Founded over 200 years ago as a defined approach to curing illness, homeopathy is but one of many types of alternative medicine that seems to be alive and well today. Studies have shown homeopathic remedies to have a measurable effect on conditions ranging from certain types of allergies and asthma to nausea and the flu. Although most people are familiar with the word homeopathy, many may not be as familiar with what it actually means. Gaining a better understanding of the principles underlying homeopathy depends on two fundamental and defining concepts. The first is the belief that “like cures like,” while the second involves the idea that the more dilute a remedy, the more potent it is.

“Like Cures Like”
To be considered a true homeopathic treatment, a remedy must first and foremost be shown to cause the same symptoms in a healthy person that it is used to cure in someone who is ill. For example, a substance used to treat a cough must first be proven to cause cough in someone who does not already have one. While this may seem somewhat counterintuitive, the idea behind it is that homeopathic remedies function by triggering the body to recover itself. According to this principle, homeopathic cough remedies are believed to work by triggering the body to react to and fight cough more effectively, just as remedies that cause nausea are used to trigger the body’s response to fight nausea.

When considering the vast array of homeopathic remedies currently available to consumers today, it is especially important to remember this “like cures like” principle. Any remedy labeled as “homeopathic” is only considered appropriate for use when given to treat the exact same symptom(s) it is known to cause. In other words, the homeopathic label becomes entirely meaningless if you decide to use a remedy to treat a different symptom.

The More Dilute, The More Potent
The second principle of homeopathy is what makes it less accepted by so-called “mainstream” or conventional medicine. Going against some basic fundamentals of chemistry, homeopathic practitioners believe that the repeated dilution of a homeopathic substance actually increases its potency, instead of decreasing it. For example, a particular plant substance is mixed in a solution and then undergoes a series of dilutions. The result is a homeopathic remedy that is considered to be very potent, but which may contain as few as one part per million of the original substance. Based on this belief (and in contrast to traditional medicines or even herbs), homeopathic remedies do not seem to work according to basic biochemical principles. Just how they do work has yet to be agreed upon.

Buying and Using Homeopathic Remedies
The production and sale of homeopathic drugs is legal in the United States, as is the practice of homeopathy. Most homeopathic remedies are available without a prescription, but unlike herbal medications and supplements (which are not federally regulated), they are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The fact that they are federally regulated helps to ensure the safety and effectiveness of any given remedy, as well as set and maintain standards of purity and quality control. An official compilation and description of all currently recognized homeopathic drugs can be found in what is called the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Twenty-First Century
In existence for hundreds if not thousands of years, complementary and alternative approaches to the treatment of illness and disease have clearly found their way into the mainstream. In this age of modern medicine, their popularity may stem from frustration with the limitations of Western medicine (after all, who among us hasn’t come to expect a cure for just about everything, only to leave the doctor’s office without a solution to what ails our children or us?) or perhaps it is because the methods such as homeopathy, acupuncture, hypnosis and therapeutic massage have been shown to have some scientific merit in recent years. Whatever the reasons, the facts are clear – nearly half of Americans made use of complementary and alternative therapies in 1997 and spent upwards of $27 billion in the process.

Despite what you might expect, it’s worth noting that more than half of physicians surveyed in 1994 reported that they’d prescribed some form of alternative treatment for their patients, and almost half had used one to treat themselves. Sure, you will certainly still find physicians leery of complementary and alternative practices – including the use of homeopathic remedies or treatments – but the existence of prominent and well-respected organizations such as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Boston Children’s Hospital Center for Holistic Pediatric Education and Research has certainly helped establish scientific credibility to many approaches previously considered unconventional.

Some important principles to remember when considering homeopathy or other alternative therapies include:

• Educate yourself on the remedies you’re considering by using reliable sources (such as those referenced above). Don’t rely on testimonials.
  
  
• Find a health professional who is accepting of your interests. In addition to lists of providers made available by the national organizations that represent the various forms of complementary and alternative medicine, remember that many medical doctors are interested in and willing to recommend these approaches alongside (or even in place of) conventional treatments.
  
  
• Not all remedies are harmless, and not everything that is “natural” is safe.
  
  
• As a general rule, even if remedies and doses are determined to be safe for adults, they may not be for children.
  
  
• Always let your doctor know what remedies you’re using, since complementary or alternative treatments have the potential to interfere with or cause harm when used at the same time as traditional drugs.