HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINE

HOW HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE WORK

The Role of the Healing Systems of the Body

All living things are capable of homeostasis – that means a ‘self regulation of a constant healthy state.’ If the body has the capacity of homeostasis at all times then it would have the capacity to heal itself at all times.

The processes of homeostasis then are the processes of self healing. The part of the living organism which carries out these processes is what we call the ‘defense mechanism’.

The defense mechanism is that part of any living organism which generates defensive reactions to adverse stimuli and guides or controls the natural, innate, healing processes of the body. (Dean Crothers, MD)

In biology it is known as the ‘mechanism of homeostasis.’ For example, our body must have a defence mechanism to control body temperature. Shivering and perspiration are some of the defence reactions to maintain a normal, healthy temperature.

Every cellular process and body system is controlled and kept in a healthy state by the ‘systems of homeostasis’ or by the ‘healing system’ of the body.

From the moment after conception, the developmental process is guided by this same system of homeostasis. It is one of the necessities of all living things, also known in biology as ‘structural intelligence’. The same healing system or mechanism of homeostasis that was present on day-one, is present on the last day of a person’s life, trying as it may to maintain the overall integrity of every cell and the health of the organism as a whole.

Science is still not able to determine where, in the cell, this ‘creative intelligence’ operates, or even how it works to allow the DNA to express itself. But science is sure that it does exist as human development and homeostasis are not random events.

Another example of the intelligent defense mechanism is the way in which the circulatory system reacts when children are in the process of drowning. The defense mechanisms involved ‘perceive’ the critical situation and ‘instruct’ the blood vessels of the extremities to constrict and the arteries to the brain to dilate. The net result is that the heart pumps more blood to the brain which often extends the life of the person long enough to be rescued.

In many cases, a child has been submerged for over twenty minutes. The defense mechanism ‘knows’ that the brain cells can live for only a few minutes without oxygen and so an extreme adaptive reaction is taken to extend the child’s life.

Samuel Hahnemann in his book, The Organon of Medicine, expressed this idea as the following:

The conclusion is that every biochemical process and every anatomical structure is regulated by the many small defence mechanisms in the body. If the overall defence mechanism is strong and intelligent then the body will not succumb to illness.

When illness does occur it is because the healing system of the body is in some way defective or not functioning as it should.

In general, we must recognize that there are a variety of individual defense mechanisms which are all related to one another and they therefore function as an integrated totality within the body. It will be seen that this idea is fundamental to the understanding of illness and how a cure can be realized.

Influenza, for example, is an illness whereby a virus invades cells. This leads to inflammation of tissues and the resulting “symptoms” which are typical of influenza. This is a self-limiting illness because our healing systems have found ways of killing viruses over many generations. Eventually, over the next several generations, I believe our immune systems will find ways of killing or blocking the AIDS virus. Our ability to adapt to stress and to resist illness from stress is a function of the healing systems of the body.

Conventional treatment concerns itself with drugs which treat the symptoms but do nothing to strengthen the healing systems, immune system, or reveal the cause.

Homeopathic medicines work by rebuilding these defense mechanisms of the body such as the immune system. In this way the person recovers in the most rapid and permanent way possible thereby becoming immune to a similar disease process in the future. These immunities can then be passed on to the next generation.

Homeopathy is based on studies of single medicines. We call these studies – provings.

For example if the juice of an onion can cause the eyes to burn, tear up and sting with pain then in a small dose it can trigger the healing system of the body to cure those same symptoms when for example a patient has hay fever.

It seems logical to assume that if Belladonna can cause symptoms like swelling, redness, inflammation, photophobia and pain and it is given to a person already experiencing these symptoms, then the drug should make that person feel worse, not better.

Also, one would assume, that by using Ipecac, a drug known to cause nausea and vomiting, that the nausea and vomiting of the patient should worsen. Or that it would be a wrong idea to give a coffee remedy to a person who is having trouble sleeping at night, because it seems like it would further aggravate this condition.

In fact, as Hahnemann and all the practitioners of homeopathy since have found, small homeopathic doses of Belladonna 30c will have a curative effect for a patient with photophobia; Ipecac 30c will, in fact, decrease nausea and vomiting, and Coffea 30c will induce sleep. How is this possible?

