Homeopathic remedies are never tested on animals. The way that remedies are tested is through what is called a proving. In this process, a healthy group of people take a specific remedy multiple times and record the symptoms they develop as a result. These symptoms may be physical with headaches or stomach problems for example, or mental and emotional with issues such as nightmares or anxiety. Recurring and common symptoms produced in the group are painstakingly described and recorded. Following the first principle of Homeopathy which is “like treats like”, this remedy is then used to treat the very symptoms it produces in a healthy person. The proving results plus clinical experience then give us a full remedy picture.
An example of this would be a healthy person taking the remedy Coffea, made from coffee. It’s likely that they would develop sleep issues, which is the very thing Coffea is frequently used to treat.
The symptoms produced by a remedy on a healthy organism can only be described accurately by a human and therefore animals are never used in the process.
This is another good reason to consider using homeopathic medicine for you and your family.
Try homeopathy today.
10 reasons to try homeopathy #7 Joining the dots
One of the things I love best about what I get to do for a living is to join the dots in a person’s health. It’s often the case that people come to homeopathy with a number of different issues, and as a homeopath, I understand that this is just one person with one body and one mind sitting in front of me and my task is to join the dots between these issues.
For example, someone feels very sluggish and irritable on waking, they want to go back to bed in the afternoon and they’re bloated and flatulent suffer abdominal pain in the afternoon and evening. Guess what, their liver needs some support.
Another example: since her mother passed away, someone feels very fatigued and chilly, they are gaining weight despite their best efforts, they suffer brain fog and their hair is falling out. Guess what, their thyroid function is low.
Though it may seem otherwise, there are reasons for everything. The trick is to join the dots and take it from there.
Try homeopathy today.
10 reasons to try homeopathy #6 Addressing root causes
As a homeopath, when a client comes to me with an issue such as migraines, eczema or insomnia, often my first question will be “When did the issue start?” shortly followed by “What was happening around that time?” Why symptoms start isn’t always crystal clear, but very often, root causes can be found. For example: “I haven’t slept well since my mum passed away.” Or: “I haven’t felt myself since I got Covid.” These root causes are addressed very specifically in the resulting homeopathic prescription, and because the causes are addressed, this means that symptoms are far less likely to recur.
It can be really helpful for a client to unpick their history in the homeopathic consultation and have a good think about when things started and why that might be. Often, gaining an awareness like this can be an important step on the road to cure which the remedies then continue.
Reasons for trying homeopathy #5 Homeopathy is safe to use at home
I was never more grateful for my homeopathic training than when I started a family. When my children were very young, they’d throw fevers, come down with coughs and colds, fall over and get bumps and bruises, like any child. I was lucky enough to be able to reach straight for my home pharmacy and find them a helpful remedy.
There’s nothing like a poorly child to make you feel anxious, and it was a great comfort to know the answers were right there to hand.
I would encourage anyone to invest in a basic homeopathic kit, which are available from fabulous homeopathic pharmacies such as Helios and Ainsworths. Remedies are safe for use at home for minor ailments and first aid. With very little practice, you’ll get to know the remedies which work best for you and your family.
Reasons for trying homeopathy #4 Homeopathy is individualised medicine
10 people go to see a professional homeopath about their migraines, migraines which severely impact their lives.
No two people will receive the same prescriptions.
For one person, their migraines come when they have a major event the following day. For another, they’ll get a migraine because they’ve been clenching their jaw in stress. One person’s migraines will be right-sided, another on the left. One person’s migraines began when they lost their partner.
These details are crucial to a homeopath, who will use this information to give an entirely bespoke prescription.
What this means is that your homeopath will really listen to your story and your situation, and being heard is a big part of the recovery process.
Reasons for trying homeopathy #3 Homeopathy is natural medicine
There are more than 3000 homeopathic remedies, the majority of which are from plant and mineral sources. Homeopathy harnesses the power of natural medicine to stimulate the body’s immunity to bring about gentle and lasting healing.
Let me give you a few examples: the flower Aconite for your child’s fever, the plant Gelsemium for your flu, the mineral Kali Bichromium for your postnasal drip. Rather than reading a list of ingredients in your pharmaceutical medicine that you don’t understand, homeopathic remedies are that one plant, that one mineral. It’s nice to know what you’re putting into your body.
