Dana Ullman, MPH

Homeopathy: A Tool for Healing

Date aired: April 28, 2017

Episode Description

Homeopathy is a system of medicine created by Samuel Hahnemann in the 1700s is based on the concept of like cures like. It uses minute doses of natural substances that in a health person would produce symptoms of disease. It can be used in conjunction with all other healing modalities. It is used widely through out Europe and was common in the US until the 1900s. There were may US homeopathic medical schools including Boston university, the University of Michigan, Univ of Minnesota and the Univ of Iowa. Western (allopathic) medicine focuses on limiting symptoms whereas homeopathy focuses on supporting the body’s natural defenses. For example a fever is a symptom for which physicians give medications to reduce. The homeopath believes that a fever accompanies the body’s attempt to expel unwanted pathogens and will give minute doses of natural substances that support the underlying defenses causing the fever. Learn how you can use homeopathy in your healing path.

HISTORY OF HOMEOPATHY IN EUROPE

  • Clinics and hospitals through out the world incorporate homeopathy
  • Is main stream and used routinely in Europe. It has a high rate of acceptance from practitioners and the public in Europe
  • It is well integrated into health care in Europe and is the leading alternative remedy used by doctors in Europe
  • 95 % French pediatric, general practice, GP and dermatologists integrate homeopathy into their practices (France has the best medical care system in the world)
  • The Queen Elizabeth’s physician was a homeopath.

HISTORY OF HOMEOPATHY IN THE US

  • There were over 100 homeopathic hospitals in the US. They were well integrated into health care.
  • There used to be 22 homeopathic medical schools including Michigan, Iowa, Boston, Ohio State, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota,
  • In the past, the Dean of Medicine at Stanford was a homeopathic doctor
  • Big pharma teamed up with big medicine AMA, and homeopathy did not come out favourably.
  • In 1900’s, the head of AMA arranged that  AMA had to give the seal of approval of drugs

SYMPTOMS OF DISEASES

  • Symptoms is from the Greek word for sign or signal.
  • Are the efforts of the body to survive: the body’s survival strategies

ABOUT HOMEOPATHY

  • Homeo means similar
  • Pathos means suffering
  • Homeopathy is the principle behind vaccines -It takes a small amount to fight off disease
  • Type of natural medicine that uses extremely small amounts of plants, animals, minerals, chemicals,
  • Not based on disease: based on the symptoms
  • Our symptoms are defenses
  • Homeopaths use substance in nature that cause similar symptoms to the symptoms of the patietn
  • If fever, don’t want to lower it
  • Don’t wont to go away
  • To slow constipation is not to looses
  • Because body is doing this as defense
  • Homeopathy Not for disease: it is for way we have disease

ALLOPATHIC APPROACHES

  • Western medicine suppresses disease
    • treats symptoms or manifestations of a disease
    • fights the body’s defenses
  • An example, a way to treat the oil light that comes on in a car would be to disconnect the light. The symptom goes away, but the underlying problem remains.

HOMEOPATHIC APPROACHES

  • Stimulates the body’s own ability to heal.
  • Sees symptoms as a manifestation of diseases
  • Tries to support the body’s defenses rather than fight the defenses
  • As an example, an aikido master uses the force of the body attacking them in the defense

EXAMPLES OF HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

  • Head ache – the homeopathic remedy is   coffee
    • Caffeine causes headaches
    • Caffeine is in aspirin because it causes head aches
  • Fever – The body heats up, wall off invaders
    • Fever creates internal heated environment and secretes interferon, an antiviral chemical
    • Give a drug to lower the temperature disables body to fight infection on its own
    • to lower temperature temporary relief but allows virus to replicate so body comes back with higher fever.
  • Nasal discharge
    • Nasal discharge flush it out
    • Western medicine tries to dry it up
  • Exposure to Colds
  • Body fights and kills virus when exposed be creating a liquid substance to get rid of dead cells and virus
  • If you give a drug to dry membrane, these dead cells congest, and the cold can move down into the chest.  (pneumonia,  bronchitis)
  • Example pain killers
  • Pain killers don’t turn off pain
  • They just turn off awareness
  • Tonsillitis
  • Symptoms: swollen red, hot, burning, want to suck on an ice cube
    • Warm drinks irritating: want cold drinks
  • Treatment: apis (bee venom)
    • Bee venom cause burning causes burning & feels better with cold
    • Is good for tonsillitis with these symptoms
  • Some tonsillitis likes warm drinks then take a different medicine
  • Flu
    • In 1917, there was a flu epidemic. There was a lower percentage of deaths in homeopathic hospitals than in hospitals where patients were treated with aspirin and drugs.
    • The most common homeopathic remedy is oscillococcinum to fight flu
      • Made from heart and liver of duck
      • ducks as birds, bird flu ducks carry every influenza virus. Their livers have low doses of these viruses and strengthens body like a vaccine
      • This works in the first 48 hours.
      • This is as effective as medicine to treat the flu
      • After the initial treatment, individualized treatment is needed.

HOW HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES ARE SELECTED

  • draws from conventional pharmacological literature
  • patients are interviewed for symptoms from a condition
  • A remedy is sought that gives these symptoms
  • There are software programs on line. The costs of these start around $800.

USE OF HOMEOPATHY

  • Take it when needed
  • It should not be taken continuously
  • Can use in conjunction with western medicine. It can reduce the need for Western medicine

REGULATION OF HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

  • Made by FDA regulated manufacturer
  • Are regulated strictly as are drugs under the 1938 FDA Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act
  • Are over the counter

HOMEOPATHY IS COST EFFECTIVE

  • It takes a lot of time to find right remedy, but the remedy is cheaper

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

  • For example for headaches, insomnia
  • Are over the counter and subject to the same scrutiny by FDA
  • Shotgun approach
  • Body won’t react to remedies that are not appropriate
  • But body will react to right one

WEBSITES

www.Homeopathic.com

www.Homeopathicfamilymedicine.com

includes:

e-course teaches how to use homeopathic remedies

has CME for doctors

WHEN TO USE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

  • Chronic illness
  • Child before undergoing round   of antibiotics
  • When doctor does not want to treat patient