Homoeopathy

Homoeopathically, we are able to address ALL of the following: -

• Acute Conditions
• Chronic Conditions
• Constitutional Prescribing

Chris Thomas handles all consultations personally. He has a Diploma of The British Institute of Homoeopathy at Practitioner Level, is registered as a member of The Alliance of Registered Homeopaths, and has received the award of Fellow of the British Institute of Homoeopathy in recognition of work of consistently high merit. Certificates of qualification are available on-site for inspection by the public.

So what exactly is Homoeopathy?

The first reaction of some people to the term ‘Homoeopathy’ is to associate it with herbs or natural products. So let’s be clear about this! Homoeopathy does indeed use remedies derived from plant sources, however almost 40% of the remedies are derived from non-plant sources. Also, and this is a very important concept to understand, homoeopathic remedies are not simply preparations of the substance used – as in herbal treatments. Homoeopathic remedies are prepared in a special way to ‘potentise’ them and raise their health restoring powers. Another vitally important consideration is the approach Homoeopathy takes to illness itself. It works in a totally different way from approaches that simply aim to treat the physical body. The word ‘homoeopathy’ comes from the Greek’ ‘Homoe’-‘like’ and ‘Pathos’-‘suffering’. With this word we meet the first great characteristic of homoeopathy: ‘like cures like’.

This idea is often totally opposite to the ideas of other medical disciplines. Take, for example, the use of a laxative to treat constipation; in homoeopathy we would instead use a very small dose of a remedy that in much greater concentration might well cause the symptom of constipation. Thus a remedy for alcoholism comes from the same succulent plant that is used to make tequila. All the remedies that we use have a ‘drug picture’. This is a written survey of the symptoms noted when the drug was given to healthy volunteers, and compiled in books known as materia medica and repertories.

The second great ‘rule’ of homoeopathy is the use of the ‘minimum dose’. Homoeopaths have found that the smaller the dose of substance given to a person suffering from illness, the greater the response, provided that the medicine is ‘potentised’ first. This is achieved through repeatedly succussing (shaking) the remedy first. Homoeopathic remedies differ from their herbal cousins by this manner of their preparation. The idea of the minute dose is not unknown in traditional medicine where, for example, heart drugs are used in micro doses.

The third important idea is that qualified homoeopaths generally treat patients with only one remedy rather than with a selection, as is often the case with orthodox medicine. Perhaps, the most important idea of homoeopathy, and one shared with many other associated therapies including herbalism and aromatherapy, is that conditions are not treated in isolation – we treat the whole person. To a homoeopath there is, broadly speaking, no one remedy to treat a condition. The remedy will vary with the patient. A remedy indicated in one patient might well be totally inappropriate to another, even though the symptoms may appear similar.

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What happens at my consultation?

Your first visit with a homœopath may involve the longest medical consultation you have ever experienced in your life!! A first consultation would involve an investigation into the patient’s personality, nutritional likes and dislikes (sweet, sour, or spicy food, salt, mustard), atmospheric preferences, (cold, hot, wet, dry, windy) and many other seemingly obscure investigations. In this way, it is possible to build up a total picture of the person presenting for treatment. The next stage is to catalogue the symptoms prompting the consultation, and to match these with the ‘drug picture’ of all the remedies, so that the ‘like treats like’ philosophy may be satisfied. There are several thousand such drug pictures; to cover them all could certainly need a computer – such resources are available at this pharmacy. Most prescribers, however, carry the ‘drug pictures’ of several hundred remedies in their heads, and rely on textbooks for the rest. Once the appropriate remedy is found a dose of this will be administered to the patient. This constitutes the first consultation. Subsequently, after a period of maybe four to six weeks, the patient returns to discuss any improvement or change in their condition. These consultations and any more that are required will be of shorter duration as the homoeopath has taken much of the necessary information at the first occasion.

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Some Homoeopathic FAQ’s

Is it safe?
Homœopathic medicines are completely safe and non-addictive. They can be used without anxiety by anyone, including small babies, pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers. The concentration of active ingredients is always very small - statistically, sometimes less than one molecule in a whole bottle of pills! How they work is not entirely understood, but energy transfer during preparation is key.
All medicines should be kept out of reach of children, but even if a child swallowed a whole bottle of homoeopathic tablets, no harm would occur.
In many countries homœopathy is formally accepted as a safe and effective alternative form of medical treatment. In Britain it has been favoured by various members of the Royal Family, and is accepted by the National Health Service.

How should I take the remedies?
Try not to handle the tablets. Tip them from the container into the cap or other receptacle, and then drop them into the mouth. Allow tablets to dissolve slowly under the tongue, but do not swallow. (For babies, tablets may be crushed and dissolved in water). Avoid eating, drinking, using toothpaste, smoking, or taking any other medication, for twenty minutes before and after taking a homoeopathic remedy. (Water causes no problems and may be taken freely). Keep remedies away from strong smells (e.g. perfume). Some homœopaths advise avoiding coffee while taking homœopatic remedies. The evidence is inconclusive, but it is possible that these make the remedies less effective. It is now thought that electrical appliances, airport X-rays (at least those of normal strength), and metal detectors have no effect.

Can I take homœopathic remedies alongside other medicines?
Homœopathic remedies are very gentle and will not interfere with conventional or herbal medicines, but please tell the homœopath during consultation about all ailments and medications, so that the picture of your current health is as complete as possible. Health considerations are often inter-related.

What is the shelf life of homœopathic remedies?
If kept away from light and strong smells, homœopathic remedies last for many years. (There is evidence that remedies used in the tropics have lost none of their potency after fifty years.) Accordingly, no expiry date is given.

What ailments can be treated with homœopathy ?
Many conditions can be treated effectively by homœopathy, from asthma, rheumatism, arthritis, and eczema to simple cuts and bruises. The homœopath should be able to advise on the prospects of success with your particular complaint.

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