More and more as a society we are recognising the wisdom of nature and homeopathy is truly nature’s medicine.
10 reasons to try homeopathy #2 truly holistic medicine for the whole person
Seeing a professional homeopath for the first time gives you a very different view of your health. Your homeopath will want to know all about your symptoms – and they will of course be the focus of the consultation – but your homeopath will need to know about you too. They’ll want to know when you first noticed your symptoms and try to establish why you feel like you do; the root causes of illness are so important in prescribing the best suited homeopathic remedies. Your homeopath will also want to know about you on the physical, mental and emotional levels – each is important and the three are inextricably linked.
With a homeopath, you will feel truly heard and this is where holistic healing really begins.
10 reasons to try homeopathy #1 No side-effects
Homeopathic remedies do not have side-effects.
When you buy the remedy Pulsatilla for your child’s endlessly blocked sinuses and periodic fevers, what you get is the flower Pulsatilla as a homeopathic remedy and nothing else. The remedy helps clear her sinuses and brings down the fever – there are no nasty knock-ons.
When you buy the remedy Bryonia for your headache, what you get is the plant wild hops as a homeopathic remedy and nothing else. It takes your headache away and if it suits your constitution, may even gradually prevent the return of the headaches – and this comes without any nasty knock-ons.
When I buy food, I like to be able to understand what every ingredient on the list is so I know what I am eating. I feel the same way about the medicine me and my family take.
Try homeopathy today.
Homeopathy for Halloween
To keep the fun flowing for tomorrow’s celebrations, come armed with these homeopathic remedies.
Aconite
This must-have remedy will come in very handy if a child you might know become scared and isn’t easily calmed. They might even throw a fever that night. Aconite will help prevent the fever from turning into a nasty cold.
Pulsatilla
Reach for this remedy if you or your child has overindulged in Halloween treats and gets a nasty stomachache.
Nux Vomica
If it’s alcoholic treats that you have overindulged in, then take a few doses of Nux Vomica to settle your stomach and relieve your headache.
Please get in touch for further information.
Happy Halloween and Happy Homeopathy!
World Mental Health Day. October 10th 2023.
Mental health is a term that covers a huge spectrum of feelings, and each of those feelings can be experienced at different degrees of intensity. Awareness of mental health issues is greater than ever before, but after awareness, there needs to be action and that’s where homeopathy comes in.
The individualised nature of homeopathy is key to its success in working with mental health issues.
Homeopathy recognises that in a room full of people, each of whom suffers depression, no two people will experience that depression in exactly the same way. One person may have become depressed after a bereavement, another after a business failure. One may be very tearful in their depression, whereas another will be angry. One may suffer insomnia with their depression, another may find refuge in sleep. Each of those people will need different homeopathic treatment that recognises their individuality.
The homeopathic consultation is a process that will seek to find the root causes of mental health issues and how your life is affected by them. The consultation is therapeutic in itself.
Homeopathic remedies are natural, without side effects and are totally non-addictive.
If you want to find out more, please get in touch.
Get set for the cooler months with homeopathy
The weather is beginning to change and the Autumn Equinox is this coming Saturday. While this time can be embraced as an opportunity for renewal or for letting go, it is also a time to prepare for the colder months.
Covid and your bog standard colds and flu-like illnesses are already travelling around my children’s schools - perhaps yours too.
To help them through the symptoms speedily and lastingly, make sure you have the following remedies at home:
Aconite - at the first sign that symptoms are building, especially after being caught out in a cold wind.
Allium Cepa - this is the onion in its homeopathic form for the common cold with stinging eyes that water, sneezing and a runny nose that turns the space between your nose and your upper lip red and sore.
Belladonna - again at the onset of illness if your child wakes at night feverish with a red face, dilated pupils and a fast pulse.
Eupatorium Perfoliatum - for the horrible deep bone ache of fluey viruses.
Gelsemium - again for flu - with chills and shaking, exhaustion, heavy head and droopy eyelids.
Kali Bichromicum - this remedy is a great one for post nasal drip and unblocking stubborn sinuses.
Pulsatilla - for very snotty people who are feeling very sorry for themselves and become very needy - or rather even needier - when they are ill.
