| Homeopathy is the age old technique of using basic elements to help the body along in it's ability to heal itself. By identifying the underlying cause of an illness and then introducing a small, very diluted, amount of the problem chemical you can 'teach' the body what it needs to heal itself. This is basically the same principle used in the manufacture of flu vaccines, a small amount of the actual flu is injected into the body so the body can then build up an immunity. There are homeopathy remedies for many common illnesses and diseases.
These remedies are made from a wide variety of things such as various parts of plants like the roots, leaves, and bark, minerals and even some substances that can be poisonous if taken in the wrong dosage. These diluted substances are generally mixed with water and / or alcohol in order to aid with the ingestion.
Since these remedies will help stimulate the body's own defense mechanisms they are all natural and when used properly don't have any of the negative side effects so many of the prescription or over the counter medicines have.
Unlike typical Western medicine homeopathy doesn't just treat the symptoms, but rather attacks the underlying problem. For example, when you have a cough this is the body's way of clearing an unwanted substance. If you suppress that cough with a cough drop, for example, you are suppressing your body's ability to heal itself. You might feel better since you aren't coughing anymore, but your body isn't able to heal itself properly and more often than not the issue will arise again at some point.
Because it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint the underlying problem and since the body has to 'learn' how to treat a certain disease, relief from a health issue with homeopathy usually takes longer than the initial relief of the symptoms you'd get with a drug based alternative. You may not feel better as soon as you would if you just stopped by the drugstore and picked up some cough medicine, but you're more likely to take care of the underlying problem and have relief for longer than you would if you just treat the symptoms.
Homeopathy works best when used in conjunction with traditional medical practices. Make sure you talk to your doctor about any alternative types of medicine you are trying to use so that you don't have any possibly serious side effects with the over the counter or prescription drugs you are already taking.
There are homeopathy remedies to treat many types of illnesses and this form of treatment has been effectively helping people live longer, healthier lives for thousands of years. Just make sure that you find a qualified professional to treat you. There is a lot of knowledge that goes into this type of treatment, don't think you can just go out and grab some herbs and be good to go. Make sure that you rely on a trusted professional so that you can get the most out of your treatment. |