Homeopathy— Frequently Asked Questions

By: Tom Firor, MD and Hal Blatman, MD

What is Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a medical system that is about 250 years old, discovered and systematized by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician in the late 1700’s. He noticed that certain preparations—animal, mineral or plant—would cause symptoms in healthy people that mimicked symptoms of illness in sick people. Homeopathy is based on treating ill people with these preparations in order to stimulate their bodies to be stronger against the causes of illness. As the body adapts to the remedy, it overcomes the disease. Samuel Hahnemann, MD, discovered that these treatments were not only safe, but very effective for a whole range of illnesses and problems.

Who will Homeopathy help

Homeopathy can be used to treat all types of illnesses, from skin diseases and allergies, to headache and pain conditions. It is helpful in treating menopause symptoms, depression and other psychological illnesses such as ADHD and even autism. Patients who have chronic problems such as insomnia or auto-immune disease may also find relief, even when nothing else has worked. It can eradicate skin diseases and has even helped with very serious, life threatening illnesses.

Homeopathy is also excellent for acute sickness, such as colds and flu. There are homeopathic preparations that more quickly help the body heal from injuries. There are even situations in which remedies can help prevent the need for surgery. For people who need surgery, there are remedies that can help the procedure go easier and with less complications.

Homeopathy is also excellent for child care, treating illnesses such as infant colic, when there is no other solution. Often chronic ear infections and recurring sore throats can be totally alleviated.

Homeopathy is a wonderful transition medicine, from childhood to adolescence and adulthood to old age. Preparations can even help with childbirth and with end of life care.

The homeopathic doctor can become a true primary care physician, following patients for all sorts of problems that come up.

What does it take to become a Homeopathic Physician

It takes years and considerable training to become a homeopathic physician. There are a wide variety of training programs and apprenticeships. For an MD to become a homeopath, he/she will spend perhaps many years after regular medical training taking courses, researching and applying the principles of Dr. Hahnemann.

What can I expect from my first visit?

The first visit and interview will take anywhere from one to three hours. The homeopathic physician might ask questions that you’ve never heard from the other doctors you have seen in the past. The doctor may want to know if you have any recurring dreams that bother you, what is your favorite food, does any food make you feel sick or make you feel better, do you like hot or cold drinks, does your rash itch more after you scratch it or after you take a bath, what makes your cough better besides medication and what makes it worse, and even does your symptom get worse when you think about it?

Actually, the really good homeopath will spend most of your time listening to you, asking such questions only to clarify or confirm what you are saying. Only after an extensive session including all your medical history and more will the homeopath perform a physical exam. Some parts of the physical exam might also seem unusual, focusing on the appearance of your tongue or the subtle variations in your pulse, how you stand or sit, blemishes on your skin, how you blink your eyes, etc.

All of this work is geared to selecting the single best starting remedy for your whole picture: Physical, mental, emotional symptoms, likes and dislikes, thoughts, dreams, feelings, sleeping habits, and the eating habits and conditions under which any bothersome symptoms improve or get worse may be important.

The hardest part is that the remedy might do little or nothing you notice, the remedy might cure you, or the remedy might get the case started, leading to a different remedy. In addition, the doctor might want to wait one or two months after the first dose of remedy in a chronic ailment, or only fifteen minutes in an acute illness like a cold, before repeating the remedy. In some cases, a single dose of a remedy acts for up to three years, requiring no repeat doses. This is because, particularly in chronic illness, the remedy is shifting the pattern of everything in an orderly and methodical sequence. A patient might still have to follow-up with the doctor to make sure the changes indeed represent progress. These visits might go on for quite some time before a prescription is repeated.

For homeopathy to work, follow-up and assessment of remedy action is critical. Also, remedies can be counteracted, “antidoted,” by certain substances which the patient should avoid until he/she is well. More importantly, the patient has to be willing to change, go through old symptoms [e.g. and old rash returns], re-experience old emotions [briefly] and move on to the other side of disturbance or pain, which is self-sustaining health.

Each remedy that works makes the patient healthier and stronger. However, the entire process is much different than taking drugs on a daily bases, taking multiple drugs as if all symptoms are separate from the main illness or taking drugs to hide symptoms that need to come out into the open.

Dr. Tom Firor is a homeopathic MD Physician, with a medical practice in Cincinnati, Ohio. His office can be reached at 513-791-2575, or www.ohiointegrativemedicine.com.