All these remedies are available from the superb homeopathic pharmacies Ainsworths and Helios.
Let me know if you need any further advice and also let homeopathy make your winter easier.
Get to work on your hay fever now the pollen is almost gone
It may well feel a relief to have the pollen season almost behind us but now is the time to work on your hay fever homeopathically. During the spring and summer, the body’s energy is directed at managing your allergy, but in the autumn and winter the body’s energy can be harnessed to address the loss of immunity that actually causes the allergy.
The autumn/winter hay fever protocol boosts your immunity and makes the pollen season easier to manage year on year. Homeopathy addresses the root causes of ill-health to bring lasting improvements and less dependence on pharmaceutical medication.
Homeopathic Constitutional Remedy 3 - Natrum Muriaticum
Natrum Muriaticum, or Nat Mur for short is not a remedy that I would be without –from headaches and migraines to skin complaints, from constipationto grief, this remedy is one of the vertebrae of the homeopathic spine.
Very young babies are rarely Nat Mur in constitutionbut can become very suited to this remedy should a sibling come along or should their parents split. Emotional triggers can make Natrum Muriaticum a very useful remedy.Nat Mur kids are very sensitive and emotionally reserved.
They are often more serious than their peers and can even be sad, or as they become older, depressed. If they are upset, they will want to be by themselves to feel better and will push affection or kind words away. This kind of behaviour lasts into adulthood, and can really harden.
As you’d imagine, as this remedy is made from salt, there is a lot of dryness in the picture for the people who need it. They will be thirsty people, but nevertheless, they’ll suffer from dry skin, cracked lips and constipation.They’llalso crave salty food like cheese and crisps.
Nat Mur is a brilliant remedy for headaches and migraines, and it is one to think of immediately if the headaches or migraines began or significantly worsened when there was some kind of emotional event. In a child, this would besomething likeparents separating, or in older children might be a grief or a change of school, then later in life, the trigger might be the ending of an important relationship.
If any of this sounds familiar, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The Homeopathic Constitutional Remedy #3 Sulphur
Sulphur is one of the fundamental constitutional remedies in homeopathy. Physically, there are a lot of skin symptoms, especially eczema, which itches or burns like crazy and which makes the person scratch until it bleeds. These skin symptoms can plague Sulphur people from infancy to adulthood.
The Sulphur child and adult is hot-bodied – likely to be in shorts all year – and very hungry, with their hunger characteristically kicking in late morning, and must be satisfied!
This type is lazy – Sulphur babies would rather their toys be passed to them rather than having to crawl to reach them! This laziness can reach alarming new heights during the teens, and will be matched with messiness, a horror of washing and an exasperating level of self-interest.
Information is a big deal for Sulphurs and they love to talk about their ideas or knowledge. Young Sulphurs may well tell you their impressive understanding of dinosaurs or space.
To a person who sounds like the description, well-timed doses of Sulphur will help their skin, if its problematic, or generally boost their health and wellbeing.
The homeopathic constitutional remedy #2 Pulsatilla
As a parent to 4 daughters/step-daughters, I have prescribed pulsatilla more times at home than I can remember. It’s a must-have remedy for little ones - kids who are forever snotty, might be often tearful and who like to stay as close as they can to their parent.
The pulsatilla baby will make her mother feel as if she has given birth to a koala as this baby will not want to be separated from her mother’s arms. Pulsatilla people, right into adulthood, are needy!
The Pulsatilla baby may well have mucus issues such as gunky eyes and the snuffles.
Older Pulsatilla children will present with mucus-related issues again, with wet coughs, eye and ear discharges and the anxiety regarding separation will persist. Digestive issues will also be a problem with strong reactions to rich, fatty food.
The trademark of the Pulsatilla person is their affection and desire to be connected to their parent but on the other hand a tearfulness, neediness and a strong tendency to self-pity!
Teen Pulsatillas have these traits and may well have hormonal problems that exacerbate everything.
Adult pulsatillas are likely again to have hormonal issues or the mucus-related issues, and might become more Pulsatilla-like emotionally if they have been bereaved or come out of a nasty break-up and feel abandoned.
If this remedy portrait sounds familiar, Pulsatilla may well be your constitutional remedy, one which will give your health and wellbeing a boost.
