Homeopathy as a gentle method of treatment

The word homeopathy comes from the Greek and means something like: "similar suffering". The alternative medical treatment method is finding more and more followers, especially since it sees itself as a holistic form of therapy and is without side effects. Critics, on the other hand, talk of "hocus-pocus" and "pseudoscience". But how does homeopathy actually differ from classical orthodox medicine?

The German physician and chemist Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (*1755) was dissatisfied with the healing art of his time. That is why he gave up his profession as a doctor and began to translate medical writings into German. In the process, he discovered some treatment recommendations that aroused his interest. One of them, for example, said that the bark of the cinchona tree helped against malaria. Although he was completely healthy, he repeatedly took small portions of the bark over a period of time in a self-experiment. To his amazement, he showed malaria-like symptoms for a few hours each time afterwards.

Subsequently, he tested other plant, mineral and animal substances in small quantities on healthy test subjects. From the symptoms that appeared, he deduced for which diseases the remedy could be used. He thus selected homeopathic remedies for sick people which would cause similar symptoms in a healthy person. Dr. Hahnemann noted down his results in an extensive collection of medicines, the basic rules of which all follow the same principle: "Similar things should be cured by similar things".

Dr. Hahnemann also tested toxic substances such as belladonna or mercury on his test subjects. To ensure that these did not have a lethal effect, he had to strongly dilute them, i.e. "potentize" them. Because of this dilution, homeopathic remedies can be considered practically free of side effects. There are D, C, M and Q potencies. In self-treatment, D and C potencies are mostly used.

In D-potencies, the dissolved original substance is first diluted 1:10 with a water-alcohol mixture and shaken. This produces a D1 potency. This is again diluted with 10 units of the solution to produce a D2 potency. This procedure is continued until the desired potency is obtained (often D6 or D12). For the C potencies, the dilution steps are much more severe. For a C1 potency, the substance is mixed with the solution in a ratio of 1:100. As a result, after only a few potentizations, the original substance can no longer be detected in the overall mixture for laboratory purposes.

Interestingly, Dr. Hahnemann observed that the more potentized the substance, the stronger and faster the effect of his preparations. He explained this with the life energies that flow through every human being. According to his conception, diseases represented a disturbance of the life force. With his remedies he wanted to stimulate the self-healing powers of the body, to restore the energies and thus bring about recovery.

For disorders at the superficial level (for example, a cold), low potencies, such as D12 or C12, are used. For deeper complaints (for example, chronic diseases), highly diluted substances are used, which are intended to start at the energetic or mental-spiritual level, such as C30 potencies.

Opponents and critics of homeopathy repeatedly emphasize that the methods are beyond any scientific verification. The success of the treatment is based only on the positive expectations of the patients, which set the healing process in motion. But for the supporters, the experience (usually made in their own bodies) that the homeopathic preparations work is enough.

For acute and mild illnesses, homeopathic remedies are suitable for self-treatment, as they are safe and easy to use. For more complex complaints, however, a visit to a homeopath is worthwhile. He not only asks about the complaints but also investigates the cause of a disease. In doing so, he takes a complete medical history in order to find the right remedy for the patient. Headaches, for example, can have many different causes. The treatment must therefore start at the origin of the complaint. However, when choosing your homeopath, make sure that he has enjoyed a sound homeopathic training and also has sufficient practical experience.

Homeopathy is suitable for everyone, even for infants and animals. At the same time, the areas of application are very diverse. Basically, homeopathy can be used everywhere where a self-healing process is expected from the body. In acute diseases, for example, headaches, colds, respiratory infections, menstrual cramps, gastrointestinal problems or cystitis.

But homeopathy is also used for chronic complaints such as allergies, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, skin diseases, arthritis and rheumatism. Likewise, many mentally ill people respond well to homeopathic remedies. In addition to depressive mood, the preparations can be used for sleep disorders, anxiety, grief or concentration problems.

Homeopathic remedies are available as drops, tablets or globules (small scattering pellets). Drops contain alcohol and should therefore not be used in children. With tablets it should be noted that they contain lactose and must therefore be avoided by people with lactose intolerance. For self-treatment, the use of D6 potencies and D12 potencies has proven effective. Higher potencies should better be taken only after consultation with a doctor. Because the effect of the appropriate remedy also depends on the choice of potency level and frequency of use.

Both the potency, the quantity and the frequency of administration are adapted to the course of the disease and the age of the patient. If there is no dosage recommendation (self-medication), the following guideline applies: the more acute the disease or symptom, the more frequently it should be taken, but only until they improve. If the symptoms worsen after the first dose, the remedy is discontinued until they subside.

Those who use low potencies (up to D10/C10) take 5 globules every half to full hour for acute complaints (until improvement occurs, but no more than 6 times a day). After that and in chronic diseases, 5 globules are taken 1 - 3 times a day. When using medium potencies (up to D29/C29), 5 globules should be given 1 - 2 times a day, and with high potencies (from D30/C30) only a single dose of 5 globules should be given. Infants receive one third, infants up to 6 years of age half and children between 6 and 12 years two thirds of the adult dose.

The number of doctors with additional homeopathic training is increasing. In addition, globules are often cheaper than other medicines. For this reason, some health insurance companies cover the costs of homeopathic therapies and medications if they are prescribed by a physician. The assumption of costs takes place  thereby mostly in the context of a supply contract with participating contract physicians. It is best to ask the health insurance company directly!

Many people are interested in gentle medicine with few side effects. Homeopathy has excelled in this regard, especially for self-treatment. For many people, homeopathic remedies are an integral part of the medicine cabinet. Some also use the preparations as a supplement to conventional medicine.