We live in a world where technology and science are used to make our lives easier and more efficient. We have developed machines that can assemble products of all sorts on their own through complicated mathematical algorithms. Our computers allow us to work away from an office and enjoy our days spending time listening to music, watching movies, or playing video games. The Internet allows us to connect with anybody anywhere in the world at speeds that were a thing of science fiction just a few decades ago. But despite all of our technological and engineering feats, the most important technological advancements were achieved in healthcare.
The combined knowledge of modern medicine and technology has allowed us to treat almost any ailment with few exceptions. Even these exceptions are given immediate attention, and medicines and cures are being researched and tested every day. However even with the awesome healing powers that we have access to today, some people look at modern medical practices with skepticism. These people consider modern medicine just another way of making money, and they feel the drugs used to treat many ailments are engineered in such a way that they may heal us at first, but at the same time also weaken our bodies so that we need to take more and more medicine the next time we will get sick. This passive addiction and dependence on drugs that may affect one’s health has been proof enough for many people of modern medicine’s failings, and it leads them to look for alternative, holistic medicines.
Recently more and more people have turned to alternative approaches to healing. Some of these methods include using herbs to make healing brews, teas, and ointments, going to witchdoctors who have been said to heal people in unorthodox ways, and even trusting people who claim to have bio-energetic powers. While these methods may be questionable from a scientific perspective, there are holistic methods of treatment that are more concrete, analytical and professional. Homeopathy is one such field that many people are turning to for the treatment of various ailments in a more natural way than modern medicine. But what is homeopathy?
The combined knowledge of modern medicine and technology has allowed us to treat almost any ailment with few exceptions. Even these exceptions are given immediate attention, and medicines and cures are being researched and tested every day. However even with the awesome healing powers that we have access to today, some people look at modern medical practices with skepticism. These people consider modern medicine just another way of making money, and they feel the drugs used to treat many ailments are engineered in such a way that they may heal us at first, but at the same time also weaken our bodies so that we need to take more and more medicine the next time we will get sick. This passive addiction and dependence on drugs that may affect one’s health has been proof enough for many people of modern medicine’s failings, and it leads them to look for alternative, holistic medicines.
Recently more and more people have turned to alternative approaches to healing. Some of these methods include using herbs to make healing brews, teas, and ointments, going to witchdoctors who have been said to heal people in unorthodox ways, and even trusting people who claim to have bio-energetic powers. While these methods may be questionable from a scientific perspective, there are holistic methods of treatment that are more concrete, analytical and professional. Homeopathy is one such field that many people are turning to for the treatment of various ailments in a more natural way than modern medicine. But what is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is, simply put, an alternative way of treating ailments. The term “homeopathy” was first coined by the German physicist Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. It works on the concept of “similia similibus curentur” which is Latin for “let similar things take care of similar things,” or more concisely “like cures like.” Based on this idea Hahnemann came up with the idea that the symptoms that appear with an illness can actually be used to cure the disease. In other words, if you have a cold with the symptom of a runny nose, that runny nose can actually be amplified and will help the body recover faster from the cold. This idea is laughed at by many advocates of modern medicine. Many studies have been completed to see if homeopathic treatments are effective, but most of the results of these research efforts have concluded that people treated by means of homeopathy are cured only by luck and the placebo effect. This basically means that if you strongly believe that the cure is working, you will eventually cure yourself. However, homeopathic practitioners do not feel that this is simply a placebo effect or a guess, and they take great care to choose the proper treatment for their patients.
Homeopathic practitioners actually spend a great deal more time getting to know their patient’s personal needs. While a doctor would briefly question and examine a patient before prescribing a specific type of medication, a homeopathy practitioner would complete the same examination, but with much more attention and focus on the individual characteristics of the patient. Homeopathic knowledge states that traits such as temperament and personality can influence the treatment, so it is very important for the practitioner to go through a thorough interview with the patient before giving him or her any kind of treatment. This allows homeopathic practitioners to customize treatments to each individual. If you were to visit a traditional doctor with a fever, you would be given aspirin. The doctor would give the same aspirin to each and every patient who shares your symptoms of fever. But in the case of homeopathy, if you and another person show up to get a similar fever treated, you would actually get different types of treatments based on your individual situations. This is because homeopathic knowledge says that each and every person has a different interior mechanism that responds differently to treatments. The diluted solution that you would receive for your fever might be totally different from another person’s. Homeopathic medicine focused on this individualized treatment, and each patient will receive what is best for their personal situation.
