Homeopathy is a system of natural medicine that uses naturally occurring substances from the plant, animal and mineral kingdom in safe, diluted form that works to strengthen the body's own healing system.
Over 3,500 substances are available to the practitioner and, among a range of ailments, homeopathy can be effective in treating viral infections, stress-related illnesses, and postoperative surgery.
"We find doctors and nurses increasingly recommending arnica homoeopathically to heal deep tissue wounds. Many homeopaths now treat women in pregnancy for everything from morning sickness and varicose veins to the first labour contraction, while women after childbirth can be helped with a remedy called bellis peronis, derived from the daisy," says homeopath Suzi Duff.
"After the consultation, I would spend up to three hours going over what I heard, reading up on any medication the patient is taking, consider the central physical and emotional symptoms and the modality, for example, at what time of day or in what circumstances they surface. With the help of a computer programme, I narrow the treatment options down to 20-50 remedies and then I would spend some more time thinking about the issues before making my final choice which would be a remedy to offer the least possible dose to help that range of symptoms for that person at that time."
Each homeopathic remedy has a myriad of applications. Remedies from the chemist have a much lower strength and work mainly on physical symptoms. Popular over-the-counter remedies include chamomilla to relieve a baby's teething pain, arnica for tissue healing after a fall or bruise, and belladonna for reducing temperature. Nux vomica is a cure for hangovers and can assist some heartburn, lachesis will ease a raw sore throat, and fluey symptoms may be relieved by gelsemium. For clean deep cuts calendula will help the skin heal very quickly.
Duff says in spite of low strength it is important to use the minimum dose. "Stop taking when you begin to feel better and if you find your symptoms do not begin to clear after three doses, then you have chosen the wrong remedy," she says.