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About Homeopathy What Is Homeopathy? Is Homeopathy Right for Me? How Do I Choose?

Glossary Treatment Applications Types of Homeopathy Credentials

Is Homeopathy Right for Me?

From acne to yellow fever, most health issues that can be addressed by your general practitioner can be successfully treated homeopathically. Homeopathy is appealing to many people because it is natural and safe, has no harsh side effects, and is administered in a positive, happy atmosphere by a caring practitioner who is trained to take the time to listen to you and discuss your health issues—as opposed to the sterility and anonymity that accompany much of conventional medicine. Just as important, homeopathy treats the entire person, mental, emotional, and physical, not just the narrowest physically defined medical problem. Many people like the simplicity of homeopathy—no matter how many symptoms you’re experiencing, you’ll take only one remedy, and that remedy will be aimed at all your symptoms. Finally, many people consider homeopathy when they have a recurring health issue that does not respond to conventional medicine.

Homeopaths believe that illness is often the result of a disruption of the body's vital force—the energy necessary to maintain a healthy body and defend against disease. Treatment therefore addresses disruptions in one's vital force—those that may have resulted from stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, or environmental changes. Conventional medicine sometimes refers to this energy as the body's own healing power.

Homeopathic remedies speed recovery by stimulating the vital force. The most effective remedies match the symptom profile as accurately as possible, while also taking into account diet, exercise habits, lifestyle, and family medical history. A homeopath tries to identify a patient's constitutional type, which will help point to one of the hundreds of frequently used preventive and curative remedies. For example, someone with a “phosphorus constitution” may be prone to anxiety, circulatory problems, and digestive disorders, and will respond to the “phosphorus remedy,” regardless of the specific illness.