Homeopathy
By John C Cassone, MS, CNC

A Complementary Medicine
Homeopathy (hom-e-op-a-thee), is a system of complementary medicine that can have a therapeutic effect on almost any disease or health condition.  It has been used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide for hundreds of years.  It is particularly effective in treating chronic illnesses that fail to respond to conventional treatment.  In the United States, an estimated three thousand medical doctors and licensed healthcare providers practice homeopathy, and the numbers keep rising annually. 

“The World Health Organization has cited homeopathy as one of the systems of traditional medicine that should be integrated worldwide with conventional medicine in order to provide adequate global health care.”

The Remedies
Homeopathic remedies are made from natural substances that are highly diluted then applied to lactose pellets or suspended in fluid.  The medicines are taken under the tongue in a frequency and potency that depends on the individual case.  Homeopathic medicine works along side our own innate immune system to trigger a restoration of balance and health.  Although the remedies are nontoxic and do not result in the harmful side effects possible with regular drug medicines, it is still best to consult with a professional practitioner when dealing with chronic issues. 

The Practitioners
Currently, homeopathy is not a licensed practice in the state of California.  This means that anyone can tell you to take a homeopathic remedy regardless of whether or not they have been trained in homeopathy.  Despite the various approaches, many doctors, chiropractors, and other health care providers are using homeopathy with a high degree of success.  Although their individual approaches to prescribing remedies may vary, homeopathy offers a healthy alternative to suppressive drugs for common ailments. 

Attempting to select remedies yourself from a local health store without first doing a little research is usually not very successful.  The FDA regulates homeopathic remedies, and if they are retailed they must label each remedy with a symptom that it could be used for.  A remedy that says “cough,” may be useful in treating a very specific type of cough only.  It is very different than the one-size-fits-all cough syrups.  With a little guidance, however, a few remedies can be selected and relied on for family use.

“The long-term benefit of homeopathy to the patient is that it not only alleviates the presenting symptoms but it reestablishes internal order at the deepest levels and thereby provides lasting cure.” – George Vithoulkas, Director, Athenian School of Homeopathic Medicine

Classical Homeopathy
With chronic disorders or serious illness, a well trained homeopath should be consulted.  Because of the many varieties of practitioners, the term “classical” has been used to describe traditionally trained homeopaths.  A practitioner using the classical approach will interview the client extensively to fully understand the central disturbance versus prescribing superficially.  The central disturbance is the deepest core of the illness which connects all the presenting symptoms.  It is on this level that homeopathy’s most profound contribution to health can be made.  When the core of an illness pattern is addressed, the entire person begins to heal. 

John C Cassone, MS, CNC is a classically trained homeopath with a MS in nutrition.  He can be reached at 951-837-9013.