What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a system of medicine using homeopathic remedies (also called homeopathics) based on three principles:
- Like cures like. For example, if the symptoms of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy.
- Minimal Dose. The remedy is taken in an extremely dilute form; normally 1 part of the remedy to around 1 trillion parts of water.
- Minimal Dose. The remedy is taken in an extremely dilute form; normally 1 part of the remedy to around 1 trillion parts of water.
Similar principles form the basis of conventional allergy treatment, where the allergic substance is given in a small dose, and in vaccines where an impotent form of the virus is given to strengthen the immune system against that particular virus.
Why use Homeopathic Medicine?
Homeopathy is the second most widely used system of medicine in the world. Its growth in popularity in the United States has been around 25 to 50 percent a year throughout the last decade.
This success is fueled by several factors:
- Homeopathy is completely safe. Even babies and pregnant women can use Homeopathy without the danger of side effects.
- Homeopathy works in harmony with your immune system, unlike most conventional medicines which suppress the immune system. (For example, cough medicines suppress the cough reflex, which is your body’s attempt to clear the lungs).
- Homeopathy is holistic. It treats all the symptoms as one, which in practical terms means that it addresses the cause, not the symptoms (even though you are diagnosing on the symptoms).
- Homeopathy is extremely effective. When the correct remedy is taken, results can be rapid (within seconds), complete and permanent.
- Homeopathic remedies can also be taken alongside other medication without producing unwanted side effects.
- Homeopathy is natural. Homeopathic remedies are normally based on natural ingredients, like herbs and minerals.
- Homeopathic remedies are not addictive – once relief is felt, you should stop taking them. If no relief is felt, you are probably taking the wrong homeopathic remedy.
Why Doesn’t Everyone Use Homeopathy?
Every silver lining has a cloud, and there are two main barriers to the effective use of homeopathy:
Prescribing the right homeopathic remedy takes a little more time and patience than conventional medicine. Exactly the right remedy needs to be taken for your symptoms. There is no such thing as a standard homeopathic headache remedy although combination remedies may be used when you do not know for sure which remedy is indicated. The remedy you take has to be matched to your particular headache – where it occurs (forehead, top of head, etc), what brings it on (drinking cold water, getting over-heated, thunderstorms, etc), what type of pain it is (stabbing, aching, pulsing, etc), what makes it better or worse, your state of mind at the time of the headache, and what other symptoms you experience (nausea, light sensitivity, etc).
The sheer range of remedies in use can cause practical problems for an average sized pharmacy. If the right remedy is not one of 30 or so commonly used remedies, they can be difficult to obtain. Also, in many states, any of the remedies higher than a 30C potency and particular kinds of Homeopathic remedies, known as nosodes, need a doctor’s prescription.
Dr. Grady uses both single Homeopathic remedies and combination Homeopathic formulas to achieve results. Dr. Grady has personally found that the combination Homeopathic remedies are very useful in detoxifying various organ systems in a very powerful yet gentle way. Combination remedies also come in useful when treating babies. Dr Grady has not been able to get them to answer specific questions like, “Does anything make your nausea worse or better?” Putting the most likely remedies together will give us quick results without hurting the baby.