was described once that disease symptoms are like trash blowing down the street. The wind blows them. You can’t see the wind, but you can see what the wind does.
What is the Vital Force that Hahnemann talks about? It can be described as or thought of in a few different ways. The vital force is an influence which directs all aspects of life in the organism. Put simply, the vital force is what keeps us alive. We are mind, body, and spirit. No organ, tissue, cell, or molecule is independant of each other in our bodies. Without vital energy, the cell (or whole body) becomes inanimate and is dead. Only when there is vital energy is there a living organism.
Homeopathy is useful in almost any “dis-ease” or ailment. There are two different scenarios for using homeopathy; acute dis-ease and chronic dis-ease.
Acute symptoms develop rapidly, are self-contained, self-limiting, and typically have an exciting cause (ie: an injury, virus, bacteria). True acutes will be totally different from your normal state of health. The totality of symptoms is relatively small.
Chronic cases are a much deeper dive into your health. Case taking and analysis is more thorough and covers all body systems and client history.
Homeopathy works amazing in both situations. If you have more questions, or would like to chat about how homeopathy can bring you to a higher level of health, please reach out. Fill out the contact form here and we can schedule a 15 minute discovery call.
