Site Search

Homeopathy (Similar Suffering)

By Rani Yovetich

I find it amusing that naturopathic and homeopathic medicine are considered "alternative" when they are the origin of the entire healing practice. The first pharmaceuticals were made from natural occurring resources, were they not? Actually, the United States is one of the only countries that considers homeopathy as an alternative therapy. Many countries use homeopathy and naturopathy as their main healing sources. There are even has homeopathic hospitals in Europe.

Although naturopaths and homeopaths both use herbs to remedy an illness, they may go about the dosing in a different way. Naturopaths will treat the illness with diet, herbs, vitamins, and homeopathic medicines that may lessen the symptoms and boost your immune system to help the body heal itself. If the illness is recurring, they will delve deeper into the reasoning behind it. For example, a single ear infection may be caused by a virus. However, a child suffering from frequent ear infections may have an allergy to dairy products (a fact that has been proven by scientists). A naturopath finds ways for the body to heal and ward off future ailments without the use of body-harming synthetic drugs.

Homeopaths share a similar belief. They will not only listen to your symptoms, but they will listen to the tone of your voice, your mood, and take note of your mannerisms. This, along with your history, age, weight, and sex will help determine your remedy. For instance, you may visit the homeopath for a recurring rash. You have tried everything, but it just won't go away. The homeopath may give you a tonic to enhance your mood in order to reduce the stress that is actually causing the rash.

Although Christian Hahnemann is credited with the creation of homeopathy in the 18th century, Paracelsus, a famous European healer in the early 1500s, said, "Poison is everything and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy." Christian Hahnemann attended the University of Vienna. But, like many medical scholars before him, he did not trust, and in fact, feared the pharmaceuticals of his day. He began diluting his medicines with water. After a short while, he realized that as the drug became weaker, it was less toxic to the body and more powerful as a healing agent.

Hahnemann was not only a medical doctor, but mastered numerous languages as well and began translating books. One of the books he was translating into German told of the natives in Peru chewing on Chinchona bark to ward off malaria. The natives that chewed the bark became immune to the disease. Hahnemann decided to experiment on his own. He acquired some Chinchona and soon discovered that consuming large quantities of the bark produced the symptoms of malaria. Hmmm. Small doses of a drug that produces similar symptoms in large quantities makes the body immune to the illness. BINGO! Homeopathy and the basis for immunizations began! However, medical immunizations can be dangerous because they consist of injecting toxic substances into the body. Homeopathy, on the other hand, removes the toxicity before allowing it to enter the body.

The deeper I read into the book LET LIKE CURE LIKE, The Definitive Guide to the Healing Power of Homeopathy, by Vinton McCabe, the more eager I became to learn more. Homeopathic medicines have cured everything from allergies to mental illness. If you would like to learn more about homeopathy, I strongly suggest this book. There is so much to this healing vice, that I cannot possibly explain it all.

According to Ellen Fowler, a homeopath in Missoula, Montana, the homeopathic success rate is 90%. It is covered by health insurance in some states. Even if it is not, think of the money you will save on medication over the years if you rid yourself of the chronic condition requiring medication.

Of course, naturopathic and homeopathic care is similar to personal training in that we can only help those who are willing to help themselves. You have to take that first step to try something new at the risk of feeling better and living a higher quality of life. Are you worth it? I say "YES !"

About the Author:

Rani Yovetich is a personal trainer, certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She had her own health and fitness column in a local newspaper and her work has been published in Next Step Magazine. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached via