Although it's been around for over 200 years, Homeopathy continues to gain acceptance and the recognition it deserves as a gentle yet extremely effective healing modality.

So what exactly is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is based on the principle that you can treat ‘like with like’, which means that a substance that causes symptoms when taken in large doses, can be used in small amounts to treat those same symptoms. For example, drinking too much coffee can cause sleeplessness and agitation, but, when made into a Homeopathic medicine, coffee can be used to treat nervousness and insomnia. With Homeopathic medicine, the substances are used in ultra high dilutions, which makes them non-toxic - and therapeutic.

The Origins of Homeopathy

Homeopathy uses this principle of treating “like with like” that dates back to Hippocrates (460-377BC), but in its current form, Homeopathy has been used around for over 200 years. Its originator, a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, was so shocked with the harsh medical practises of his day (which included blood-letting, purging and the use of poisons such as arsenic and mercury) that he tried to find a way to reduce its harmful side effects. He began experimenting on himself and volunteers (!), using progressively smaller and smaller doses. He found that doing this was more effective and less toxic. In his research he identified that in some cases the medicine used to treat a condition ended up producing the same symptoms as he was trying to cure, but that if he reduced the dosage of this same medicine – then the condition improved. This led to his conclusion and the principle that ‘like cures like’. Hahnemann documented his work, and his texts form the foundation of Homeopathic medicine as it is practised today. Hahnemann was a medical pioneer who worked tirelessly to improve medical practice, insisting that medicines were tested before use.

Homeopathy today

Homeopathy has a prominent place in 21^st century natural medicine. As we mentioned in our article Homeopathy and the Queen, Her Majesty’s physician is a Homeopathic Doctor and Homeopathy has a long tradition of support in the UK, it is even included under the National Health Service (the UK equivalent of Medicare). It is widely used throughout Europe and in France, the most popular cold and flu remedy is Homeopathic. In India over 10,000 doctors use Homeopathic medicine to treat their patients.

Homeopathy in Australia

In Australia our Naturopaths are all trained in Homeopathy and we also have specialised ‘Classical Homeopaths’.

What sort of conditions can Homeopathy treat?

Well actually everything – from colds, coughs, flu to eczema, psoriasis, hormone imbalances, depression, headaches, behavioural problems, digestive disturbances, asthma, arthritis – the list goes on. It works wonderfully in first aid situations such as bites and stings, shock and trauma (accidents and surgery). It is also wonderful for children’s ailments. Mr Vitamins stocks a range of Homeopathic medicines for common ailments – Ask a Naturopath when you come to the store or book an appointment to discuss Homeopathy when you have a consultation with a Naturopath.