Homeopathy

Like Cures Like, and Less Is More

Homeopathy (from the Greek words homeo, meaning "like," and pathos, meaning "suffering") is based on the principle of similars: A substance that causes certain symptoms in a healthy person will cure those symptoms in a sick person.

Here's how one homeopath puts it: "If a healthy person takes a little taste of arsenic, it might cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, chills and clammy sweats," says Linda Johnston, M.D., diplomate in ho-meopathic therapeutics and founder of the Academy for Classical Homeopathy in Van Nuys, California, and author of Everyday Miracles: Homeopathy in Action. "So we'd use a homeopathic arsenic preparation to remedy an intestinal flu that produces exactly those symptoms."

Don't be alarmed by the mention of arsenic: The quantities used in homeopathy are so infinitesimal that otherwise toxic ingredients are harmless. Other substances commonly used by homeopathic practitioners include plants, such as Arnica (mountain daisy), Calendula (marigold) and Urtica urens (stinging nettle) and minerals such as copper, iron, zinc and sulfur, among others.

What's more, if you ask homeopaths to explain why their like-cures-like healing practice works, you're likely to hear, "We don't know."

PUZZLING BUT PROVOCATIVE

Homeopathy was developed during the late 1700s by medical rebel Samuel Hahnemann. A brilliant, well-educated German physician, Dr. Hahnemann grew disgusted with bloodletting and other ineffectual, barbaric eighteenth-century healing rituals. So he quit the practice of medicine and supported himself by writing and translating medical works.

While translating a medical text, Dr. Hahnemann read that Peruvian bark was effective against malaria. But the explanation for why it worked didn't seem to make sense. When, out of curiosity, Dr. Hahnemann dosed himself with the bark, which contains quinine, he found himself developing symptoms of malaria--the very illness that the bark was supposed to cure. Intrigued, he began testing quinine and other substances on other healthy people, carefully noting their reactions. He called his tests provings.

Dr. Hahnemann found that administering the similar medicine--a medicine that was capable of producing symptoms similar to those his sick patient was experiencing--could greatly relieve the patient's suffering. However, the patients sometimes suffered ill effects from the full-strength medicines. He therefore set about to develop a method of making the medicines safer. After much experimenting, he found that diluting and shaking the medicines could enhance their healing effects while reducing their harmful effects. In fact, the more he diluted and shaked, or succussed, the medicines, the more potent they became.

In 1796, Dr. Hahnemann published his essay "On a New Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Powers of Drugs," and homeopathy, as he called this healing system, was born.

In 1825, homeopathy was introduced to the United States, much to the dismay of conventional doctors who lined themselves up against the new practice as it gained popularity. In 1846, they formed an organization, the American Medical Association (AMA), whose members were sanctioned for merely associating with "irregular practitioners."

Eventually, the AMA won its battle against homeopathy. In 1890, one-sixth of all physicians were homeopaths. But by 1940 or so, ho-meopaths in America had become nearly as scarce as the bald eagle.

Interestingly, homeopathy never received such opposition elsewhere in the world. In other countries, it was--and is--a widely accepted medical practice. Around 40 percent of British, French and Dutch doctors use homeopathy, and one in five German doctors do. Other surveys indicate that 25 to 56 percent of Belgian, French, British, Dutch and Danish people use homeopathy, in addition to significant numbers of people in Sweden, Italy, India, Mexico, South America and the former Soviet Union.

In the United States, homeopathy is regaining popularity and is practiced by several hundred medical doctors, osteopaths, naturopaths, dentists, veterinarians and other health care professionals across the country. In a typical year, nearly five million Americans visit homeopaths. And sales of homeopathic medicines are estimated at $201 million per year and are growing at a rate of nearly 20 percent a year.

THE MYSTERY OF POTENTIZED REMEDIES

Homeopathic remedies are potentized. That means that a substance, which in its original form produces certain symptoms, will be added to water, then succussed 60 or more times. The mixture is then diluted again with water and the process can be repeated up to hundreds of times, until not a molecule of the original substance remains in the remedy.

The principle of potentized remedies gives even experienced ho-meopaths pause when it comes to explaining how their healing art works. But on one thing they all agree: It does.

