What makes homeopathy different than other “alternative” or “natural” health modalities?

Doesn’t homeopathy refer to those things? Aren’t all “natural” therapies the same?

How is homeopathy different than herbs, or acupuncture, or even naturopathy?  To much surprise, the differences are plenty.

This will be a two-part article.  The second article will go into more detail into the various other “alternative” therapies and how they differ from homeopathy.  In this article, I’ll explain the primary parts of what makes homeopathy so unique from other “natural” or “alternative” healing modalities.  For this articles purposes, the words “natural” or “alternative” will be used interchangeably.

At the outset, each “natural” therapy has its own origins of development.  For a more comprehensive article on the history of homeopathy, its origins, and why it isn’t as widely practiced today as it once was, please visit one of my past blogs on this topic.

First, I’d like to mention the similarities between homeopathy and other alternative or natural modalities.  At Austin Clinic of Homeopathy, like all truly natural therapies, we seek to stimulate the innate healing power of the individual so that all physiological systems function at their best.  

Whatever does this mean?  What is this innate healing power?  Aren’t we just the sum of our physical parts made up of organ systems, cells, molecules, and atoms?

Yes, that certainly is true.  No one can deny the reality of our physical nature.  But, is that all there is?  What organizes the physical parts and structures to do what they do?  What intelligence is orchestrating our physical parts to function in healthy or unhealthy ways?  

Each “natural” therapy may have their own explanation for this.  And I’ll elaborate further on each of these in the next article.  But, the key similarity is that the innate healing power of the individual is not of a physical origin.  It is sub-physical.  It transcends the physicality of our bodies!

Sounds too hard to believe, right?  Too hocus-pocus?  Many people think and feel this way.  It is the source of many non-believers to the healing powers of homeopathy.  

I ask you, though, how do you prove you love someone?  Can you put love in a box (although some gifts in boxes symbolize this love)?  But, you can’t physically measure your love.  There’s no scientific instrument to do that, and probably never will.  Yes, we can absolutely measure what happens to our physical bodies when we experience love, but we can never actually measure love itself.  It retains no physical properties.  Yet, we all know it and recognize it in the face of a friend or relative.

In homeopathy we call this innate healing power of the individual the Vital Force.  Austin Clinic of Homeopathy operates from a vitalistic perspective, not a materialistic perspective concerned only with physical matter.  The vital force of the body is the non-physical, inanimate healing intelligence of the body.  Disease is considered a mistunement of the vital force that manifests as physical symptoms and dysfunctions in the bio-physical systems of the human body.    

In simpler English: problems with certain parts of our body are not the cause of the illness itself.  Organic disease does not originate from a physical place.  One of the few exceptions to this is disease that occurs as a result from a physical injury or trauma.  But, organic malfunctions of our body do not arise from physical origins.  It follows then that treatment should thus not originate from a purely physical source either.

The central tenet of homeopathy is based on the “law of similars.”  This is also referred to as the principle of “like treats like.”  A homeopathic remedy is chosen that is capable of causing, in a healthy person, symptoms similar to those of the sick person.  This is a principle of healing that goes back to the time of Hippocrates.  It’s not always the easiest to understand, but is absolutely scientific in its premise.  As a principle, it can be replicated time and time again.  It will never fail.  

This all happens in a vitalistic, non-physical way.  This is what distinguishes Austin Clinic of Homeopathy from other “natural” or “alternative” healing practices and this is what makes homeopathy so unique!

Austin Clinic of Homeopathy is dedicated to providing you superior care for your health and wellness needs.  Should you have any further questions or would like to begin your own homeopathic healing, please contact us here.

It’s that time of year again where the final exams are taking place and test preparations are the norm.

Perhaps you know of a child taking their end of year exams, or a college student undergoing their own final exams before summer break.  The end of the school year is so near, but there are these final hurdles to get over.

For some, this can be an excruciating difficult time.  Many symptoms related to ‘Test Anxiety’ can come up.  These symptoms can run a wide spectrum from fatigue, stomach aches, headaches, anxiety, and overwhelm, just to name a few.

There are a few homeopathic remedies Austin Clinic of Homeopathy recommends for people in these situations.  Like all homeopathic treatment, it is based less on the causative factor, and more on the resulting symptoms that are present.  

Nonetheless, here are a couple of homeopathic remedies to consider for yourself or your child experiencing this time of anxiety with test taking:

• Gelsemium: This remedy is probably the most useful remedy for test anxiety because it will help with symptoms most commonly experienced during this time.  Namely, trembling, weakness, diarrhea, and urgent urination all will be helped with Gelsemium.  There is also the propensity, on the mental level, for weakness, forgetfulness, and dullness of thought.  They may feel so weak that even trying to think is difficult.