But what exactly are homeopathic practitioners prescribing as treatments to their patients? The treatments are diluted solutions composed of different ingredients, all of which are carefully measured to fit the patient. These ingredients are things like herbs, minerals, oils and other substances, and they are carefully blended to fit the requirements of every patient differently. All the ingredients are carefully measured and then distilled in alcohol. This process is only done after a careful examination of the patient, as previously stated. Once a patient with a certain ailment begins taking their solution, his or her symptoms will be amplified to a certain extend. This might seem counterintuitive or dangerous, but in homeopathy, stimulating the human body to fight off the ailment by amplifying the symptoms is what makes it effective. The symptoms are there for a reason, and they will help the body to get rid of the disease. This basically means that if you have a sore throat, increasing its symptoms will make the throat heal itself faster in a natural way.
Homeopathic medicine is not merely witchcraft or old wive’s tales, it is a method of treatment that focuses on the individual, and the individual’s ability to heal themselves through amplification of symptoms that force the body to heal itself without the help of man-made drugs and chemicals. The main reason why people try out homeopathic treatments is because they want a natural alternative, which is a very normal reaction in today’s world. Everything seems to be artificial, and it is understandable why anybody would want to try out more natural remedies. Of course, modern medicine should not be completely shunned away in the search of a natural remedy, but for those looking for a more natural, gentle way of helping the body heal itself, homeopathic medicine is an interesting avenue to explore.
Reference list
1. http://www.homeopathyforlife.com/what-is-homeopathy/homeopathy-vs-traditional-medicine.html
2. http://www.homeopathywithlisa.com/Homeopathy_vs_Conventional_Medicine.php
3. http://tao-garden.com/homeopathy-compared-to-traditional-medicine/
4. http://voices.yahoo.com/do-homeopathic-treatments-work-as-well-as-traditional-6036882.html
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11327521
Homeopathic practitioners actually spend a great deal more time getting to know their patient’s personal needs. While a doctor would briefly question and examine a patient before prescribing a specific type of medication, a homeopathy practitioner would complete the same examination, but with much more attention and focus on the individual characteristics of the patient. Homeopathic knowledge states that traits such as temperament and personality can influence the treatment, so it is very important for the practitioner to go through a thorough interview with the patient before giving him or her any kind of treatment. This allows homeopathic practitioners to customize treatments to each individual. If you were to visit a traditional doctor with a fever, you would be given aspirin. The doctor would give the same aspirin to each and every patient who shares your symptoms of fever. But in the case of homeopathy, if you and another person show up to get a similar fever treated, you would actually get different types of treatments based on your individual situations. This is because homeopathic knowledge says that each and every person has a different interior mechanism that responds differently to treatments. The diluted solution that you would receive for your fever might be totally different from another person’s. Homeopathic medicine focused on this individualized treatment, and each patient will receive what is best for their personal situation.
But what exactly are homeopathic practitioners prescribing as treatments to their patients? The treatments are diluted solutions composed of different ingredients, all of which are carefully measured to fit the patient. These ingredients are things like herbs, minerals, oils and other substances, and they are carefully blended to fit the requirements of every patient differently. All the ingredients are carefully measured and then distilled in alcohol. This process is only done after a careful examination of the patient, as previously stated. Once a patient with a certain ailment begins taking their solution, his or her symptoms will be amplified to a certain extend. This might seem counterintuitive or dangerous, but in homeopathy, stimulating the human body to fight off the ailment by amplifying the symptoms is what makes it effective. The symptoms are there for a reason, and they will help the body to get rid of the disease. This basically means that if you have a sore throat, increasing its symptoms will make the throat heal itself faster in a natural way.
Homeopathic medicine is not merely witchcraft or old wive’s tales, it is a method of treatment that focuses on the individual, and the individual’s ability to heal themselves through amplification of symptoms that force the body to heal itself without the help of man-made drugs and chemicals. The main reason why people try out homeopathic treatments is because they want a natural alternative, which is a very normal reaction in today’s world. Everything seems to be artificial, and it is understandable why anybody would want to try out more natural remedies. Of course, modern medicine should not be completely shunned away in the search of a natural remedy, but for those looking for a more natural, gentle way of helping the body heal itself, homeopathic medicine is an interesting avenue to explore.
Reference list
1. http://www.homeopathyforlife.com/what-is-homeopathy/homeopathy-vs-traditional-medicine.html
2. http://www.homeopathywithlisa.com/Homeopathy_vs_Conventional_Medicine.php
3. http://tao-garden.com/homeopathy-compared-to-traditional-medicine/
4. http://voices.yahoo.com/do-homeopathic-treatments-work-as-well-as-traditional-6036882.html
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11327521
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