"The bottom line is that no one really knows how homeopathic remedies work," says Dr. Johnston. "What I do know is that my patients get better. Unlike conventional medicine, homeopathy doesn't treat symptoms--it corrects whatever is disturbing your system and producing those symptoms."

"I don't know how homeopathy works either," admits Joyce Frye, D.O., an obstetrician/gynecologist and chairperson of the gynecology department at Presbyterian Medical Center and a clinical faculty member at Jefferson Medical College, both in Philadelphia. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't work. Scientists are making discoveries every day that shatter the laws of physics as we know them. A new kind of physics, one that we haven't even explored yet, may soon explain what now seems mysterious."

Ask Ellen Goldman, doctor of naturopathy and chairperson of the homeopathy department at Bastyr University of Naturopathic Medicine in Seattle, how such dilute solutions can possibly cure diseases and she replies, "We don't yet have instruments sensitive enough to measure this effect. Dr. Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy, said that homeopathic medicines stimulate the vital force, or the healing energies, in the body. My opinion is that the remedies affect the brain's limbic system, which governs certain aspects of our emotions, behaviors and physiology."

"Homeopathy stimulates the body's self-healing mechanism," says Jennifer Jacobs, M.D., assistant clinical professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle. "How can so dilute a remedy be effective? Just ask the luna moth. This beautiful insect finds her mate from a half-mile away when he releases just one molecule of a hormonelike substance called a pheromone."

To better accept the paradox behind homeopathy, it helps to consider other, more conventional medical treatments: If you take allergy desensitization shots, you regularly receive a tiny amount of the very substance that makes you sneeze, wheeze or itch. Eventually, your body will develop a tolerance to that substance and your symptoms will stop. Similarly, hyperactive children are sometimes given the stimulant Ritalin, but instead of making them more hyper, it actually calms them down. And finally, those vaccinations that prevent everything from chickenpox to smallpox are nothing more than dead or crippled germs that, in their potent form, would cause the disease for which they're given.

WHAT HOMEOPATHY OFFERS WOMEN

Homeopathy has many benefits to offer women, according to Dr.
Johnston.

Some of those benefits, adds Dr. Jacobs, include relief for menstrual difficulties, childbirth, menopause difficulties and even breastfeeding. "I think the fact that homeopathy is nontoxic and has no side effects makes it very helpful for women's health problems."

Dr. Frye echoes those sentiments. "The real benefit of applying homeopathy to the problems of menopause or premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is that instead of taking a powerful drug on a regular basis, you can be given a remedy that you might only take a few times to regulate your system," she says. "The right remedy can end PMS symptoms entirely."

"Another plus is that, unlike other approaches that have you stick to special regimens or keep journals of your symptoms, homeopathy doesn't require that women change their lifestyles to eliminate PMS," says Dr. Johnston. "Instead, homeopathy will correct the physiological problem that causes PMS in the first place."

That doesn't necessarily mean that homeopathy is the answer to everything. Homeopathy may not be the appropriate solution for all the problems that many women face around the time of menopause, says Dr. Frye. "Vaginal dryness, for example, doesn't usually respond well to homeopathy."

Plus, each woman's menopausal problems will present themselves differently, suggests Dr. Frye. "Some women's faces will flush. Others will feel a flash of heat on their chests. Still others will wake during the night dripping with sweat. So each woman needs a homeopathic remedy individualized just for her. When individualized, homeopathy can make menopause a peaceful transition," she says.

A VISIT TO A HOMEOPATH

Visiting a homeopathic healer is likely to be a very different medical experience than any you've ever known. In a way, your encounter will more closely resemble a consultation with a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental-health practitioner.

That's because along with your physical examination, talking is just about all that occurs during your 60- to 90-minute (or longer) first visit. And you're going to be doing most of it.

Meanwhile, the homeopath will ask probing questions, take copious notes and consult her Materia Medica of New Homeopathic Remedies, the homeopathic handbook listing the 2,000 remedies and their corresponding symptoms. Be prepared: Some questions will fall way outside the scope of what you'd expect during a conventional medical exam.