• Silica: This remedy will help the person who prepares to such a great extent; they are concerned with every fine detail and want to have everything perfect.  This striving comes from their uncertainty of their abilities and doubts about how well they will perform.  Such anxiety can leave them paralyzed with indecision and insecurity that they may wish to forgo the test altogether.  Typically, they will suffer from low stamina and exhaustion.

• Argentum Nitricum: This remedy will help when there is great anxiety while anticipating the test.  They have an impulsive irritability and fear of being late.  They may have impulsive weeping and superstitious, compulsive thoughts or behaviors leading up to the exam.  They’ll try to avoid taking the exam and be quite hurried with their thoughts and actions.  Anticipatory diarrhea is common and eructations (belching) may be heard from afar.

As there are many subtleties involved with selecting the  homeopathic remedy that will help the most, it’s always best to consult with a qualified practitioner.  Should you have any questions about these remedies for people experiencing test anxiety, please contact me at Austin Clinic of Homeopathy. 

Disclaimer: This information is intended strictly for educational purposes and is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent certain diseases.  If you have questions about your health, please contact a licensed physician.

James was a good kid who excelled in school.  He was a dedicated and meticulous young man who demanded the best from himself.  Well liked in his high school; he had many friends and spent many hours in groups, clubs, and sporting events with his peers.  He even led some of them as president and even captain of his sports team.

James frequently pressured himself to be the best.  He had an internal desire to be seen as ‘having it together’ so he could be liked amongst his friends.  He tried very hard at this, but was terribly disturbed by the facial acne he had developed recently.  How would he be liked now?  Who would still see he was a good person inside with all these blemishes on his face?

The questions in his mind and the resulting stress were enough to make him feel very down and blue.  Despite his natural attractiveness through his character and personality, he wasn’t convinced he was good enough.  He became easily irritable with the slightest things and pushed himself even further to make sure he was perceived as a smart, athletic, and a ‘put together’ young man.

Such a discrepancy between his inner feelings about himself and the outer image he was trying portray created a terribly distressing state.  He was easily irritated, highly perfectionistic, obstinate with his parents, and suffered from acne.  What was he to do?

The above scenario is a common circumstance many of our young people suffer in today’s culture.  In fact, it’s a story straight from my own practice.  (Of course, all names and specifics are held in strictly confidential manner).  Many clients in my practice who seek treatment for acne are adolescent teenagers who may tell stories similar to James’.  

The totality of James’ symptoms are what led me to select the homeopathic remedy Silica to help him.  This selection wasn’t based on the fact that his chief complaint was acne, but was based on the entirety of his overall character and demeanor, in addition to having acne.  

In homeopathy, acne is considered just one aspect of the whole individual.  We are whole people, not just the sum of our parts.  ‘You’ are not your arm anymore more than your leg.  And even without your arm or leg, ‘you’ are still you.  This is in direct contrast with conventional western medicine thinking which views disease as isolated symptoms from specific parts of the body.

Even so, what is acne?  Acne is defined as an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles.  Acne is marked mostly by:

• Papules (circumscribed, solid elevation of skin with no visible fluid)
• Pustules (small collection of pus in the skin frequently in sweat glands or hair follicles) 
• Comedones (small, flesh-colored, white, or dark bumps that give skin a rough texture - otherwise known as a ‘blackhead’

It occurs on the:

• Face (most often)
• Neck
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Back

Acne can affect people of any age, but most frequently occurs adolescents ages 14-20.  

Western medicine sites the cause of acne to be unknown.  Research links it to hormonal changes that affect the sebaceous glands.  Additionally, food allergies, endocrine disorders, psychological factors, fatigue, and the use of steroid drugs may also be precipitating factors for acne.

Despite the ultimate cause to be unknown, when it comes to acne, homeopathy is crucial choice.  This is because homeopathy is effective, gentle on the body, and affordable.

There are hundreds of homeopathic remedies that can help people with acne.  What a trained homeopath will do is understand the specific physical symptoms of the acne, then view that in light of the whole person; their emotional character, their mental disposition.  Such subtleties will influence which homeopathic remedy is selected.

As in the case with James, I took into consideration his ease at becoming irritable, his obstinacy with his parents, internal drive to be perceived in a certain way, feelings of depression, and of course the acne.

The following is a list of homeopathic remedies to consider for homeopathy and acne.  Please keep in mind that we are unique individuals who experience our unique expression of symptoms, just like James did above.  Therefore the homeopathic remedy that will help you the most may not be listed.  It’s always best to consult with a qualified homeopathic practitioner for your needs.

