What is Homeopathy & How Does It Work?

The name homeopathy, coined by its originator Samuel Hahnemann, is derived from the Greek words for ‘similar suffering’. Hahnemann was a medical doctor and chemist who became disenchanted with the harsh medical interventions of his day. Through careful experimentation and observation, he uncovered laws of healing found in nature upon which homeopathy is based.

Like cures like

The first principle is ‘like cures like’ (similia similibus curentur): a substance capable of producing certain symptoms in a healthy person can be used to treat those same symptoms in illness. In homeopathy we trust that the body is always using its most effective healing response — and by using medicines that stimulate a similar response, we work with the body's own vitality rather than against it.

The minimum dose

The second principle is that only the minimum dose should be used, in order to avoid the side effects so often associated with conventional treatment. Homeopathic medicines act as gentle stimuli for the body's healing response — we need only give enough to prompt that response.

Because treatment is individualized to the whole person, people often notice improvement in more than one area — mood, sense of well-being, energy and immunity can all respond.