You'll be closely questioned about your current symptoms. But you'll also be asked all about your childhood, your fears, your phobias and your sex life. And she'll want to know at what temperature you are most comfortable. What foods do you like or dislike? What kind of personality do you have? How do you spend your free time? Do you drink? Do you dream? How's your digestion?

You'll be asked how you express anger and how often. Would you describe yourself as driven? Some of the questions may stir up uncomfortable memories for you. In the words of one woman, "When the two-hour visit was over, I'd told the homeopath more about myself than I'd ever told anyone in my life."

Dr. Johnston says, "Don't be concerned if entire areas of information commonly asked by conventional medical doctors are ignored, and entirely different areas are given great attention and concern. Your doctor will ask questions that provide information that will lead her to the one correct remedy for your set of symptoms out of 2,000 possibilities."

The success of your homeopathic treatment depends on answering the doctor's questions to the best of your ability and then carefully following her suggestions about avoiding substances that can interfere with the action of homeopathic remedies.

Dr. Frye recalls the complex analysis that she used to select a homeopathic remedy for a 45-year-old woman that she treated for chronic sinus trouble. "Sinus problems are ubiquitous," says Dr. Frye. "But this woman also had a terrible spider phobia, a family history of breast cancer and diabetes and a caretaker personality--a cluster of traits that cancer specialists say is common to many women who develop breast cancer."

Instead of dismissing the spider phobia as irrelevant, Dr. Frye used it as a clue. "I find that with homeopathy, strange, rare and peculiar symptoms usually point the way to the right remedy," she says. "So, I looked up homeopathic remedies for arachnophobia--fear of spiders."

Of the six remedies listed, Dr. Frye chose Carcinosinum Burnett. "The personality profile for Carcinosinum well-matched the woman in question on many levels," she notes. "I prescribed a single-dose remedy of Carcinosinum Burnett and, months later, she remained completely free of sinus problems. As a bonus, she was able to accompany her son to a local pet shop and visit the tarantulas."

NOT A ROUTINE PRESCRIPTION

As the woman who consulted Dr. Frye for help with sinus trouble discovered, homeopathic remedies may not look like any medicine that you've ever taken before. Don't be surprised, for instance, if yours is
a couple of dozen pinhead-size sugar drops, to be downed all at once, one time only. Remedies come in various concentrations, marked with
a number and either a "c," for the centesimal scale, which means potencies are diluted 100 times each time that they are shaken, or an "x," for the decimal scale, which means that potencies are diluted 10 times each time that they are shaken. The higher the number, the more dilute the substance, yet the more powerful it is. Of the two units, c is more common.

And with your medicine might come instructions to avoid coffee and strong-smelling substances such as camphor, eucalyptus and peppermint, suggests Dr. Goldman.

Or, you just might leave the doctor's office without any remedy at all, says Dr. Frye. "Sometimes, it takes me a day or two to review the Materia Medica of New Homeopathic Remedies before I can prescribe a remedy. Searching through 2,000 remedies and sets of symptoms to find the right one can be very time-consuming." And therein lies the art of a good homeopath, she adds.

"I don't really do anything other than this matching process," says Dr. Frye. "If the symptoms are clear and we're able to identify the right remedy, a healing response should be expected."

But occasionally, even the most assiduous questioning and artful matching produces no results. "Rarely, I'll have someone for whom the appropriate homeopathic remedy can't be discerned," says Dr. Frye. "When that happens, I choose a different treatment or refer them to an appropriate specialist."

ONE REMEDY OR MANY?

The approach that Dr. Frye describes is what's known as classical, or constitutional, homeopathy. All of an individual's symptoms--physical and emotional--lead to the selection of a single remedy. And if it's the correct remedy, a healing response may occur on many levels.

With combination remedies, a common practice especially in France and Germany, remedies are blended and prescribed to treat the symptoms of a specific illness. In this country, mixed remedies are available over the counter in health food stores for colds, the flu and a variety of other conditions.

Treatments vary from highly individualized to the more general. "For injuries, for example, extensive questioning isn't necessary, and arnica is almost always the right remedy for first-aid problems such as cuts, burns, stings and sprains or acute injuries," says Dr. Frye.

