Homeopathy FAQs
Q: What is homeopathy?
A: Homeopathy is the use of natural medicines in very small doses to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
Q: Why does the body’s natural healing ability need to be stimulated?
A: Actually mostly our bodies heal themselves naturally all the time. However, sometimes the body gets ’stuck’ and you don’t get better in the way you expected. A correctly prescribed homeopathic medicine can then encourage the body to do its best to get better.
Q: How exactly does homeopathy do this?
A: Ah, that is the big question! There are many theories but no proof. All we know is that people with incredibly stubborn illnesses do get better after seeing homeopathic doctors.
Q: Is homeopathy safe?
A: It is one of the safest forms of medicine available and can be used on children, babies and pregnant women. The only time that homeopathy can be seen as ‘unsafe’ is when it is used in critical situations instead of
orthodox medicine or surgery. For example, homeopathy would be very unsafe if used in appendicitis or meningitis instead of surgery and antibiotics respectively.
Q: How long has homeopathy been around?
A: 200 years. The seminal text of homeopathy, The Organon, was published in 1810.
Q: Is it used in all countries?
A: Yes, I’ve never heard of any country where the people do not use homeopathy in some form. However it is better known in some countries than others. It is huge in India with millions of users and very big in France and Argentina.
Q: What about the UK?
A: The place of homeopathy in the UK is very interesting. Soon after its inception, a physician, Dr Quin brought it to England. He soon became physician to the Royal Family and built the first London Homeopathic Hospital. Homeopathic benefactors then built hospitals in Glasgow, Tunbridge Wells, Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol. At the creation of the NHS in 1948, all these hospitals were invited to become part of the Health Service and all accepted. Thus homeopathy has been part of the NHS ever since its inception.
Q: Can I get homeopathy on the NHS?
A: The answer is yes for most people in the UK. However if you happen to live in an area where the authorities controlling health care have decided not to fund NHS homeopathy, your GP might not be able to refer you. However for most people in the UK, a GP referral to a NHS homeopathic clinic will result in them getting treated by a medical doctor trained in homeopathic medicine.
Q: Why are there so many anti-Homeopathy articles in the media these days?
A: Homeopathy has endured regular attacks like these over the last 200 years. The most recent attacks are not new; they say the same thing that detractors of homeopathy were saying in the 19th century: ‘The doses of medicine used by homeopaths are so low they can obviously have no effect.’ We, homeopaths have heard this so many times yet, and are also puzzled intellectually by how our medicines work. But our clinical experience shows that people taking correctly prescribed homeopathic medicines do indeed get better.
Q: How do you know that these people just wouldn’t get better without any medicine?
A: Because most of the patients seeking homeopathy have tried orthodox medicine and many other forms of treatment for years before trying homeopathy. When a doctor sees a patient suddenly released from years of suffering, s/he becomes pretty convinced it was the homeopathic medicine, not coincidence.
Q: Can I treat myself homeopathically?
A: Yes and no. For little injuries, colds and other minor illnesses such as teething problems, the amateur homeopath can sometimes get results.
For most illnesses however, it’s much preferable to be treated by a qualified homeopathic doctor.
Q: Why?
A: Because a homeopathic doctor needs to understand you and your illness in great detail. S/he must understand, not only all the details of your symptoms, but much about you as a human being and how you react to being ill. For example some people like to be left alone when they are ill and others really need TLC and sympathy. This actually affects the prescription of the homeopathic remedy.
Q: How can my personality affect the medicine I need for my illness?
A: Because homeopathy aims to treat you and not only your illness. It aims to stimulate your whole mind/body and its intricate connections to
fix the ‘dis-ease’ within. So actually you heal yourself but the homeopathic remedy was the thing that got you started! Otherwise your body may have just stayed in a rut where it could heal itself but for some reason was not doing so. Homeopathy thus ensures that the body does its level best to get better.
Q: Can homeopathy heal all illnesses?
A: No it cannot. Some problems are very difficult to cure with any form of medicine. When you first visit a homeopath s/he should be honest with you about what homeopathy can or cannot do in your case. Even when homeopathy cannot cure it can often alleviate conditions. This is because it stimulates the body to do the best it can.
Q: Can I use homeopathy to vaccinate my child?
A: Sorry but that just isn’t viable. Some homeopaths (and this is more frequent among those who are not doctors) have used ‘vaccinations’
in homeopathic dilutions. There is no proof that these offer protection against infectious illnesses and therefore they are dangerous because they give parents a false sense of security about their children’s health.
Q: Are homeopathic medicines expensive?
A: No, homeopathy is one of the most cost-effective forms of medicine available.
Q: pWhy is private homeopathy expensive?
A: Actually it isn’t expensive per unit time. Homeopaths need a lot of time to talk to you before prescribing. This is because the medicine needs to suit you as well as your illness. S/he really needs to understand you. Many homeopaths need an hour or more for the first consultation with you. Other specialists may see 4 patients in that time. Compare what private homeopaths earn a minute to what other medical specialists in private practice earn a minute and you will see that homeopathy is not expensive compared to other medical specialities.
Q: If I need treatment by another specialist, will you tell me?
A: Yes of course. I (and most other medical doctors using homeopathy) are well connected to other doctors. If I think that you could benefit from seeing an eye specialist or cardiologist, I would not hesitate to refer you to one. Even though many specialists may not believe in homeopathy and natural medicine, I as a medical doctor, do believe in their work and how vital it is in certain situations. I see it as my job to sit on the fence between natural medicine and conventional medicine and choose the best for my patient. Patients who consult a medical doctor who has specialised in homeopathy, have every right to expect that he or she will choose the best for them from the world.
Q: Where can I find out more about homeopathy?
A: There is a wealth of information on the internet but I would like to recommend the British Homeopathic Association who have represented medical homeopathy for many years. Their excellent website is at
www.trusthomeopathy.org.
Q: Can I speak to you before making an appointment?
A: Certainly. I think you are entitled to ask a few questions before consulting a homeopathic doctor who will ask you all sorts of questions about your problem and your life. You are welcome to phone me on my mobile for a short conversation. Obviously it will not be viable for me to listen to the entire story of your illness on the phone or make a diagnosis or prognosis without doing a full assessment, but I will be more than happy to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed here. My telephone number is: +44 (7956) 870 951. If I’m consulting at the time, please leave a message and I’ll get back to you. Alternatively feel free to email me.
