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Q. What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy, pure and simple, is energy medicine.

It is a complete system of natural medicine which has its own principles of
practice and treats the whole person (including the physical, emotional and
mental levels), at any stage of life, for acute or chronic complaints. In
fact, it can help any living creature-animals included.

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Q. What can homeopathy treat?

Anything and anybody ... within certain limits!

First aid: accidents and injuries of any shape and size. Once you have seen
Arnica work like magic to heal a bruised muscle or a sprain, you will be
convinced of its power! If you have a serious injury then you may need
orthodox medical treatment, for instance to set a broken bone. And ...
homeopathy to speed the healing of that bone and alleviate the pain at the
same time.

Acute illness: infections anywhere in the body, from colds and flus, to
middle ear, urinary tract and respiratory infections.

Chronic illness: from arthritis and migraines to varicose veins and depression.

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Q. My friend says you need to believe in it for it to work. Is that true?

Not necessarily. Homeopathy works when given to sleeping babies,
unconscious adults and animals.

Believing in a medicine helps the healing whether it is antibiotics or
herbs ... or homeopathy. But homeopathy works independently of whether you want it to, and numerous research studies have proven this ... including
several on plants!!! However, you do need to see it working to believe in
it! And nowhere is this more dramatic than on a head injury or a child
suffering from the terrible pains of an otitis media (middle ear infection). The right remedy works like magic ... healing on all levels ...
the physical pain and the emotional distress.
 

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Q. How do homeopaths treat the whole person?

Homeopaths have a great respect for the physical, emotional, and mental
levels of the body, and their interconnectedness.

We treat the whole person thereby affecting these three levels, rather than
separating them and treating the symptoms separately. For example, the
emotional stress of childbirth has a big impact on women and some can
suffer with postpartum depression. This depression may lead to further
physical problems. A homeopath will look at the complete picture, and take
into account the cause of the depression, how that woman is feeling
emotionally and any physical symptoms she may be experiencing at the same time. We call this constitutional treatment.

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Q. Can I treat myself?

You can use homeopathy successfully on yourself, your family, your newborn baby, your elderly relatives, your cats and dogs ... and some people even use it for their plants!

You do need to follow the rules, to acquaint yourself with the guiding
principles we talked about at the beginning so that you can treat yourself
and your family safely and effectively. It is important to only treat minor
acute illnesses and injuries, and to seek professional help at all other
times.

For chronic problems (those that have been around for a while ... say, 2
months or more) or for complaints that keep recurring, or for more serious
problems, it is always best to see a professional homeopath.

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Q. How can I learn more about treating acute illness myself?

Start with a homeopathic first aid book and read it carefully.

Homeopathic remedies each have a complete picture of symptoms ... mental, emotional and physical ... which you need to know in order to have it work successfully for you. We suggest that you learn these pictures gradually, and know that as you use each one and see it work for you, you will never forget it. Eventually, these remedies become like old friends. There may be a local homeopathic study group in your area ... this is a fun way to learn with others!  If there isn't, you can start one yourself!

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Q. What good homeopathic first aid books can you recommend?

The Complete Homeopathy Handbook
by Miranda Castro.

Homeopathic Medicine at Home
by Maesimund B. Panos, M.D. and Jane Heimlich.

Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines
by Stephen Cummings, F.N.P. and Dana Ullman, M.P.H.

There are many more excellent books on homeopathy.
Check out Minimum Price Homeopathic Books for a complete selection.

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Q. Are homeopathic medicines safe?

Yes, homeopathic medicines are prepared in a special way that makes them
safe even for small babies and pregnant women. If the wrong medicine is
taken, it simply has no affect. You must use basic common sense, however,
and consult with your primary care provider if your child is sick or if you
are pregnant to make sure your complaint is minor.

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Q. How quickly will a homeopathic remedy work?

Quite quickly ... if it is the right remedy!

Improvement can be seen immediately or it may take up to 24 hours, but you should see some improvement within that time with the correctly chosen
remedy. A good homeopathic first aid book will cover the basic guidelines
you should follow, as well as precautions to take, when treating yourself
for acute illnesses.

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Q. Is it safe to use homeopathy while I am breastfeeding? (Or pregnant?)

Yes. Homeopathic medicines are safe and do not have the toxic side affects
of many allopathic medicines, making it an excellent choice of medicine
during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women are grateful to know that they
can seek relief from the pain, for example of mastitis or hemorrhoids,
without harming themselves or their babies.

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Q. Can I safely treat my baby?

