What can you expect from homeopathic treatment?

By Caroline Walrad Ph.D., CN

Homeopathic medicines are designed to stimulate your body’s natural ability to heal itself—to act as a catalyst for healing. A homeopathic remedy doesn’t cure as such; it works rather like throwing a pebble into a pond. The homeopath’s job is to throw the pebble into the middle of ‘your’ pond so that it sends out healing ripples to every part of you.

The process of healing varies from person to person, depending on how ill you are, on your levels of vitality, and of course, on the accuracy of the homeopathic prescription itself. In the days/weeks after taking the homeopathic remedy you may find that you feel better in yourself—you experience an increase in energy and /or your complaints improve gradually or even clear.

With an acute or recent illness your improvement may be quite swift. Or, it can be a more gradual or even prolonged process, especially if you have been suffering from a long term or chronic illness. In general, the longer you have been ill the longer that process takes.

Some people experience a slight worsening or aggravation after their treatment. This usually occurs within the first two weeks of starting a remedy and is a good sign. Aggravations mostly do not last long, are manageable and are usually accompanied by an increased sense of well-being.

You may experience a ‘return of old symptoms.’ In other words, symptoms that you experienced in the past may return and these too, are a good sign. They indicate that your body is clearing out an old disease pattern and are generally short-lived. If you fall ill after your consultation ask yourself whether your symptoms are familiar, whether they remind you of something you have experienced in the past.

If they don’t, it may be that you have contracted an acute illness, i.e. flu, a cough or urinary tract infection or something that has occurred as a result of some additional stress in your life. If your symptoms are serious you will need to consult your doctor (or even the emergency room if they are serious.) It may be possible to treat your complaint homeopathically, so it is worth calling me to check this out—the earlier the better. In any case, it is always helpful to let me know if you are considering medical treatment for an acute complaint in between consultations.