Homeopathy is a holistic method of treating conditions by allegedly boosting the body’s natural energy to encourage healing.

It follows a principal that the symptoms of illness are a body’s natural and automatic effort to heal itself and recognition of these symptoms allows the practitioner to select homeopathic remedies.

These remedies are often a small dose of a substance that in larger doses may actually cause those symptoms and thus promote a favourable natural response, referred to as ‘The Law of Similars’.

Remedies are prepared from natural sources by a process of serial dilution in alcohol and water- often many thousands of times, and succussion or vigorous shaking. Remedies may be prescribed in a number of different strengths, or potencies.

The lower potencies have been subjected to less dilution and succussion than the higher ones and are not, broadly speaking, as powerful and long-lasting in their effects.

Some lower potency drugs are available on general sale to the public. Frequently the dilution is so great that no chemical trace of the original substance remains and it is believed that a therapeutic ‘blueprint’ remains which is still effective.

These liquid dilutions may be absorbed into tablet form. The low toxicity of these products ensure their safety.

Hippocrates initially recognised that ill heath could be treated either with a way of similars or opposites but it was in 1796 that a German doctor called Samuel Hahneman founded these principles of modern practice and named this type of therapy.

There are currently 5 Homeopathic hospitals supported by the NHS and there is a certain amount of controversy about the continued funding of these establishments.

Protagonists will laud the holistic and effectiveness of treatment in curing ailments such as allergy, eczema and mental health problems which have proven to be resistant to conventional treatments whilst antagonists have likened homeopathy to ‘more astrology than astronomy’ and suggested that it is little more than elaboration of the ‘Placebo effect’. However the very existence and survival of these establishments is a tribute to the success of their treatment.

For more information about homeopathy and details of local private therapists in your area visit the web site via the link on the right.