HOMEOPATHY EXPLAINED.

THE NEED FOR SO MANY QUESTIONS………

The awareness regarding homoeopathy has been rapidly gaining momentum due to the advantages and positive results demonstrated by homoeopathy. The media and internet have also played a vital role in its propagation with various health based programs mentioning the role of homoeopathy and web sites coming up with informative articles, books, and photo images of treatment efficacy. The negative publicity by ‘Lancet’ was a boon in disguise since it brought forth many questions from the patients thereby clearing lot of doubts and leading to better understanding of the healing system.

The allopathic system of medicine, as it is commonly known, though defiant to alternative medicine is now considering it as an option to help patients. Allopathic system has come a long way in refining its treatment methods. The most common blame put on allopathy is regarding the side effects it produces. But to be fair enough, the allopathic system of medicine has also now started taking matters at a holistic level and acknowledges the importance of treating man as a whole. Many allopathic physicians, including those practicing in the western countries now are accepting the alternative methods of management of diseases. Even though super-super specialties may have developed, which focus only on one part of the body, but still at a family physician level the present allopathic physician, at least in India, now has a much broader outlook than the previous generations of allopaths. One of the most read books on Preventive and Social Medicine by Park and Park advocates principles laid down for health, which Dr. Samuel Hahnemann suggested more than 200 years back.

The different aspects of health covered in the WHO definition of health as is known today were already taken into consideration by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (founder of homoeopathy) decades ago.

Only considering the physical aspect of health and neglecting the other aspects might give temporary relief, but never a complete cure.

The method of practicing medicine has to be ‘broad-spectrum’ and not only the range of the antibiotic or a painkiller.

Man as an entity is constantly at war with his environment. Factors such as physical, chemical, mechanical, biological, and so many other factors are constantly interacting with the body at physical and mental level. Doctors are only taught to fight diseases, the aspect of prevention though mentioned was so far not that emphasized. Medicines are taken as the only mode of treatment for all ills. The patient also is interested in knowing whether there is any ‘medicine for such and such condition’. He is not interested in knowing whether any treatment is available for the problem. Treatment and medicine are used as synonyms by many patients and even doctors. Patients have to be advised that treatment of any problem or disease is at various levels. Diet, exercise, and medicine comprise the triad of therapy for any disease and can be applied to any condition which can be treated medically. Surgery is one step further to medicine and required for helping the body where medicine alone cannot do the job, and is therefore not mentioned separately.

Healthy living comprises of good nutrition, proper rest, adequate exercise, and a positive frame of mind. Sadly enough, almost all are missing in today’s life, thereby giving rise to a whole spectrum of disorders right at an early age.

Homoeopathy as a system of medicine follows the holistic approach including diet, exercise, lifestyle modification and medicines. Thus to plan out the proper management of the illness, a whole lot of questions need to be addressed before selecting the medicine. Asking so many questions have a dual purpose – to select the right medicine based on symptoms and to chart out the auxiliary line of management.

The homoeopathic case starts with the chief complaint of the patient, which includes the site of complaint, the nature of complaint, and the factors influencing the condition. The response of the patient to the environment is assessed by asking about appetite, thirst, allergies, eliminations like sweat, urine and stools, tolerance to heat and cold, sleep patterns. The past history and family history is asked for understanding genetic predispositions and the general state of health of the patient. At the psychological level, we need to know the response of the patient to various positive and negative stimuli at home, work, and in society.

To give an example, only having the data that the patient is having a headache is not enough. We need to know whether the location is frontal or at the sides or behind the head. Is there a radiation of pain? The factors which cause and aggravate the pain like lack of sleep, mental stress, sun, noise, long gaps between meals, head bath, exposure to sudden chill or heat, etc. We also need to know whether the headache is associated with nausea, vomiting, fever, or any other complaint. Thus depending on all these factors, a disease diagnosis is made followed by the homoeopathic medicine diagnosis. Investigations too are carried out if indicated.

A homoeopathic physician has to make a DISEASE DIAGNOSIS (which is always done by allopathic physician) and a MEDICINE DIAGNOSIS FOR THE PATIENT (allopathy does a medicine diagnosis for the disease, whereas a homoeopath selects a correct medicine for the given set of disease picture keeping in mind the patient suffering from the disease). The selection of medicine is largely influenced by the characteristics of the patient and not the disease though the nature and effect of the disease on the human constitution is always kept in mind while treating it.  

Thus the medicine is given for the acute or chronic condition or for acute exacerbations of chronic conditions along with auxiliary care as per the case. 

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