Healing without a verifiable active ingredient – most orthodox physicians are still skeptical about homeopathy. But the treatment method according to Hahnemann is gaining more and more followers. Increasingly, remedies for acute complaints for home use are also gaining acceptance – which in turn generates great skepticism among supporters of classical homeopathy.
Homeopathy stimulates the self-healing powers
The central idea in homeopathy is the principle of similarity, which states that like can be cured with like. Thus, for the therapy of a disease, exactly the remedy is used that causes the symptoms of the disease in the healthy person. The healing substance does not act specifically against symptoms such as fever, pain, diarrhea, but stimulates the self-healing powers to restore the inner balance.
In homeopathy, there is actually not THE remedy for pain, but the choice of remedy depends on the different symptoms that the patient presents. For example, five different homeopathic remedies may be used in the treatment of chronic joint pain in five patients.
Classical homeopathy
The classical homeopaths therefore undergo a long training in order to be able to assign the many thousands of remedies to the individual symptoms and to select exactly the one – most suitable for the individual in his current situation.
A variation for home use are on the one hand complex preparations, which contain several homeopathic remedies according to the shotgun principle, which experience has shown to be particularly suitable for the symptom bundle of a cold, for example.
The second possibility are non-specific remedies that help with many symptoms. From these, in turn, substances are compiled for the homeopathic medicine cabinet, which should help with acute mild complaints – for self-treatment or to bridge the time until medical therapy.
Where to buy homeopathic remedies?
Homeopathic remedies are available over the counter in pharmacies as globules (scattering pellets), tablets, drops, ointments and suppositories. The names are usually derived from the Latin name of the starting substance – which is “potentized” in special steps at various dilution levels.
Homeopathics for the medicine cabinet
To make a selection of the “most important” from the multitude of remedies is almost impossible. The composition also depends on the personal situation and typical patterns of disease.
Here is a suggestion:
- Aconitum: for the initial stage of all sudden and violent diseases, especially fever, shock, severe pain.
- Apis: insect bites, swellings of other causes.
- Arnica: injury remedy for bruise, contusion, sprain, bumps, bruises, sore muscles.
- Belladonna: alternative to Aconitum when fever is accompanied by sweating and red hot head; sunstroke.
- Bryonia: colds with dry cough, great thirst and strong need for rest.
- Calendula: wound healing (abrasion, laceration, cuts); can be used as an essence for compresses.
- Cantharis: burns, sunburn, cystitis.
- Chamomilla: toothache, piercing earache.
- Colocynthis: cramping abdominal pain.
- Drosera: cough with retching and vomiting (for example, bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough).
- Euphrasia: conjunctivitis, irritated eyes.
- Ipecacuanha: nausea that does not improve even after frequent vomiting.
- Ledum: puncture wounds, tick bite, bite wounds.
- Magnesium phosphoricum: muscle cramps, menstrual cramps.
- Nux vomica: stomach upset, “hangover“.
- Okoubaka: vomiting, diarrhea, food poisoning.
- Pulsatilla: colds with thick, greenish-yellow secretion.
- Rhus toxicodendron: joint pain, back pain (lumbago).
- Veratrum album: circulatory weakness (also in the context of diarrhea and vomiting), low blood pressure.
Potency and frequency
As a potency is recommended for the layman D6 or D12; for more experienced also C30.
How often the substances are taken in acute cases depends on the substance and the complaints – as a rule of thumb: 3 to 5 globules in the first hour every ten minutes, then 3 times (D6) daily or 1 to 2 times (D12). After 2 to 3 days, you can discontinue the remedy.