Each remedy can stimulate the healing system of the body to build up its reaction to cure a specific illness. Belladonna can cure headaches and infections, Ipecac can cure nausea and vomiting and Coffee can cure sleeplessness. The ability of the body to adapt to a specific stress is our greatest asset and can be used to treat any illness.

How to Administer the Remedy

All homeopathic remedies are taken internally. Each remedy is available in liquid or granular form. There is no difference in the quality between the two. One dose of granules is 5 to 6 granules – let them dissolve under the tongue. Shake liquid remedies very well, by hitting the bottle into the palm of your hand. Then take two dropper fulls from and add this to two tablespoons of water. Hold this solution under the tongue for about ten seconds to aid in its absorption. Do not eat or drink or use toothpaste fifteen minutes before or after the remedy is taken. For the optimal effect after an injury, the remedy should be given as soon after the injury occurs as possible. Take one dose in 30c potency, often this is all that is needed for an acute injury. For an acute illness the remedy may need to be taken once a day. For a chronic illness the remedy will most likely need to be taken about once a week to begin with.

When to repeat or change the remedy

After one dose, there should be a positive change within 12 hours for a first aid ailment, 24 hours in the case of an acute illness and within three days for a chronic illness. As long as improvement continues after this first dose then do not repeat the remedy. Repeat if symptoms begin to return. There is no possibility of harm if the remedy is repeated when the symptoms begin to return. To gain the optimal effect of the remedy, it can also be repeated if some of the symptoms persist and there is no further improvement for two or three days in a row.

If there are no positive changes after the initial dose, do not repeat this first remedy choice. Look for more symptoms and report these to your homeopath to try a second remedy. Repeating an incorrect remedy too often can lead to undesirable side effects.

Antidotes: What to avoid when taking a remedy

Remedies may be antidoted (become ineffective) either partially or completely by various substances or other forms of treatment. Antidoting can greatly complicate treatment; therefore it is essential to carefully avoid these influences. The following is a list of the more common ways in which the remedies can loose their effectiveness.

Caffeine: Coffee frequently antidotes remedies. The antidoting effect can occur after only one cup, in some people, and after months of regular consumption in others. As there is no way to predict this, it is essential that homeopathic patient avoid coffee altogether. Even after you feel much better and have stopped taking the remedy, it is important to not drink coffee. Water processed decaffeinated coffee, caffeinated soft drinks and black tea also contain caffeine and should all be avoided. Some alternatives, which do not contain caffeine, are herbal teas, freeze dried decaffeinated coffee, hot chocolate and decaffeinated black tea. These are safe to drink to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy..

Camphor: Avoid anything that has camphor in it, such as deep heat liniments, Tiger Balm®, Vick’s®, shaving cream with camphor, Noxzema® products, many lip balms, cough lozenges, essential oils of eucalyptus, menthol, etc. A rub of camphorated oil, as well as long exposure to the odor itself will antidote remedies.

Allopathic drugs Avoid antibiotics, cortisone, and over-the-counter pain medicines. These common drugs can suppress specific or local symptoms and weaken the patient. Therefore, these should be avoided except when prescribed by your MD and in an emergency or life-threatening condition.

Dental work: The drilling, and possibly the anesthetics, used in dentistry are antidotes for homeopathic remedies, but only for chronic conditions. Take the remedy at least two days after or before dental work.

Chemicals: Avoid paints, solvents, and sprays for pest and insect control as these are known to antidote.

Vaccinations: Take any required vaccinations at least a month after a homeopathic treatment. If the vaccination causes a relapse of symptoms, then repeat the remedy.

Electric blankets: Avoid the use of electric blankets (there appears to be a detrimental interaction of the electric field of the blanket with the body).

How to care for and handle the remedies

Store the remedy away from direct sunlight, electrical appliances and strong odors. Avoid placing it in a place where the temperature rises above eighty degrees Fahrenheit. A cool neutral environment, such as in a cupboard, alongside glass or paper products is an ideal storage place.