For acute viral diseases, like colds and the flu, treatments must be more individualized. "If ten people are in an elevator and get coughed on by a sick person, not all ten will get sick," says Dr. Frye. "And those who do will likely have different symptoms. The homeopath has to match the treatment to the person by answering the question, 'Why did this person develop these symptoms?'

"In cases of chronic disease, how much healing ensues depends on the vital force of the prevailing problem as well as on how early in the process treatment begins," she says. "The ability of homeopathy to heal depends on how much damage the disease has done."

WHAT SCIENCE SAYS

If you ask your family doctor about the merits of homeopathy, you're likely to be greeted with skepticism. When a natural-healing technique produces results that are difficult to explain scientifically, as is the case with homeopathy, critics often write off the results as a placebo effect. In other words, if the doctor and patient expect a remedy to work, there's about a 30 percent chance that it will work, even if the remedy is an inactive substance, according to at least one medical report.

Advocates of homeopathy, however, point to a number of scientific studies that show positive results for homeopathic remedies.

Among 107 scientific studies of homeopathy reviewed over a number of years, 77 percent pointed to homeopathy's effectiveness, according to David Taylor Reilly, homeopathic researcher and physician at the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital in Scotland.

HOMEOPATHY WITHOUT A HOMEOPATH

The National Center for Homeopathy states that homeopathic medicines are recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as drugs and that 95 percent of them are available over the counter--that is, without a prescription. Stroll through your local drugstore or health food store and you're likely to find dozens of homeopathic remedies for sale.

Note: If you use over-the-counter homeopathic remedies, be sure to see a physician if you do not improve quickly or if your condition worsens. See a medical professional for chronic, long-term conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

But just because you can self-medicate with homeopathy, does that mean you should? The answer depends on whom you ask.

"You're not doing yourself any favors by self-medicating with homeopathic remedies, because you never address the problem causing the symptoms that you're trying to cure," says Dr. Johnston. She uses being in debt as a metaphor. "How you solve indebtedness depends on what caused your financial difficulties. Do you spend too much? Make too little? Max out your credit cards? Incur large bills? It's the same thing with your health. To use homeopathy effectively, you need to find out why you have colds so often, rather than continually fighting off symptoms," she explains.

Other practitioners differ. "If you're treating something mild, it won't hurt you to use homeopathic remedies," says Dr. Frye. "But it's better if you come to recognize your particular health pattern."

Homeopathy can be used successfully at home for minor first-aid problems, according to Richard J. Weintraub, M.D., consulting psychiatrist at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine, both in Boston. "I see no problem using homeopathy for black eyes or bee stings," he says. "Arnica, for example, is the most amazing plant. Take it right after you've been bruised, and you'll cut your healing time considerably.

"But I don't recommend that people attempt to self-medicate for anything more complicated than minor first-aid," he cautions.

FINDING A PRACTITIONER

It's easier than ever to consult a homeopathic practitioner if you have a health problem that needs attention. At last count, the number of ho-meopathic practitioners had grown from fewer than 200 in the 1970s to approximately 3,000 today, according to the National Center for Homeopathy (NCH). Of those, close to 1,000 are medical doctors or osteopaths. The rest are naturopaths, nurse-practitioners, physicians' assistants, dentists, licensed acupuncturists, chiropractors and veterinarians. Fewer than 5 percent are nonmedically trained, and many of those practitioners work with licensed practitioners.

The basics of homeopathy are being introduced to medical students in complementary medicine courses at many medical schools, including:

* Harvard, Yale and Tufts University in Boston

* Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

* Emory University in Atlanta

* Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia

* Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Columbia University, all in New York City

* the Universities of Arizona, California, Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington

In-depth training programs offering 500 or more hours in homeopathic philosophy, methodology, materia medica and clinical training are offered by several organizations across the country. In addition, Bastyr University, the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, and Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona, offer intensive homeopathic training.

"Homeopathy is an incredibly complex healing system, one that has a very steep learning curve," says Dr. Weintraub. "I'm still awed by how much there is to know."

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