What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that is fundamentally different from conventional (allopathic) medicine. Allopathic medicine tends to heavily focus on pharmaceuticals, many of which merely suppress symptoms and cause side-effects leading to further imbalance. Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body's own healing mechanisms to correct the underlying imbalance that caused the symptoms in the first place.

It’s unfortunate that the word homeopathy has the prefix “home” in it because it gives the impression that homeopathy is synonymous with home remedies, food supplements, vitamins and herbs. In fact, homeopathy does not incorporate any of these modalities.

Homeopathy is derived from the Greek word “homeo” meaning like or similar and “pathos” meaning pathology or illness. So the literal meaning of homeopathy is similar illness. This means that a homeopathic medicine is administered based upon its ability to mimic the disease state, thereby stimulating the body to heal itself.

Homeopathy had its beginning in eighteenth century Germany, with Samuel Hahnemann, a physician and scholar whose practice included aristocracy and royalty.  Disappointed in the results of the medicine that he and his colleagues were then using, Hahnemann left his prominent practice.  He went on to discover a profound natural law, the Law of Similars, which became the foundation for homeopathy. The Law of Similars asserts that any substance which can cause symptoms when given to a healthy person can help to heal those who are experiencing similar symptoms when given in a very minute amount.