Homeopathy for your health and wellbeing

Homeopathy was founded by the German physician Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) who formalised this system of medicine and has since been used successfully for over 200 years by millions people worldwide.  There is great demand for this method of treatment and in some countries such as India, it is part of the health care system. Over the centuries a large clinical evidence base has been recorded and trials are conducted to this day. 

Your health is of great interest to a homeopath, considering YOU as an individual. The homeopathic first consultation lasts about an hour and a half as the homeopaths enquires about your health issues and the multitude of factors that influence your health.

Homeopaths have a vast range of remedies to work with. Your symptoms are carefully considered and skilfully matched to a remedy that will instigate a response in the organism always aiming towards amelioration of symptoms, improvement of health, restoration of balance and wellbeing.

The remedies used derive from natural substances and have been tested on healthy human beings. Homeopaths term this process ‘proving'. Many remedy provings have been carried out over the last 200 years so that the substances can be used as medicinal agents. These proving results give us the symptom pictures of the remedies which have been meticulously recorded for each substance in the Materia Medica and form the basis for clinical use.

Hahnemann conceived from his experiments with cinchona bark and other substances that cure proceeds through similarity, and that treatments must be able to produce symptoms in healthy individuals similar to those of the disease being treated. This is known as the Law of Similars or "let like be cured by like" which is a fundamental healing principle. It is based on the experimentations and observations that a substance that in large doses will produce symptoms of a specific disease will, in extremely small doses, cure it.

Homeopathy differs from conventional medicine in its approach to the patient and to the concept of ill health. It is a holistic therapy that not only recognises the physical symptoms of illness but also takes into account the mental and emotional side as well as the development of each individual person. Homeopathy stimulates the body's own healing responses to disease.

Let's look at a patient's case. A young adult, whom I was treating for various ailments in the past, sought treatment for flu that had not responded to antibiotic treatment. The patient was asked to describe his symptoms in details: he said that since the cold and damp spell a few weeks ago he has been suffering from a severe dry cough that is worse at night, he also has dreadful night sweats that leave him weak and with no energy. He is very thirsty and drinks a lot of water to ease the horrible taste in his mouth. He also suffers from head ache and a green, smelly discharge runs from the nose. Considering these symptoms and taking into account the patient's restlessness and confused state of mind I prescribed the remedy most closely matching his symptom picture, Mercurius-sol. After a short intensification of symptoms and production of copious expectoration the patient improved and became symptom free in a short time and his energy levels were back to usual.

This case example illustrates that with acute ailments homeopathy can act swiftly whilst in chronic disease treatment may be required over a period of time till health is restored.

Is Homeopathy a choice for you?

The answer is yes - a homeopath treats each person as a unique individual and offers tailor-made prescriptions which are safe, non toxic and have no side-effects. Homeopathy is suited for all age groups from the very young to the elderly and may be considered for various disease conditions, also for patients for whom drug treatments are poorly tolerated or contra-indicated, for example in pregnancy. It can be used alone or alongside conventional medicine

Angelika Metzger is a fully qualified practitioner and registered with the Society of Homeopaths with 11 years experience in the U.K. and abroad. She practice from various London locations at The Brackenbury Natural Health Centre in Hammersmith, at my Willesden Green clinic and at The Summit at Highgate. Please visit www.amhomeopath.co.uk, or phone 020 8830 6020 for more information. You can also find a registered homeopath through the Society of Homeopaths website: www.homeopathy-soh.org