Medical herbalism and homeopathy

Medical herbalism uses healing powers from Mother Nature (natural substances such as herbs and minerals). Some believe that God created the Earth with the perfect cure for every disease — it is just a matter of discovering them all. If this philosophy is true, then naturopathy, with its reverence to nature, goes a long way towards unearthing vast amounts of natural remedies for ‘dis-ease’ as it is more correctly pronounced. 

Homeopathy is a natural, pharmaceutical science that uses infinitesimal micro-doses of a vast array of ingredients selected from plants, mineral sources, and other natural substances, transformed into vibrational tinctures, which are used to enhance the body’s natural healing processes. In other words, the remedies stimulate the body’s own defense and immune system to ‘kick-start’ defending and healing itself.

It’s great to combine the herbs and dietary supplements of medical herbalism to promote wellness physiologically, with the tinctures of homeopathy to promote mental and emotional wellness. With knowledgeable practitioners, these therapies together create an enriching and uplifting naturopathic healing partnership.

The tricky part of homeopathy is to successfully find the precisely correct homeopathic medicine to treat each individual’s unique pattern of symptoms. 

Then, the amazing (and still not completely understood) truth is that these minute doses only have an effect on the person if it is the correct remedy. If a wrong remedy is given, then nothing happens. Bizarre! This reality also makes it impossible to overdose on homeopathic medicine — however, it is possible to overuse remedies.

Self-prescription of homeopathic remedies is fine for relieving acute symptoms (rapid onset, severe, brief duration). However, homeopathic remedies should not be used for chronic symptoms (long-term, ongoing, slow-changing) — unless prescribed by a homeopathic practitioner.

The commonly used, most basic homeopathic remedies are inexpensively available at pharmacies and health shops for use internally (mouth drops, mouth sprays and sugar-tablets) and externally (creams, gels, oils, ointments and lotions). Some names that may already be familiar to you include arnica, aconite, belladonna, calendula, chamomilla, hepar-sulph, hypericum, nux vomica, pulsatilla, and rhus tox. Plus there’s a great array of pre-mixed combinations to aid with particular types of conditions. Stronger doses and a much wider range of remedies are available through a homeopathic practitioner. With homeopathic treatments it is always important to avoid taking them with, or exposing them to mint, eucalyptus, caffeine, cigarettes, and camphor, which can neutralize the remedies.

Medical herbalism and homeopathy both work on a holistic and individual approach, meaning that the correct remedy can only be diagnosed by looking at the whole person — never just at one individual symptom.

When the strong immune system of a child raised homeopathically and naturopathically combines with the perfect natural healing remedy, the results can be instant, or very fast.

In other words, the illness still goes through its various stages, but they will all occur much faster — it’s as if an experienced, robust immune system speeds up recovery. 

For example, it is quite normal for a ‘five- day virus’ to last one day; or for nappy rash to disappear by the next nappy change; or for a ‘two-weeks in bed influenza’ to last just 3–4 days; or for babies to be completely recovered from the likes of tonsillitis or bronchiolitis within just 1–2 days — sometimes things linger a bit longer, but that’s unusual.

So how do children’s immune systems develop into a strong, robust, and rapidly effective defense mechanism? Very easily — by getting used!

Every time parents routinely feed their child medications, such as antibiotics, they weaken that child’s immune system, resulting in a child that is more and more susceptible to the illness they are treating (and similar illnesses). That is why there is increasing concern sounding around the planet — we are weakening our children, dramatically.

If your child’s immune defense system is already far from ‘virginal’ and has received the likes of antibiotics, antiviral drugs, anaesthetics, and/or steroids, it is still possible to ‘turn the clock back’. But, please don’t kid yourself that having arnica, Rescue Remedy and echinacea in your medicine cupboard will transform your child’s immune system. It’s going to take much more work than that.

The requirement it takes is commitment on your part to make the effort, take the time, and invest the money (it’s not cheap) into recruiting a classical homeopath and medical herbalist to begin the (potentially lengthy, dependent on your child’s medical history) process, of ‘peeling back the layers’ (not dissimilar to an onion). Finally, your child’s inherent constitution (physical and mental) will be revealed.  Discovering the root causes of an individual’s susceptibility to particular medical conditions eventually enables the practitioners to return a child to a state of optimum-functioning equilibrium and balance (a ‘homeostatic’ state, as modern medicine terms it). I have met few parents willing to do what it takes to accomplish this, but I am full of admiration for those that do — especially as it is easier, cheaper, and socially more acceptable to use only prescriptions from your GP.

Thankfully, many GPs are increasingly becoming much more open-minded and enlightened regarding alternatives — slowly but surely, more GPs are opting to be trained in naturopathic subjects such as homeopathy, medical herbalism, acupuncture, and iridology.

With a cleansed lymphatic system and a naturopathically individualized well-nourished constitution, a child’s immune defense system can be brought back to its original strength, ready to be further developed by the bacteria and diseases it will encounter.

People with robust immune systems survive, those with weakened immune systems can die. Scary, but true.