A Brief Introduction | More Details on Homeopathy | View All | Research

1. What homeopathy is not
2. What is homeopathy?
3. How does homeopathy work?
4. What is a homeopathic remedy?
5. Is there any research that shows homeopathy to be effective?
6. What happens during the initial visit to a homeopathic physician?
7. Can I continue taking prescription drugs while under homeopathic treatment?
8. Which diseases can be treated with homeopathy?
9. Can a pregnant woman or a newborn baby benefit from homeopathy?
10. How does homeopathy deal with patients affected with problems resulting from emotional trauma, severe grief or the consequence of mood disorders such as anger, depression or anxiety?
11. How does homeopathy address patients with infections diseases?
12. Which conditions are outside the scope of homeopathy?
13. Homeopathy: past, present, and future

13. Homeopathy: past, present, and future:
Although homeopathy has been practiced for more than two hundred years, it is still in its early period of growth. By the turn of the 20th century, 8% of all American medical practitioners were homeopaths, and there were 20 homeopathic medical colleges and more than 100 homeopathic hospitals in the U.S. Despite its excellent results, however, homeopathy struggled to gain greater recognition. In 1847, the AMA (American Medical Association) was formed, partially in response to the threat that "the new school" (homeopathy) represented to the "old school" of (conventional) medicine. The AMA specifically discouraged its members to work with, or refer to homeopaths. (Incidentally, this was a very similar stance that the AMA took against chiropractors, resulting in the chiropractic profession winning an antitrust lawsuit against the AMA in the 1970's). In the early part of the 20th century, other political and social changes caused homeopathy to fall further out of fashion. One reason for this is that homeopathy is a very difficult medical discipline to master, because it involves extremely time-consuming and meticulous attention to detail, combined with in-depth, objective analysis. In a society becoming more focused on "quick-fixes", it became easier for a doctor to prescribe a pain medication for a headache, or antibiotics for an infection, rather than conduct a detailed interview with a patient to choose a specific homeopathic remedy. As we have learned, however, these "quick-fixes" often come at a high cost such as drug-resistant infections and rebound headache syndrome, for example.

Along with the growth of other forms of natural medicine, homeopathy began to see a resurgence in the 1970's, which continues today. In some countries, homeopathy is taught at universities and is recognized as official medicine. In France, 32% of all family physicians use homeopathy in their practices, and at least 40% of the British population receives a homeopathic prescription every year. In Germany, by a mandate of the government, all medical students must now learn the basics of homeopathy. In almost all pharmacies in Europe and Quebec, one can find a homeopathic department. In 1994, the World Health Organization noted that homeopathy has been integrated into the national health care systems of numerous countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, India, and Mexico. Famous people who have used homeopathy include John D. Rockefeller (who lived 99 years), three American presidents, Mahatma Gandhi, Mark Twain, Samuel Morse, and European royalty (the family physician of the British royal family is a homeopath).

Today, as people are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the limits and/or side effects of conventional medicine, homeopathy is beginning to bloom again and spread throughout the world. People find in homeopathy a system of common-sense medicine that respects the importance of treating the whole person and does so efficiently, without harmful side effects. With the advent of modern communication, the teaching of homeopathy has improved, and a better comprehension and practice of homeopathy has been observed in certain circles.

With careful application of the law of similars, homeopathy grows and evolves as yesterday’s limits are continually pushed further back. Homeopathy makes the most of the organism’s capacity to heal itself. The limits of homeopathy are only those of the organism to heal itself, which are in fact extraordinary when put to work. Choosing homeopathy for ourselves or our families should not be a question of belief, but a decision based on knowledge acquired through experience. One does not need to believe in homeopathy; one only needs to try it to experience its phenomenal results.

For more information about homeopathy, visit: www.homeopathyillinois.org.