Homeopathy: Helping The Immune System Do Its Job

This article is the third in a series of four articles exploring the history of the alternative health care movement and some of the offerings available in Ann Arbor. The focus of this month's article is on homeopathic medicine, including a brief history, how it compares to allopathic (non-homeopathic) medicine, and a practical guide for managing acute and self-limiting illnesses using homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathy is a 200 year-old system of medicine that uses pharmaceutically prepared natural (animal, mineral and vegetable) substances to help stimulate a person's defense system and help maintain good health. This system was developed by Germán physician Samuel Hahnemann in the early 1900s, although its origins date back to 400 B.C. and the philosophy of Hippocrates.

Hahnemann was discouraged by popular medical practices in which doctors routinely used mercury, arsenic and other poisonous substances, as well as the practices of bloodletting and burning of the skin in treating patients. Hahnemann was extremely well-educated for his time, having been exposed to a variety of classical and medical texts through his additional work as a translator. Feeling certain that there must be a better way to address the ills of his patients, he developed the guiding principles of homeopathic medicine: The Law of Similars, The Law of Provings, and the Law of Potentization.

Hahnemann's Law of Similars was based on Hippocrates' theory that "like cures like." Hippocrates wrote "Through the like, disease is produced, and through the application of the like, it is cured." This means a particular substance can cure a disease in an ill person, if that same substance produces similar symptoms of the illness in a healthy person.

Here is an example: A person begins to feel ill. The symptoms of the illness come on suddenly - a hot dry fever, headache, thirstlessness, and a general restlessness. The eyes look glassy, the cheeks pink, and the person is intolerant of noise and bright lights. If a healthy person ingested the plant Belladonna in its natural state, many or all of the above-mentioned symptoms would occur. Hahnemann's theory held that the ill person with these same symptoms would become well if given the plant Belladonna.

The second law of homeopathy is the Law of Provings. Hahnemann tested over 600 different substances to determine what symptoms they would provoke in healthy people. These provings, as they were called, were compiled and listed in a book so that a homeopathic doctor could match up symptoms in an ill person with the provings of a particular substance to bring about a cure.

In theory this was an exciting concept, but Hahnemann knew from the provings that many of the substances he tested were dangerous or lethal in their natural state. This brings us to the third law, the Law of Potentization. This law refers to the pharmaceutical preparation of the homeopathie remedies. Hahnemann thoroughly diluted the substances, shaking them repeatedly between dilutions. This allowed Hahnemann to use potentially dangerous plants with no toxic side effects.

There are a number of theories of how and why homeopathy works, although none are conclusive. Remedies may affect the body by boosting the immune system, building up the body's defenses, and creating an environment in which the body can heal itself. As for the mechanism of the remedy, homeopaths prescribe the remedies on the basis that the more they have been diluted and shaken, the more powerful a healing substance they become. One popular theory holds that the continued dilution and shaking create a vibration of the original substance, and that the vibration connects on a subtle energy level with the vibration or the vital force of the person being treated.

Homeopathy continued to become more popular in Europe and made its way to the U.S. at the turn of the century. It had a great success here in treating both epidemic and individual, self-limiting illnesses. During certain epidemics, public health officials' records showed higher cure rates and lower mortality with homeopathic care than with allopathic treatment. Because of this success, allopathic physicians began to feel economically and politically threatened. Allopathic pharmacies also felt the strain as homeopathic physicians prepared their own remedies.

Interest in homeopathy sharply declined soon after its success. Among the reasons for this decline was the formation of the American Medical Association (AMA) which was founded to strengthen allopathic physicians' standing and to bolster the burgeoning allopathic pharmaceutical industry created in homeopathy's stead. Although AMA physicians adopted many of the tenets of homeopathy - such as the practices of cleaning wounds, sterilizing medical instruments and providing clean environments for procedures - homeopathie physicians were refused admission to the new association. In 1910, the AMA supported the publication of Abraham Flexner's "Report on Medical Education in the U.S . and Canada," which dubbed homeopathy "nonscientific." Although homeopathy still remained popular in other parts of the world, interest in this country declined until alternative medicine had a resurgence in the 1970s.

Homeopathy differs from allopathic medicine in more than just its choice of homeopathically-prepared remedies. Allopathic physicians generally try to treat the symptoms, while homeopaths focus more on bringing about a cure by looking at the underlying cause of an illness. Homeopaths take a broader view of people, taking into account their mental and emotional states, as well as the physical manifestations of an illness. Homeopaths treat the person, not the disease. Consequently the patient's past health and history of illness is important to finding the current remedy and plan of treatment.

