Homeopathy is a system of medicine which has the ability to treat the individual and not just the disease. It is a science which is very popular among people, a popularity which is growing by the day. This is due to its completeness of cure and the ability to deal with modern day problems related to stress and lifestyle. Homeopathic treatments are relatively safe and do not involve any adverse effects. The treatment is speedy, gentle and costs a fraction as that of conventional medicine. In homoeopathy, the focus is on the complete well-being of a patient, rather than just the removal of local problems.

Homeopathy is a branch of medicine originated in 1794 by Dr Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician. It is based on the Law of Similars. In a way, it is modified vaccination; whereby, a substance which is capable of producing a disease like state, in a healthy human being is administered to the patient, but in a very minute dose, to treat the similar disease state.

Homeopathy works much beyond vaccination. Here, the dose administered is unbelievably miniscule, which renders it absolutely harmless yet very powerful. It is truly a nano medicine of the modern day quantum physics.

As supported in major clinical trials and in practice, it is believed to be working by stimulating body’s own healing mechanisms. This stimulus assists the body system in clearing itself of any expressions of imbalance. It thus enhances the general immunity towards diseases. Of ten people who get wet in the rain, only one gets pneumonia. Most bacteria can affect us only when our own healing power or resistance is low. By removing the bacteria (by antibiotics, etc.) we are doing nothing to correct this lack of resistance. Homoeopathic medicine aims to correct the disturbed vital force and thus enhances the power of the body to heal itself. It does not aim at removing the symptoms of the parts affected, but treats the cause and restores health. According to Homoeopathy, symptoms are a reflection of the disturbed vital force.

Homeopathy is based on the philosophy that the body, mind and emotions are not really separate and distinct, but are actually fully integrated. Based on this perspective, a homeopath seeks a remedy that fits all of a patient’s physical and psychological symptoms.

Prolonged emotional stress can cause physical problems, like upset stomach, difficulty in digesting foods, poor nutrient assimilation, weaker immune system, sleeplessness, etc. The opposite is also true. Illness and physical problems can result in anxiety or emotional uneasiness. Therefore, it is important for a homeopath to conduct an in-depth interview of a patient to ensure a proper, all encompassing remedy.

Thus homeopathy differs from the conventional mode of treating the patients by its holistic approach. The homeopathic approach is more of TOTALISTIC and INDIVIDUALISTIC in nature. In brief, the concept suggests looking at any disease condition in its totality rather than treating it in isolation. Any major disease is multi-factorial in its origin. The approach entails the study of the nature of the physical body, body’s reaction pattern, body structure, etc. It also includes the diseases that one has suffered in past, the history of diseases that the family members suffered. It entails systematic study of mind and emotional pattern, behavior pattern, stress coping system, etc. All these factors are considered for understanding the constitution of the patient and selecting his individual constitutional remedy.

There is no medicine for any particular disease, but there is a medicine for the patient suffering from the disease. “The individual, not the disease, is the entity” said the celebrated Sir William Osler.

It is being increasingly acknowledged these days even by doctors of the conventional system, that the mind and body are inter linked. We now see the rapid rise of the holistic concept of disease with an emphasis on its psychosomatic aspect.

The present problem of the patient is not usually an isolated occurrence; it is part of a sequence of events since childhood. The family history and the events through childhood are taken into account as homoeopathy treats not only the present symptoms, but the entire sequence, thereby preventing the progress of disease. Children under Homoeopathic treatment grow in to more healthy adults; as they find relief from the scourge of bad inheritance as well.

Besides the special method of preparing homeopathic medicines render them absolutely free from any toxic substance in it. The medicines thus are absolutely safe and free from any side effects. They are safe for even babies and pregnant women. In fact most, if not all, curative therapies (including some forms of psychotherapy, meditation, etc.) are (consciously or unconsciously) based on the law of similars. The Homoeopath applies this principle scientifically and systematically using carefully tested medicines.

Homoeopathy is helpful for various types of skin diseases, psychosomatic diseases, digestive system disorders, hormonal imbalances, allergic diseases such as urticaria, asthma, diseases of children, diseases of women, etc.