There are two main healing concepts that are the cornerstone of Homoeopathy's effectiveness: The Law of Similars ('like cures like") - means matching the symptom picture of an illness or injury to the symptom picture of the homoeopathic remedy. A substance that causes certain symptoms can cure them if used in tiny amounts prepared in a certain way. A remedy for heart palpitations uses coffee, which can cause them, and the cure for insect stings is made from bees. The Law of Minimum Dose - means using as little of the remedy as possible to stimulate the body's own healing mechanism. Homoeopaths give one or two doses of a remedy and then wait to see what relief it brings. Giving the body more than it needs can be a backward step towards cure.

Homoeopathic remedies are diluted so many thousands of times that, according to some scientists, there can't be anything of the original substance left in the pills or drops people take. Yet homoeopaths understand that the more the remedy is diluted, the stronger and more effective it becomes.

Homoeopathy is a wholistic system of medicine - i.e. it treats the whole person not just the disease symptoms. Its remedies are diluted so many thousands of times that, according to some scientists, there can't be anything of them left in the pills or drops people take. Yet homoeopaths understand that the more the remedy is diluted, the stronger and more effective it becomes. Homoeopathy is an energetic system of medicine like Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. These systems of medicine appreciate that the human body is made of two different systems - physical systems and energy systems. Like all matter in the Universe, humans are made of both matter and energy. Orthodox medicine treats the physical body whilst Homoeopathy is able to treat both the physical body as well as the energetic part of us that we can't actually see.

What is Homoeopathy?

Homoeopathy is a natural pharmaceutical science based on the principle of "like cures like". If a patient comes with a headache of a particular type they are given a small dose of an agent known to cause a similar type of headache. So the two cancel out.

Homoeopathy views symptoms as the body's own attempts at self healing and that any suppression of these symptoms (such as conventional drugs) will drive the disease or imbalance further into the body, only to emerge as a different set of symptoms or problems at a later date. Homoeopathy treats the person and not the disease - it is an individualised system of medicine that aims to treat the cause of disease and not just the symptoms.

What are homoeopathic medicines made of?

They are derived from plant, animal and mineral sources that are diluted many hundreds of times. These extremely dilute potencies stimulate the body's own defense system and allow the body to heal itself. The remedies are very safe, gentle and do not have toxic side effects. Homoeopathic remedies can be taken simultaneously with conventional medications and are safe to use on infants, pregnant mothers, the elderly and the chronically ill.

Can Homoeopathy treat all health problems?

Generally speaking yes. It is a system of medicine that stands alone, just like Chinese medicine. There may be times when surgery or conventional medication is necessary but this is rare. Homoeopathy has the potential to cure chronic diseases and often does.

Homoeopathy is widely practised in Europe, the U.S., Pakistan, Brazil, South Africa and is very popular in New Zealand. Market research in the U.S. shows a 25-50% per year increase in the sale of homoeopathics over the last 10 years