Alternative Information

What It Is

In Homeopathy, extremely dilute preparations are given to a patient to spur the patient's immune system into action and re-balance the body's "vital force". The preparations are extremely dilute--often going well beyond Avogadro's Limit--but are "succussed" or rapped firmly onto a padded surface to, as Homeopaths believe, send healing vibrationationl energy throughout the remedy.

Homeopathy works on 3 basic principles: The Law of Similars, The Minimum Dose Principle and The Single Dose Principle. Homeopaths take great pride in working with the body's natural defenses and not, as they see it, against it as mainstream medicine does.

What It Can Do For You

Dr. Andrew Weil writes about his successful experience with Homeopathy and he's not the only one putting stock into this relatively new medical system. In 1991 Internal Medicine World Magazine wrote an article on 6 HIV-positive patients who became HIV-negative after undergoing homeopathic treatment. Despite the evidence that Homeopathy shouldn't work it has worked for thousands of believers and for every known ailment.

Finding A Qualified Practitioner

There is currently very little regulation of homeopathy in the U.S. and no one organization distinguishes itself as a leader in the field. If you're interested in trying homeopathy yourself, bypass the ready-made health-food store remedies and seek the advice of a homeopath with a mainstream medical background.

What The Critics Say

Critics of homeopathy point to the extreme dilutions as proof that, statistically, many of the bottles of "remedies" won't contain even a single molecule of the "active" ingredient. Any cures are logged under the "Placebo" heading and generally dismissed.

My Opinion

Though I currently hold entry-level certification in homeopathy I remain respectfully skeptical. My own experience with it has been limited to two attempts to treat seasonal allergy symptoms. Neither was successful.

Lisa Barger is a traditionally trained naturopath specializing in illness prevention counseling. Ms. Barger holds certification in Ayurveda, Iridology, Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine and American Herbology.