Homeopathic care involves peeling back layers of disease or imbalance to reveal the core of the person' s state of health. For instance, a woman visits a homeopath to be treated for repeated bladder infections. However, while gathering the health history, the woman tells the practitioner that she is a sexual abuse survivor. A remedy will then be prescribed to address the original injury of abuse and how it manifested itself.

Homeopaths believe that if a particular symptom is suppressed, then the disease or illness will move to a deeper and more chronic condition. For example, a child comes to an allopathic doctor with repeated ear infections. The doctor administers a round of antibiotics that kills off the bacteria. The infection subsides as long as the child stays on the antibiotic. The antibiotic suppresses the symptoms but does not alleviate the recurrence of the ear infection. In addition it kills off the beneficial bacteria naturally found throughout the body. This weakens the child's immune system, which can lead to more illness and imbalance. Not only are the ear symptoms being suppressed, the drug therapy is actually causing its own set of problems.

If this same child were to go to a homeopathic doctor, the remedy prescribed would match the child's overall health picture, including the conditions which made the ear infection better or worse. The remedy boosts the immune system, which allows it to do its job. Homeopathic remedies have no side effects, minimizing the chances for secondary conditions, such as yeast infections.

For people with chronic problems or deep-seated illnesses, consulting with an experienced homeopathic practitioner is recommended. However, for first aid or minor acute illnesses, homeopathic home care is an exciting alternative. There are several excellent books available, written in easy-to-understand terms for a person just starting out in homeopathy. Dana Ullman' s "Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicine," and Maesimund Panos' "Homeopathic Medicine at Home" are both wonderful references for beginners or more experienced readers. Both books have sections on what is safe to treat at home, and what might require a health care practitioner or doctor' s help.

Homeopathy demands a certain amount of attention and focus on the part of the patient. Awareness of symptoms helps the doctor prescribe with more accuracy. Sometimes lifestyle changes are necessary, as homeopathic remedies are fairly sensitive to allopathic medications, certain cosmetic products, coffee, peppermint, alcohol, tobacco, and eucalyptus. Homeopathy works well with other alternative medical care as it encourages self-responsibility and good communication between practitioner and patient.

The future for homeopathy looks bright. Homeopathy is being practiced by practitioners across the country to help their patients get well. There are also hundreds of homeopathie study groups in the U.S. today, including several in Ann Arbor. Currently, homeopathy is being used to address new types of illness and is used in the treatment and research of AIDS and other difficult-to-treat viruses such as Epstein-Barr Syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Locally, the best source for information about homeopathy is Castle Remedies, 2345 S. Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, 48104; 9738990. This month, Castle Remedies is offering a two-week workshop on Children's Home Health Care (see 7 Sunday in the Calendar, page 8).

The National Center for Homeopathy teaches classes and has a monthly newsletter. Their address is 801 N. Fairfax St, Suite 306, Alexandria, VA22314. Their phone number is 703548-7790. Lisa Gottlieb-Clark and Renée Rutz are massage therapists practicing in Ann Arbor. Next month 's article will be about midwifery.

Homeopathic Remedies

The following is a brief list of commonly-used homeopathic remedies for home treatment of first aid or acute illness.

Aconite is given for fear or shock.

Apris is given for pain from stinging insects like bees and wasps.

Arnica is used for trauma or injury to soft tissue, or for shock. Arnica is the most popularly used remedy in the homeopathic pharmacy.

Arsenicum is used for food poisoning or a particularly burning type of pain, especially if the person is very restless.

Belladonna is a good remedy for sunstroke, fever, throbbing headache.

Carbo Veg is used for intestinal distress with uncomfortable cramping and gas.

Cocculus is a great remedy for motion sickness.

Gelsemium is helpful for anxiety due to anticipation, like stage fright. Good for fear of flying.

Hypericum is excellent for puncture or penetration wounds. It works well for injured areas with an abundance of nerve endings like fingers, toes, and eyes. It is also good for burns.

Ignatia is used for emotional distress, or an onset of illness that is caused by sadness and grief.

Nux vomicais a wonderful remedy for mental strain, or an overindulgence in food and drink. Nux has a reputation for getting rid of hangovers.