"The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal or annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way". (Extract from The Organon of Medicine by Samuel Hahnemann, 6th edition)

WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

Homeopathy is a system of healing developed about 200 years ago by Samuel Hahnemann, an eminent German physician who was disillusioned with the harsh conventional treatments of his time. Today, homeopathy is practised throughout the world. It is used to treat people with a wide range of illnesses. The focus is on improving the overall well-being of the patient, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms.

According to the basic rules of homeopathy, disease is caused by an imbalance of the body's motivating energy, or 'vital force'. Homeopathic remedies stimulate the body's own healing response to restore natural balance. A healthy balance can be disturbed by a number of factors. These include emotional states such as anxiety, stress, anger, fear or grief, poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors, infections, toxins and physical trauma. When the vital force is strong, the body is not susceptible to illness.

In homeopathic medicine, symptoms are the signposts that direct us to the causes of ill-health. Each person will be affected in his or her own way, regardless of what the disease is called. If a prescription is made to suit the patient as an individual being, and not simply on the diagnosis of an illness, than we can begin to look forward to the possibility of a lasting cure. The principal aim of the homeopath is to treat the whole person in order to recover equilibrium between the physical, emotional and intellectual aspects of the individual.

WHO HAS HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT?

Many people come for help with specific symptoms or conditions. These might include anxiety states, arthritis, asthma, circulatory problems, depression, high blood pressure, indeterminate aches and pains, infertility, menstrual problems, migraines, rheumatism, skin conditions or ulcers. Homeopathy is also very useful in pregnancy and childbirth, being a safe treatment for both mother and child.

Some people may use homeopathy as a preventive measure to strengthen the consititution, or because they feel unwell in themselves without being 'ill' in the conventional sense. It can also be used alongside conventional medicine in the treatment of both acute and chronic disease. As with any therapy, the response to homeopathic treatment can vary from one person to another.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON MY FIRST VISIT?

Your first consultation will be longer than subsequent sessions - usually an hour or more. The homeopath needs to assess your general state of health, in order to identify the underlying pattern of disharmony and give you the most effective treatment.

You will be asked about your current symptoms and what treatment you have received so far, your medical history and that of your close family, your diet, digestive system, sleeping patterns and emotional state. There is usually no need for a physical examination.

Once enough information has been gathered, the homeopath can select the best indicated remedy. This often requires further study of the case and if so the remedy will normally be sent by post in a day or two.

HOW OFTEN WILL I NEED TREATMENT?

According to homeopathic philosophy each person is considered as unique, and therefore the number and frequency of treatments depends on the individual. You may be required to visit your homeopath once or twice a month at first, and later at less frequent intervals. Sometimes the effects of treatment are dramatic, and a single dose is all that is required. With other patients the effects are more subtle and they may need treatment over several months.

SHOULD MY DOCTOR KNOW?

If you are receiving treatment from your doctor then it makes sense to tell him or her about your homeopatic treatment. Homeopathy may enable you to reduce or even stop taking some forms of medication, but your doctor should be consulted regarding any change of prescription. Conversely, you should tell your homeopath about any medication you are taking as this may affect your response to treatment.

IS IT SAFE?

Homeopathy is probably the safest form of treatment there is. Science cannot fully explain why homeopathic medicines are effective, but it is thought that the energy of the original substance is transferred and enhanced during the homeopathic manufacturing process, although no physical trace remains. This means that even those remedies made from poisons are totally non-toxic.

Thanks for visiting

Caz West

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