• Hepar Sulph: The acne is very sensitive and quite painful and usually appear as ‘blackheads’ on the forehead or lips.  The person is generally hypersensitive, emotionally, to all external impressions and are very intense people.  In general, they feel very cold and are sensitive to cold temperatures.

• Lachesis: The acne appears purplish and can leave purple colored scars behind them.  It is generally found more on the left side of the face.  The acne can become worse before menses or during times of hormonal changes, such as in menopause.

• Thuja: The skin can feel very oily and the acne appears as pustules with sunken centers.  The person is very shameful about their acne and it may be very difficult for them to express much about these feelings.  

By the way, after his first session of homeopathy, the acne on James’ face began dissipating, his demeanor completely shifted, he felt more relaxed and amiable to his parents, and he felt an internal calmness that manifested in a reduction of irritability and depression.  Overall he felt a lessened need to prove himself to others.  After just a few short months and only three homeopathic consultations, he had finished his treatment and was ready for the next phase of his life!

For more information or to schedule your own homeopathic consultation, contact me today!

Sincerely,
Noel Peterson

Disclaimer: Information in this blog is intended for educational purposes only.  It is not meant to treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose certain diseases.  For any questions about your health, please consult with a medical doctor.

Despite advances in technology and the sophistication of medical instruments, would you contend we’re getting healthier as a nation?  

How many times have you heard about the latest medical drug offering wondrous results in a condition or disease, yet to be recalled months or a few short years later because of it’s dangers?

There has to be a better way!  And homeopathy might just be it.  In fact, it just might be necessary.

Homeopathy provides a safe, gentle, and affordable approach to health and healing that may very well be the greatest and most prevailing solution to our health care woes in this country for the 21st century.

Sound too good to be true?  Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones.  Homeopathy provides just that.

Homeopathy is a distinct and unique medical science.  Commonly misunderstood to be a term for anything ‘natural’, or simply the use of herbs, homeopathy is guided by firm principles of healing that are highly scientific, replicable, and effective.

Contrast this with conventional (allopathic) medicine.  Allopathic medicine is formed by the latest theories of the body and, therefore, change over time.  A little over two hundred years ago “medical theory focused on the balance of ‘humors’ (fluids) in the body.  The thinking was that health could be restored by removing supposedly noxious fluids from the body.  Thus, the most popular treatments tried to encourage sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding via the cutting of veins (venesection) or the application of leeches, or the creation of blisters to draw inflammation from one part of the body to another.  Toxic doses of mercury were also used to treat venereal diseases.” [Lansky]

Frequently, the sick person would die from simply losing too many bodily fluids, namely blood.  The doctor would lament “I’ve done all I could.”  Nowadays this technique seems preposterous.  Yet, the routine use of drugs that poison us and frequently cause side effects are the common method today.  Are common medical practices more effective now than they were then?

The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2000 reported:

• 106,000 annual US deaths from negative effects of medical drugs
• 27,000 annual US deaths from hospital errors
• 80,000 annual US deaths from hospital infections
• 12,000 annual US deaths from unnecessary surgery

This makes allopathic treatment the third leading cause of death in America. [Starfield]

One could certainly make the argument of how many lives it saves to counter-balance the deaths.  Yet, a 1978 report, “Assessing the Efficacy and Safety of Medical Technologies” compiled by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment found that only 10 percent to 20 percent of the techniques used by allopathic physicians are empirically proven [OTA].

Is this our best option?

Homeopathy is guided by the firm principle called the Law of Similars.  This law claims that a sick person will be cured by a substance which causes, in a healthy person, the same symptoms the sick person experiences.  Homeopathy literally means similar (homeo) suffering (pathy).

The Law of Similars renders homeopathy to be an exacting science, not vulnerable to the sway of medical popularity and the dictates of mass opinion.  It will always work and the Law of Similars provides a predictable pathway to find which homeopathic remedy will best help heal someone.  It is not based on expensive exams or invasive procedures.  You will not be subjected to intimidating machinery or toxic substances to locate altered states in the body.  The guiding light in homeopathic treatment are your symptoms, as described by you, the client.  

Sounds too simple, right?  Is this all there is?  The answer is yes.  Because we are whole beings a homeopath will seek to have a full understanding of you (mentally, emotionally, and physically) Thus, the natural health pathway to healing can take a multitude of forms.  In homeopathy, you are treated as a unique individual.  No two people will receive the same homeopathic remedy for the same concern they are seeking help for.  This is because we view health as a condition of the whole person, not just in terms of specific symptoms from isolated parts of the body.

Because of its unique and individualized nature, the length of homeopathic treatment varies from person to person.  In general, healing is related to how long you’ve had the symptoms, your lifestyle habits, hereditary factors, and if suppressive medications are being used, among many other factors.  The real beauty in homeopathy, then, is to be patient with yourself and allow the healing path of self-discovery to unfold as it needs to.  In our modern culture such time for self-care is an anomaly.  Your homeopath will offer you their full attention - a gift to truly behold nowadays that is simply too difficult to come by with modern medical systems.

