Center for Health and Healing

<html><head> <title>The Center for Health & Healing</title> <link rel=stylesheet href="../chhstyle.css" type="text/css"> <meta name="keywords" content="homeopathy, Homeopathic Pharmacopeia "> <script language="JavaScript">  </script> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" leftmargin="0" topmargin="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"> <base target="_top"> <a name="head"></a> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="98%"> <tr> <td width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="149" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td width="95%" bgcolor="#95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="500" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td width="5%" bgcolor="#95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="60" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff" align="left" valign="top"><a name="top"></a><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="149" height="24" border="0" alt=""></td> <td> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="padding:0px 0px 0px 5px"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#95a920" align="left" valign="top"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="274" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td align="right"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="123" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr>  <tr> <td bgcolor="#95a920" width="274" align="left" valign="top" class="title">Complementary / Alternative Therapies</td> <td align="right">  <form name="form1" method="post" action=""> <select name="menu1" onChange="MM_jumpMenu('top',this,0)"> <option value="#" selected="selected">Select One</option> <option value='gen_pract.asp'>General</option> <option value='accu_pract.asp'>Acupuncture</option> <option value='acupress_pract.asp'>Acupressure/Shiatsu</option> <option value='alexander_pract.asp'>Alexander Technique</option> <option value='aroma_pract.asp'>Aromatherapy</option> <option value='art_pract.asp'>Art Therapy</option> <option value='bio_pract.asp'>Biofeedback</option> <option 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value='reiki_pract.asp'>Reiki</option> <option value='rolfing_pract.asp'>Rolfing</option> <option value='taichi_pract.asp'>Tai Chi</option> <option value='tens_pract.asp'>TENS</option> <option value='therap_pract.asp'>Therapeutic Touch</option> <option value='trager_pract.asp'>Trager Approach</option> <option value='yoga_pract.asp'>Yoga</option> </select> </form> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> </td> </tr>  <tr> <td valign="top" width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <table width="120" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;"> <tr> <td> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="homeo_pract.asp">Practitioner Statement</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="homeo_history.asp">History & Philosophy</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="homeo_treatment.asp">Treatment Approaches</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="homeo_how.asp">How it works & when to use it</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOn" href="homeo_what.asp">What you need to know about treatment</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="homeo_training.asp">Training & Licensing</a></p> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">  <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td nowrap="nowrap" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px 0px;"> <p class="headline"><br> Homeopathy  What you need to know about treatment</p> </td> <td width="100%"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td width="100%" bgcolor="ffffff" height="1"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="ffffff" colspan="2"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="10" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> </table>  <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class='content'> <p><span class='head2'>Description of a Session</span> <br /> Homeopathy treats the whole person on a physical, mental, and emotional level and it treats each person individually. Therefore one of the main principles of homeopathy is the individualization of the treatment. A homeopath will take her/his time interviewing each patient. It is very common for the first appointment to last between 90 and 120 minutes. The homeopathic practitioner will encourage the patient to talk about every single problem she/he may be experiencing. No detail is too minute or insignificant to be ignored. The homeopath may launch into a long series of questions, ranging widely into all aspects of the patients life. For a homeopath this leel of detailed information is very important. All aspects of a persons health problems or general states and characteristics, including preferences regarding temperature, seasons, time of day, foods, relationships or life cycle events etc., are relevant and will be part of finding the correct remedy.</p> <p>The selection of any homeopathic remedy is made on the totality of the symptoms presented by the patient. Any remedy may be used for any condition if the symptoms generated by the remedy match the symptoms experienced by the patient. It is also very important for the homeopath to know as much as possible about all the diagnostic tests and other information in relation to the conventional medical diagnosis. She/he also further needs to know all about the medications, allopathic or herbal, and all other supplements the patient has taken. A homeopath aims to evaluate the patients illness from every aspect available. It is very important to note here, that under no circumstances will a homeopathic practitioner at the Center for Health and Healing advise the discontinuation of any medications the patient is taking at the time. Medications should only be discontinued after consultation with the primary care physician. An abrupt, unwarranted discontinuation of medication may cause a dramatic unbalance in the body, which can ultimately lead to a possible deterioration of the patients well being.</p> <p><span class='head2'>Course of Treatment</span> <br /> As mentioned above, the amount and quality of the information gathered by the practitioner during the first appointment/interview with the patient is crucial in order to find the right remedy. If the first remedy is right and the patients symptoms gradually subside, the homeopath may only need to see the patient once more to adjust the dosage or see if the remedy can be discontinued all together. This second appointment is usually scheduled for 1 or 2 months after the initial visit. This visit may last around 20 to 30 minutes. Other times, when the process of finding the appropriate remedy is more challenging, the practitioner may need to see the patient again for a longer appointment, similar to the initial one. She/he will again interview the patient taking note of a variety of individual details and select another remedy which may finally alleviate the patients symptoms.