Homeopathy is a system of medicine in which a substance that can cause certain symptoms in a healthy person may help heal those same symptoms in someone who is ill. Based on the principle of like cures like. (For example, burning your finger and then running it under warm water.)

In a process called “potentization”, substances are repeatedly diluted and then shaken vigorously so that they become homeopathic remedies. Gentle enough to avoid toxicity, yet more powerful in their healing effect.

Today, pharmacies around the world prepare homeopathic remedies under strict regulations.

In the United States, the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS) serves as the official reference recognized by the FDA. This “rulebook” sets the standards, preparation methods, and approved ingredients for every homeopathic medicine sold in the country, ensuring each remedy is made and labeled with consistent quality.

Unlike dietary supplements, which are not held to this FDA-recognized standard, homeopathic medicines follow these detailed guidelines. Homeopaths value this oversight because it helps us ensure that remedies remain consistent, reliable, and effective. Homeopathy is safe for babies, pregnant women, adults, even animals. For chronic cases, I recommend using Homeopathy as directed under the supervision of a Homeopath.

Recent advances in science now allow us to see what homeopaths long suspected: even highly diluted remedies contain nano-particles of the original substance. Research suggests these tiny particles can interact with the body to gently stimulate its own healing capacity: the “vital force.” Really, though, the proof is in the clinic and the experience of the client. Results speak for themselves.

Homeopathy itself doesn’t cure; the body does the healing. Homeopathic medicine simply guides and supports that natural process.

The key to homeopathy is that it works with the body, not against it. Unlike conventional drugs that suppress symptoms, homeopaths use symptoms to understand what the body is communicating.

For example, a pain reliever like Advil can mask a headache by suppressing it, but a carefully chosen homeopathic remedy aims to address the imbalance causing the pain. The goal is to resolve the underlying condition, so remedies are not needed indefinitely.

Actually, Homeopathy is the #2 most used system of medicine in the world (second to Chinese Medicine). ColdCalm, which is a common homeopathic combination remedy widely available in US stores, is the number one most purchased medicine in France.

Things are different in the United States. By 1915, Homeopathy was a $5 billion business (in today’s money). There were 400 dedicated homeopathic hospitals, 16 full time homeopathic medical schools, and roughly 10,000 MD Homeopaths (not counting home prescribers).

Once there were modern antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals available that could be patented, medicine became a money making business. The AMA began to forbid Doctors to become Homeopaths or even to marry Homeopaths. If they found that an MD was practicing Homeopathy, they were barred from joining the AMA. Homeopathic hospitals began to close and conventional medicine took over.

The Samuel Hahnemann Monument in Philadelphia, dedicated in 1890 to the founder of homeopathy, still stands today. Its inscriptions honor him as a reformer of medicine who sought to cure “gently, rapidly, reliably, permanently” through natural laws. The monument reflects Philadelphia’s role as a historic center of homeopathy and stands as a rare tribute in American public art to a medical figure outside conventional medicine.

Unlike conventional painkillers, homeopathy does not work by chemically suppressing pain signals in the nervous system. Instead, remedies are chosen based on the specific, individualized presentation of the suffering.

When my youngest son got a deep friction wound on his finger, he was screaming and writhing in pain. I tried one or two remedies but my son didn’t improve until the correct remedy was chosen. Once it I found the right match, the relief was rapid and disproportionate to what would be expected from mere suggestion or placebo. If this were only placebo, the improvement would be more random, gradual, or equally likely with any remedy given confidently.

Skeptics often claim placebo is about belief or suggestion. But in acute pediatric cases (a child writhing in pain on the couch) the child is not primed for placebo in the same way as an adult with expectations or conditioning.

When a distressed child, without belief or anticipation, suddenly relaxes or falls asleep minutes after the right remedy, that’s difficult to attribute to placebo. Parents may hope for improvement with each dose, but the child’s rapid and clear response shows a direct physiological shift.

Once you observe, or feel, the remedies work quickly and consistently, the decision to ‘believe’ or ‘not believe’ is irrelevant. It just works.