Homeopathy is the science and art of healing.  It follows highly scientific methods through the Law of Similars.  The art of homeopathy is that each person’s response is unique and guided through a process over time.  Homeopathy is a non-invasive and affordable natural health system wherein you are fully listened to and supported through the process of healing.  Contrast this with a brief visit from a busy doctor.  Homeopathy is also safe for all ages and has no side effects.  Newborns all the way through the life span can use homeopathy. 

Because of these reasons, and because of the dangers of allopathic medicine, homeopathy simply could be the most viable solution for our health needs in this country for the 21st century.  In fact, it’s simply necessary!

For further questions, or to begin the necessary step of natural health through homeopathic healing, contact us today!

In good health,
Noel

References
[Lansky] Lansky, Amy, PhD.  Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy.  p.25 (2003).

[OTA] “Assessing the Efficacy and Safety of Medical Technologies,” Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, Washington, D.C. (1978:7)

[Starfield] Starfield, Barbara, “Is U.S. Health Really the Best in the World?” Journal of the American MEdical Association (JAMA), 284(4), pp. 483-485 (July 2000).

Is it possible?!  Can there be a way?!  Is there anything that can be done for these hot flashes?!

The simple answer is a resounding “Yes!”  The longer answer involves the nature and nurture of a woman experiencing menopause.

For starters, what is menopause?  Just ask any woman typically between the ages of 45 and 55 and she’ll tell you she’s experiencing one or several of the following symptoms:

• Changes in the cycle or flow
• Hot flashes and/or night sweats
• Vaginal dryness and skin changes
• Depression
• Memory loss
• Anxiety
• Sleeping problems
• Loss of interest in sex

So, what exactly is happening to a woman’s body during this time?

Physically speaking, a woman’s ovaries gradually produce less estrogen, resulting in the cessation of ovulation and menstruation.  More importantly, though, menopause is a natural health process and a necessary transition into another phase of life.  Transitions of any kind involve change, sometimes uncomfortable changes, with a transformation resulting upon completion of the transition.  Menopause is not meant to be treated like a disease.

Frequently, women are not aware of alternative options.  Thus, the they will seek the guidance of their physician who typically will recommend hormone replacement therapy.  There are synthetic kinds, namely Premarin, Prempro, and Provera, which are the most commonly used (which are made from horse urine).

There are also bio-identical hormones, which have recently received much buzz from well known celebrities.  Bio-identical hormones are manufactured in the lab to have the same molecular structure as the hormones made by your own body.

Yet, our bodies are dynamic, ever-changing organisms that require a very individualized approach with natural health solutions.  Not every woman will respond to the one-size-fits-all approach of synthetic or bio-identical hormones.  And, being that menopause is a transition, a natural health approach that supports a woman through this time will be the most effective and caring approach.

This is where classical homeopathy comes in.  A qualified practitioner will find a homeopathic remedy that is individualized to her unique needs.  The remedy is made from mostly plants and simple minerals and takes the healing intelligence of nature to stimulate her own unique and natural healing response.  In this way, the body will become strengthened to support it’s own transition.  This is especially important for a woman as her body is so inherently interwoven into the rhythms of nature.  This is modeled in the very context of her menstrual cycle, which symbolizes a birth and death every month through the release of an egg and shedding of tissue.  This typically coincides with the very lunar cycle of the moon’s orbit around earth.  How much more connected to nature can you get?!

Thus, as the menstrual cycle changes during menopause, it indicates she is ready to move on to the next phase of her life.  This is a beautiful process that is honored in a woman through classical homeopathy.

Classical homeopathy cannot regenerate an endocrine gland that may not be working anymore, thus necessitating a synthetic or bio-identical hormone replacement.  This is best discussed between a woman and her doctor.  However, in most cases, classical homeopathy will aid a woman through her transition and help support her in adapting to the change.

Additional to the use of homeopathic remedies, women are advised to be involved in adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as proper nutrition, adequate exercise, and effective stress management.  There is no replacement for healthy lifestyle habits!

There are hundreds of homeopathic remedies to choose from to help a woman experiencing menopausal symptoms.  She is best advised to consult with a qualified homeopathic practitioner who will individualize the remedy to her unique needs, and who will also advise her on healthy lifestyle habits.

In my practice, I work with woman on these very things.  Contact me for any questions or to get started in your own homeopathic treatment.  You can email me here or call the clinic at (512) 382-5060.

Your in great health,
Noel

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose disease.  If you have questions about your health, please consult your physician.