Homeopathy

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy, from the Greek homeo (meaning similar) and pathos (meaning suffering) is a system of medicinal treatment based on treating "like with like."  Practitioners use solutions containing minute amounts of animal, vegetable and/or mineral substances to promote healing; illnesses can be treated by giving patients a small dose of a substance that produces similar effects to those of the illness.

This principle is widely used in conventional medicine as demonstrated by the development of antidotes, vaccines or mainstream allergy treatments, where the allergen is given in a small dose - or in vaccines where an inactivated form of the virus is introduced into the body to bolster the immune system against that particular virus.  The principle of homeopathic remedy assumes that since like cures like, if the symptoms (for example) of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy.

Homepathy attempts to stimulate the body to recover on its own.  For instance, the common cough of a cold represents the body's attempt to restore itself to health.  Instead of trying to stop a cough with suppressants (as in conventional medicine), a homeopathic remedy will cause a cough in a health person to stimulate the ill body to bring itself to health.  Homeopathic practitioners look for the single substance or remedy that will cause similar symptoms in a healthy person - no matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is prescribed in an extremely dilute form.

Homeopathic remedies are normally based on natural ingredients and work in harmony with the immune system to bolster health.  Homeopathy can be extremely effective and completely safe.  Homeopathic remedies do not produce unwanted side effects and are not addictive.  While homeopathic treatment can be quite successful, prescribing the right homeopathic remedy may take more time and patience than conventional medicine.  Homeopathic medicine is highly individualized for your specific symptoms and immune system.  The same remedy given to a number of different people will not work in all cases.  In fact, because there are over 2,000 substances used in homeopathic remedies, it is best to have a professional assessment before attempting to use any homeopathic remedies on your own.

At Alternative Health Associates, Dr. Kopin conducts a thorough and specialized homeopathic consultation to review your symptoms in order to customize and match your unique set of health attributes to the profiles from remedies derived from plant, animal and mineral sources.