Not to be confused with aromatherapy, homeopathy has been around for quite some time. Since the 18th century when bloodletting was the cure of the day throughtout Europe, homeopathy was giving hope to those who rejected the dangerous practices of traditional medicine. Still popular, it is the second most popular treatment in the United States.

The law of similars, or "like cures like" means that if you are suffering from a problem with specific symptoms, the medication prescribed would cause similar symptoms in a healthy person. This medication would help the body overcome these symptoms and the patient would be cured. This is the same concept behind vaccinations.

Those same principals are applied in homeopathy. Ther are roughly thirty basic remedies used in dealing with a variety of ailments. What the patient receives is a highly diluted dose of the same ailment. Homeopathy then relies on the body's natural immune system to heal itself. This is why it effective in many ailments.

When a patient goes to see a homeopath, the first thing that will happen is the practitioner will take a thorough history of the patient. This history will include the emotional, mental and physical states of the patient, their current life situation as well as any physical or mental illnesses. The homeopath takes all this information and applies it to a formula of all symptoms, likes, dislikes, predispositions and body type. They will then determine the remedy for the problem at hand. You get a tailor made solution for your ailment. An ordinary doctor would just hand out a "one cure all" pill.

Let's look at cancer, for instance. Traditional medicine uses radiation and chemotherapy to treat cancer. This sickens the entire body in the hope of killing off a few cells, kind of like using a cannon to kill a fly. Homeopathy uses the immune system to fight cancer. It has been shown to be effective in some cases. Studies have shown a medical link between the immune system and cancer. Most people, however choose traditional methods to treat cancer. It is familiar to them. Suzanne Somers, the actress, used homeopathics to treat her breast cancer successfully, even though she was criticized for doing so.

Homeopathy may not necessarily work for you. Many homeopaths have the belief that it is a disturbance in the life force that causes illnesses within the body. If the illness is inherent, then it means that nothing will cure it. Very often this is noted when people turn to homeopathy as a last resort where traditional medicine has failed.

Homeopathy is nothing new and has seen quite a comeback since being introduced in the 18th century. Today it is becoming a very popular alternative to traditional medicine.