What is Homeopathic Treatment Like?

Homeopathic treatment for chronic illness begins with the physician taking a complete case.  This includes your medical history with all your complaints, past history, and also a general review of your physical nature (body temperature, food desires, etc.), sensitivity and personality.  A physical exam can also provide useful information.  Taking the case generally requires several hours, and should give the homeopathic physician enough information to find the one medicine which is best for the patient.  Depending on the patient’s response to the remedy, the physician may choose to repeat or change remedies.  One or more medicines may be needed during the course of treatment for chronic illness, but remedies are always given one at a time, each dose corresponding to the patient’s state at the time the medicine is given.  The complete treatment of chronic illness may take several years, depending on many factors including; the patient’s age and general level of vitality; duration of the illness; depth and complexity of the illness and amount of previous suppressive treatment with conventional drugs or surgery.

Since the patient’s symptoms expressed in his/her own words form the basis for choosing the correct medicine, it is of great importance that the patient learns to observe and report symptoms.  It may require some effort to pay attention to aspects of one’s life which many people often ignore.  After the initial case interview the homeopath may ask the patient to observe certain symptoms more closely.  Thus the person being treated for chronic disease must be patient.  Also, during the course of treatment, certain symptoms may be temporarily worse.  This normally does not last longer than a few days.  It is important to try to avoid interrupting the healing process by suppressing such symptoms with potent pain medication, tranquilizers, antibiotics or cortisone. (This should be individually discussed with a doctor).

It is important to remember that homeopathy is a very complex and exacting medical science.  The reason the physician spends so much time with the patient, trying to understand his or her symptoms so well, is that he must choose the one medicine that matches the symptoms of the patient best.  There are several thousand homeopathic medicines, many with similar symptoms, or overlapping symptom pictures; homeopathy is as complex as nature!  There is no homeopathic physician who finds the right remedy every time.  Please be patient.

Homeopathy is a powerful safe, and effective medical system.  It does however; require considerable commitment from both the patient and physician,

Does Lifestyle Play a Role in Treatment?

Yes!  A healthy lifestyle is very important in any program designed to improve your health.  Also, homeopathic medicines are most effective if the patient is taking good care of himself or herself.  A healthy diet, regular exercise, plenty of sleep and a balance of work and relaxation are an important foundation for treatment. 

What Will Happen After Treatment?

After taking your remedy you should notice some changes taking place. These changes may occur quite quickly after your first dose or they may take a few weeks to appear. It is possible that for a very short time, your symptoms may appear slightly worse. This is called a homeopathic aggravation and means the remedy is taking effect and you should feel the beginnings of recovery when this period has passed. Alternatively, patients often experience a period of well being and optimism. If you develop any new symptoms during treatment, and have any questions, you should contact your Homeopath. Whatever happens between appointments, it is important to keep careful track of it so that you can discuss it at your next appointment. To understand an aggravation more clearly, the following is a typical situation. After a patient’s case is taken and they are given the homeopathic remedy that most closely matches the symptoms, they may notice that hours later, you may develop cold like symptoms, with a runny nose and sneezing. This normally lasts only a short while, and when the cold clears up the original symptoms is better. At not time, is the patient asked to go off doctor prescribed medicines.

How Long is a Course of Treatment?

This depends very much on what sort of illness you have. A very slowly developing complaint will not disappear overnight, but other complaints can go quite quickly. Generally, we expect to see some reaction within the first month. Complicated cases are healed from the inside, working outwards. This means that superficial skin eruptions are usually the last symptoms to go. Be patient, it is much better for you to be relieved of both the cause of your illness and its symptoms, rather than just merely masking the symptoms. Every case is different, just as no two people are alike.