</p> <p>Homeopathic remedies come in many different forms: liquids, pallets, tablets, and external applications. The most common form is a pellet made from milk sugar with a homeopathic remedy instilled in it using special sophisticated techniques. A pellet (or number of pellets) has to be put under the tongue to dissolve. Homeopaths recommend not touching the pellet, since any contamination might potentially interfere with the remedy. For the same reasons it is recommended that homeopathic remedies be stored in places free of strong odors, including perfumes and food odors. The homeopath will usually also ask that the remedies be taken at least 30 minutes before or one hour after meals. The time of the day is sometimes also important. For chronic conditions the patient might have to take the remedy only once in a few weeks or even months, as long as the condition continues to improve. In some acute cases the remedy has to be taken every 10-15 minutes.</p> <p><span class='head2'>Side Effects</span><br /> To date there are no studies in which homeopathic remedies have had side effects different from placebo.</p> <p><span class='head2'>Safety Issues</span><br /> In spite of the fact that homeopathic remedies are so diluted that they can not be harmful to the patient, there has always been a debate around homeopathy. This debate focused on the legitimacy of a practice for which a plausible scientific explanation for its mechanisms of action has been lacking to this date. This situation, however, is a norm rather than an exception in conventional medicine. Until very recently the majority of medications, including penicillin, lithium, anti-psychotics, antidepressants, and glucophage were discovered by chance and have been used empirically with great therapeutic success without an equally successful understanding of their mechanisms of action. Controversy around the choices of different treatment approaches within the health practitioners community is also not uncommon.</p> <p>Homeopathic medicines are drug products made by homeopathic pharmacies in accordance with the processes described in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States, which is the official manufacturing manual recognized by the FDA. The Homeopathic Pharmacopeia was written into federal law in 1938 under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, making the manufacture and sale of homeopathic medicines legal in this country. Most are available without a prescription as over the counter medications.</p> <p><span class='head2'>Other Modalities That Work Well With Homeopathy</span><br /> No research has been done in this area yet, but many homeopathic practitioners generally find that it is better not to use too many healing modalities at the same time. After numerous observations over extended periods of time, many have found that, in particular, energy-type healing modalities interfere with homeopathic treatments. On the other hand a large number of healing modalities appear to work rather well with homeopathy.</p> <p>Homeopathic treatment can possibly be negatively affected by the following:<br /> <table border='0' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0'><tr><td width='12' valign='top' align='center' height='2'><font face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif' size='2' color='#FFFFFF'><img src='../images/bullet.gif' width='5' height='5' vspace='4'></font></td><td width='400' class='bullet'>Major dental work including high-speed drilling, grinding and ultrasonic cleaning. It may make sense to postpone taking the remedy until the dental work is finished. Should dental problems arise during the course of the homeopathic treatment, it is wise to inform your homeopath. The patients well-being is the most important issue, and, without any doubt all necessary dental, surgical and diagnostic procedures should be performed in a timely fashion to insure the patients safety and well-being.</td></tr></table> <table border='0' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0'><tr><td width='12' valign='top' align='center' height='2'><font face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif' size='2' color='#FFFFFF'><img src='../images/bullet.gif' width='5' height='5' vspace='4'></font></td><td width='400' class='bullet'>Excessive, and in some cases even moderate consumption of coffee and stimulants.</td></tr></table> <table border='0' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0'><tr><td width='12' valign='top' align='center' height='2'><font face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif' size='2' color='#FFFFFF'><img src='../images/bullet.gif' width='5' height='5' vspace='4'></font></td><td width='400' class='bullet'>Street drugs, including marijuana.</td></tr></table> <table border='0' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0'><tr><td width='12' valign='top' align='center' height='2'><font face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif' size='2' color='#FFFFFF'><img src='../images/bullet.gif' width='5' height='5' vspace='4'></font></td><td width='400' class='bullet'>Camphor (used as an ingredient in many cosmetics and salves, such as Tiger Balm, Blistex, Vicks Vaporub, Noxzema, Chapstick, Karmex, See Breeze, some shaving creams, liniments and many other products which have a similar odor) is a universal antidote and should be avoided.</td></tr></table> <table border='0' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0'><tr><td width='12' valign='top' align='center' height='2'><font face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif' size='2' color='#FFFFFF'><img src='../images/bullet.gif' width='5' height='5' vspace='4'></font></td><td width='400' class='bullet'>Electric blankets. If you must use them, make sure that the electricity is off after you have warmed the bed (to avoid exposure to the electromagnetic field).</td></tr></table> <table border='0' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0'><tr><td width='12' valign='top' align='center' height='2'><font face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif' size='2' color='#FFFFFF'><img src='../images/bullet.gif' width='5' height='5' vspace='4'></font></td><td width='400' class='bullet'>Strong odors in the mouth or the environment at the time of taking the remedy can inactivate the homeopathic medicine. That is why it is recommended that the remedy be taken 30 minutes before or 1 hour after eating, drinking, chewing gum, brushing teeth, and smoking.</td></tr></table> <a href='#head' target='_self' class='disclaimer'>Top</a> <p class="timestamp">Content last modified on Mar 24, 2003</p> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/bg_curve.gif" width="60" height="300" align="right" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="200" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr>  <tr> <td width="149" bgcolor="ffffff"> </td> <td colspan="2" bgcolor="ffffff"> <p> </p> <p class="copyright">©2002 Center for Health and Healing</p> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>