Your Companion Care Partner and Friend
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Your Companion Care Partner and Friend |
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Homeopathy Homeopathic Treatment
As old as the father of medicine, Hippocrates, homeopathy is a very popular and scientific system of medicine that was fully organized and described by Sammuel Hahnemann in the early 1800s. Hahnemann, a chemist, linguist and medical doctor, was translating a pharmacology textbook, when he read that Cinchona bark, used those days to treat malaria, was thought to be effective because of its extreme bitterness. Unsatisfied with such explanation, he decided to take small doses of the drug by itself, to see what happened. To his amazement, he developed intermittent fevers, sweats and all malaria symptoms! Observing this similarity between the symptoms produced by a disease and the drug used to treat it, he started studying other active substances. For many years thereafter, he experimented with numerous plants, minerals and animal-derived products. He showed that each of these substances could elicit a curative response to rid the patient of the disease which resembled exactly what an excessive exposure to them would provoke. Examples are the use of the bee sting (Apis) in acute inflammation and swelling; Ipecac for vomiting; pepper (Capsicum) for burns. Hahnemann founded homeopathy based on one simple, verifiable and reproducible principle, Similia similibus curentur, or 'like is cured by like, known as the Law of Similars. Rather than control and counteract symptoms, homeopathy works with the body in the healing process. Since one's symptoms reflect the attempt of the body to regain homeostasis, or balance, the tiny homeopathic dose sparks that reaction, acting as a catalyst to the person's own ability to heal. Going with the body enables the homeopath to use immaterial doses, since the patient is already oversensitive to that specific type of influence. (Allopathic, or conventional, medicine antagonizes the body's efforts to self-heal and must necessarily be stronger than the body's reaction.) These minute doses of homeopathically prepared medicines (called remedies) do not have side effects. They can, however, cause a temporary aggravation, which is almost a summation of the disease with the remedy. This (sometimes called the healing crisis) is usually short-lived and followed by a period of great relief. The existence of this brief aggravation, and the response to homeopathic treatment on children and animals such as dogs, cats, birds, horses, cows, clearly demonstrate that homeopathy does not work by placebo effect. A Lancet study (9/20/97) reviewed 89 double-blinded clinical trials, where the authors conclude that homeopathy was 2.45 times more effective than placebo. Homeopathic remedies were always studied individually; therefore response of the body is deeper and longer lasting when one finds the exact remedy needed by the patient, rather than using combination remedies which are readily available over the counter. It is also important to realize that homeopathy and conventional medicine sometimes have an antagonistic effect, and often your practitioner will help you taper off the drugs which may preclude response to these natural remedies. Homeopathy is a powerful and important tool for the holistic veterinarian. It can be used in acute and chronic diseases and it is safe and effective. The result after treatment is usually a stronger body, a decreased susceptible state, a greater sense of well-being! Thank you for giving your pet the chance of becoming stronger and healthier! |