Homeopathic medicine emerged as an alternative to conventional
medicine when founded in 1796 by a German doctor and chemist, Samuel
Hahnemann, who became discouraged with the practice of routine health
care. Hahnemann believed that homeopathic medicine provided a new kind
of treatment which focused on the cause of illness, not simply at
eliminating its symptoms and believed overall health could be
maintained through a healthy diet, regular exercise, fresh air and
taking small quantities of naturally occurring substances such as
vitamins or root extracts.
Homeopathic medicine is
based on the three underlying principles of; the law of similars,
single medicine and the law of infinitesimals. The law of similars
states that a disease can be cured by giving an affected person small
quantities of a substance which causes the onset of symptoms in an
otherwise healthy person; in another words, small quantities of the
disease will help to rid the body of the illness. Single medicine is
the belief that one remedy should treat the entire person rather that
treating each symptom individually. The law of infinitesimals is the
general rule of giving an individual the smallest possible effective
dose of a treatment to minimize the potential for harmful side effects.
Overall, homeopathic medicine takes an integrative, holistic approach
and utilizes small amounts of herbal and medicinal substances which are
thought to produce some of the symptoms the patient is already
suffering from which, according to the law of similars, is thought to
shorten the lifespan of the disease.
The resurgence
in popularity that homeopathic medicine has experienced since the
1980’s is largely due to people who undergo routine conventional care
but also supplement their nutrition and lifestyle with homeopathic
remedies thought to maintain wellness. This multi disciplined approach
utilizes medical technology to aid in diagnosis and treatment of a
disease or injury while borrowing from the principles of homeopathic
medicine for prevention, wellness and overall health.