Homeopathy is safe for babies too. In fact, because it is so gentle, yet
effective, it is an excellent form of medicine for even very young babies.

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Q. Are there any books on homeopathy for pregnancy and birth?

Yes, there are three books. And we wrote two of them!
The Homeopathic Childbirth Manual
by Betty Idarius.

Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth, and Your Baby's First Years
by Miranda Castro.

Homeopathic Medicine for Pregnancy & Childbirth
by Richard Moscowitz

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Q. When should I seek the advice of a professional homeopath?

A homeopathic consultation is useful for treating serious acute illness and
chronic illnesses. It also is useful as preventative medicine ... to
strengthen your immune system and keep you in top health.

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Q. What happens during a homeopathic consultation?

The initial homeopathic consultation typically takes between 1 to 2 hours.
There is a lot of talking on your part and a lot of listening on the part
of your homeopath! You will be asked questions about your main complaint, as well as many other physical, mental, or emotional problems. Your homeopath will take a full medical history that takes into account your
physical milestones and traumas as well as significant emotional stresses.
Patients often say they have never been asked so much about themselves at
one sitting, and they have a different sense of themselves ... more as a
whole person than ever before, because of this wide range of questioning.
This in itself can be very healing!

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Q. Should other treatments be stopped or can you use homeopathy alongside other therapies?

Yes and no. It depends on the treatments as well as the nature of your
complaints. Your homeopath will be able to advise you on this.

Many homeopaths are willing and able to treat their patients alongside some
other therapies. Some will suggest (sensibly)  that you do not have
homeopathic treatment alongside for example, acupuncture treatment, as both are seeking  to stimulate your body to heal itself in a similar way (but
using different tools) ... and this can be confusing!

Homeopathy will work alongside orthodox medical treatments, gentle physical therapies such as cranio-sacraltherapy, counselling and psychotherapies, botanical or herbal medicine and ...?

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Q. What are homeopathic remedies made from?

This is a great question! So many people think that homeopathy and herbs
are the same or at least a similar thing. Well, many of our medicines are
made from plants but we also use substances from the mineral kingdom
including many metals such as gold, some poisons such as arsenic and acids
such as phosphoric acid, and substances from the animal kingdom such as
snake venoms and bee stings.

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Q. How can these be safe?!

These medicines are prepared in a special way that renders them non-toxic.
They are diluted by a specific process that renders them harmless from a
toxicological point of view, while increasing their healing potential. We
know this sounds fantastic. Like we said, you have to see it to believe it
....
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Q. Are there side-effects from the use of homeopathic remedies?

No and yes... Homeopathic medicines are non-toxic, but, in stimulating your
body to heal itself there can be a temporary worsening of your symptoms
initially followed by improvement. This usually only occurs when treating
chronic illnesses rather than acute or first aid situations. This is one
reason it is important to seek out a qualified homeopath when treating
chronic complaints who can monitor your progress carefully and reassure you at each stage. These aggravations as they are called are often accompanied by a general sense of well-being and are a positive sign that the treatment is correct.

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Q. Where can I find a qualified homeopath in my area?

One of the best ways to find a homeopath is to ask for a referral from
friends, family, and other health care professionals in your area.

The following organizations all publish registers:

National Center for Homeopathy
801 N. Fairfax St., Ste. 306, Alexandria, VA  22314, (703) 548-7790
MDs and other licensed health care practitioners who practice homeopathy

Council for Homeopathic Certification
1709 Seabright Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA   95062
(408) 421-0565
Certify professional homeopaths who practice classical homeopathy

North American Society of Homeopaths
1122 East Pike Street, Suite 1122
Seattle, WA 98122
(541) 345-9815
Professional homeopaths who practice classical homeopathy

Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians
11231 SE Market Street
Portland, OR 97216
(503) 795-0579
Open to Naturopathic Physicians (NDs) who practice classical homeopathy

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Q. Where can I learn more about homeopathy?

There are 100's of homeopathic study groups throughout the USA (and the
world!) for those interested in learning more about homeopathy. The
National Center for Homeopathy publishes a directory of homeopaths in the
United States and Canada that also lists several hundred homeopathic study
groups. These groups meet once or twice a month to learn homeopathy
together. You can write The National Center for Homeopathy, and order their directory or mailto:nchinfo@igc.apc.org?subject=Info on Homeopathic Study Groups at the NCH and she will tell you if there is a study group close to you. You can also request that she mail you an application packet if you want to start a study group yourself. The NCH also publishes a monthly newsletter, Homeopathy Today, which lists courses and schools for homeopathic study.
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