The homeopathic constitutional remedy
A homeopathic constitution powerfully raises the whole health of the person. It is truly holistic as it is a remedy chosen to match you on every level from physical to emotional. I often give my clients their constitutional remedy plus a second remedy which is very specifically targeted at the complaint which I’m asked to sort out, such as eczema, anxiety, recurrent tonsilitis and so on. This produces very effective results without the side effects of pharmaceutical medication.
The next few blog entries will be detailing some of the key homeopathic constitutional remedies that can apply to children and adults alike. They form the backbone of homeopathic healing.
Constitutional remedy 1 – Calcarea Carbonica
This remedy is made from the calcium found in an oyster shell. As it comes from calcium, it is a true building block remedy.
Calcarea babies are round and on the chubby side, can be sweaty and can be fearful. They appear like a placid, bonny baby doll, The baby may be slow first to sit and then later to walk. This kind of infant may well have digestive or ENT issues, bronchitis or carry excess weight.
Older Calcarea children are worriers and are very shy but are hard -working and diligent, though they may well lack energy and strength. They may suffer with glandular problems and may not like to sleep alone as they are fearful and may have bad dreams. Development may be delayed.
In adulthood, Calcarea people are very hard workers and over-responsible. They will be big worriers and very family orientated. They may find they catch colds easily, be low on stamina and often be constipated.
If this picture reminds you of yourself or someone in your family (often both!), this remedy could well be helpful. Please get in touch for more information.
Combination Remedies #5 Accident and Injury
This remedy contains 6 remedies, each of which have a slightly different treatment area. Arnica is for soft tissue injury, Calendula heals wounds, Hypericum helps nerve pain and injury, Rhus Tox helps sprains and strains and injuries to tendons, Ruta acts brilliantly on injured joints and Symphytum helps heal broken bones. All six remedies are made from plants and are 100% pharmaceutical-free.
You don’t have to worry which remedy does what when you or someone on your family hurts themselves. You just reach for the combination and whichever remedies are needed, do their work.
Please note that this remedy should not be used in place of first aid or if necessary, medical help. But in any case, I would always give this remedy in addition to speed healing and ease pain. Please feel free to get in touch for further information.
Combination remedies #4 ABC
Aconite, Belladonna and Chamomilla - or ABC - are the three primary childhood fever remedies in one combination, and together are a great asset as a parent; if your child has a fever, it’s no time to be wondering which remedy is going to be best. Given timely, these remedies can nip whatever your child is brewing neatly in the the bud, making life a lot easier for all concerned and removing the need for further pharmaceutical medication.
A fever is a sign of a healthy immune system and is a sign that your child’s body is working to fight the cold, earache, etc. Of course it is vital that you keep close attention to your child and ensure that they are hydrated and that you follow NHS guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/. In addition to following this guidance, give ABC every 30 minutes for 4 doses and watch your child’s response.
Paracetamol/Ibuprofen will generally bring down the fever and make your child more comfortable, but it will not address what’s causing the fever. Homeopathic remedies on the other hand, stimulate the immune system and help push the body through the acute and back to health. Always seek medical advice if you are concerned and please feel free to get in touch with me regarding the homeopathic approach to your child’s health.
Combination remedies #3 Sinus drainage
Blocked sinuses are something which we might normally have associated with wet British winters, but unfortunately, with the rise of allergies and this year’s off the scale pollen count, it’s a problem during the spring and summer too.
The three remedies Hydrastis, Kali Bichromicum and Pulsatilla work fabulously together to drain mucous from the sinuses - and incidentally from the fallopian tubes too, if that is something you are facing.
This remedy combination is available from Helios the homeopathic pharmacy Helios taken in a 6c daily. Please get in touch for further information.
Combination Remedies #2 Travel Sickness
This combination contains the three most commonly prescribed remedies for motion sickness: Cocculus, Petroleum and Tabacum. These three remedies will address all the most frequently experienced symptoms such as nausea and dizziness, sometimes with headaches and often worse for certain smells such as food, petrol or cigarette smoke. Give the remedy before the journey and as required en route.
This combination remedy is available from Helios homeopathic pharmacy https://www.helios.co.uk and is completely pharmaceutical-free. Please feel free to get in touch for further information.
