Homoeopathy is a method of healing that works by stimulating the body’s own natural defences.

Samuel Hahnemann (1755 - 1843) is the founder of modern homoeopathy. He wrote: “The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of health, or removal of the disease in its whole extent”.

Hahnemann was a German doctor who became disillusioned with conventional medical treatments. However, he noticed that some medicines worked because they created the same symptoms as they cured and began to research and test various substances using this principle. Now there are thousands of remedies developed to help with a huge variety of symptoms.

Homoeopathy is holistic. It is a form of medicine in which all levels of the human being are taken into consideration when the person comes for homoeopathic treatment. People consult a homoeopath for a wide variety of conditions  - emotional problems, physical symptoms or trouble with mental processing. All of these are connected in the same person.

The homoeopathic remedy stimulates the person’s vital force to come into harmony and the person heals themselves in a natural and gentle way.

-   Homoeopathy is particularly effective in treating children and many of the ailments they may encounter in their young lives.

-   Pregnant women often opt for homoeopathy as there are no toxic drug effects to the treatment which may affect the infant.

-   Having homoeopathic treatment around conventional intervention e.g. pre- and post-operatively can support the person, reduce the potential for complications and aid recovery.

-   Some people seek homoeopathic treatment to deal with the side effects of conventional drugs or vaccination.

‘Similia similibus curentur’, Let like cure like: This is the central precept of homoeopathy and goes back into antiquity. Simply put this means that a substance, which produces certain symptoms in a healthy person, is given to an unwell person with exactly those symptoms.

The remedy using the ‘like cure like’ principle stimulates the person’s own healing powers to bring about healing and improved general health

Dilution: To avoid toxic effects, and to release the full medicinal effects of the substance, the medicine is given in a highly diluted and energised form. So if you see a potentised remedy, the dilution is indicated on the package with numbers and letters, e.g. 30c which means that it has been diluted 1:100 thirty times.

Raewyn Stedman

Homeopathy

Pomegranate