Have you ever heard about alternative therapies? Every year this proposal is gaining more adepts, because these are methods that go beyond traditional medicine. One example is homeopathy.

What is homeopathy?

A homeopathy is an alternative therapy that works with the objective of stimulate the immune system and rebalance the vital energy Created by a German doctor, it can improve not only the disease itself, but also the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects.

While allopathy (traditional medicine) neutralizes the signs of disease and acts on them alone, homeopathy stimulates the body to fight it and understands the individual as a whole The specialist analyzes not only the disease, but seeks to know the patient's entire life history, their eating habits, physical activity, sleep, bowel and bladder functioning, ways of reacting to climatic, environmental, emotional stimuli, etc.

This is why a consultation with a homeopath can be extensive - he will ask many questions in order to better understand the patient and, through the remedies, bring balance to the body.

Also read: Essential oils to combat anxiety

How homeopathy came about

Samuel Hahnemann was born in 1755, graduated in Medicine from the University of Leipzig, Germany, and is known as the "father" of homeopathy. After being disappointed with the healing methods that existed at the time, he began the first experiments of what would later be known as homeopathy. He also based himself on a famous quote by Hippocrates (considered the "father" of medicine), which reads:"That which causes disease where it does not exist can also cure disease where it does exist."

What is it used for?

The technique can be used especially in the treatment of allergies, bronchitis, rhinitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, ear infections, gynecological and dermatological diseases, flu, viral and bacterial infections, and to alleviate the symptoms of premenstrual tension. It can also be applied to combat depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

For some serious conditions, such as cancer, the therapy works as a complementary treatment, improving the adverse reactions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, for example.prescribed by a doctor.

But the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence points out that alternative therapy is not a substitute for other treatments for diseases, so it is advisable to consult a doctor first.

How homeopathy works

Homeopathy is based on four pillars, so check them out:

Law of Similars

The most important pillar is based on the idea that the same substances that are capable of developing symptoms and diseases in healthy people also have the power to cure them in sick individuals. Thus, it is the same logic as using snake venom to cure someone who has been bitten by the animal. Hahnemann did not create this law, but he systematized it and established a method for its use.

Experimentation

Hahnemann believed that any homeopathic treatment should be tried on healthy people first, and only then be used on sick people, if the studies proved to be efficient. Another particularity is that such experiments could never be done on animals, since it was impossible for them to report side effects and symptoms.

Also read: Flower essences: What is it and what are the benefits

Minimum doses

Homeopathic remedies are produced from the extreme dilution in water of the substances that cause disease. In addition to dilution, the manufacture of this type of medicine also includes the agitation of this water with the diluted substance. Hahnemann called this process dynamization. The number of times the remedy has been dynamized is called potency - and the more times, the more potent it becomes.

Unique Remedy

In traditional, or unicist, homeopathy, the doctor indicates only one remedy at a time, quite concentrated, giving preference to the one that treats the greatest number of symptoms reported by the patient. Throughout the consultations, this remedy can change, as the doctor's knowledge of the patient increases.

However, this is not unanimous among homeopaths. There are those who prescribe more than one medicine at a time, making a combination. They are the ones who follow the pluralist line of homeopathy. In this case, the medicines are less concentrated.

Also read: Do you know what integrative medicine is?

Who can use it?

Homeopathy can benefit everyone's health - from babies to the elderly. Children, in fact, show great adherence and response to the treatments. For the little ones, usually sucrose-based globules or tablets made of lactose are prescribed. Sweets are very well accepted by this age group. Drops of hydroalcoholic solution are a good option for elderly people who have difficulty swallowingtablets, as well as people with diabetes (who cannot consume sucrose) and patients with lactose intolerance.

The consultation with a homeopathic doctor is usually extensive, since the professional asks the patient many questions to learn more about his or her personal life and indicate the most appropriate treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Homeopathy a specialty?

Homeopathy is recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization) as a complementary medicine practice and, in Brazil, was recognized as a medical specialty by the Federal Council of Medicine in 1980.

Besides, it is part of the treatments offered by the public health system (SUS - Sistema Único de Saúde) since 2006. The program includes more than 2 thousand remedies, extracted from vegetable, animal, and mineral substances. They do not cause side effects, nor harm the organism, but they must always be prescribed by a homeopathic doctor.

Are there any contraindications?

Besides, of course, not being able to use any homeopathic medication without medical advice, there are other precautions to be taken. So, check out the main ones:

• Do not self-medicate, especially not with medicines prescribed by other people. After all, everyone has a different organism;
• During the homeopathic treatment, do not use anti-dandruff shampoos, antiperspirants, ointments that have antibiotics or cortisone in their formula, and camphor-based products;
• Avoid stimulating drinks such as coffee, mate tea, and alcoholic beverages, for example.

Is homeopathy effective?

Unfortunately, there are not enough scientific proofs to prove the real benefits of homeopathy. Some researches agree that homeopathic medicines are more beneficial than placebos. But others confirm the opposite.

According to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), there is no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health condition.

Also read: Acupuncture: How it works and what it is used for

References

• São Paulo Homeopathy Association
• WebMD
• NIH - National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• NHS