Homeopathic Medicine — Natural Notions
Today’s Dietitian
By Mary Kaye Sawyer-Morse, PhD, RD
Vol. 6, No. 9, p. 42

Homeopathy is an approach to health and healing that respects the wisdom of the body.

What do you think of when homeopathic medicine comes up in conversation? Herbs and tinctures? Alternative medicine? Or perhaps pseudoscience?

Over the past several years, I have developed an interest in complementary healthcare and continually seek ways to integrate these ideas into the practice of dietetics. A recent conversation with a fellow dietitian reminded me how challenging this can sometimes be. She commented that she wasn’t sure how to balance her Western medical training with what seems to be the radically different viewpoints offered by various complementary approaches. I said that while I didn’t have an answer for her, my own approach has been to learn as much as possible and then see what fits for me personally and professionally. With that in mind, here’s a brief introduction to homeopathic medicine.

A Personal Story
I remember in great detail my first personal encounter with homeopathic medicine. I had been diagnosed with uterine fibroids years before and was experiencing ever-increasing problems—problems that my gynecologist believed could be resolved only through surgery. Determined to find other answers, I sought the assistance of a nurse practitioner known for her expertise in women’s health. She listened patiently to my litany of concerns and then asked a series of questions no other healthcare professional had raised: Did I have food cravings? If so, what were they? Did I wake up in the middle of the night? If so, when? Was I anxious, fearful, or depressed? What were my precise physical symptoms? How did they make me feel—emotionally and physically?

From this detailed interview she suggested a number of homeopathic remedies. Over a period of several months, we worked together to fine-tune my treatment with the end result of my condition not only stabilizing but improving sufficiently that surgery was no longer necessary.

I was delighted and amazed at this seemingly simple approach to health and healing. At the time, I didn’t pursue understanding the process; I was just glad it—or something—had worked.

Defining Homeopathic Medicine
Your child has just swallowed a poisonous substance. What do you do? Depending on the substance, you might reach for Ipecac to induce vomiting. With its use, you have put into action the treatment principle of the law of similars, a basic principle of homeopathic medicine. A small dose of Ipecac causes vomiting and thus helps rid the body of a poison; a large dose would act as a poison.

Homeopathic medicine is a pharmaceutical science that uses various plants, minerals, and other substances in very small doses to stimulate an individual’s own natural defenses. Medicines or remedies are chosen for their ability to cause (in large doses) similar symptoms to what the person is experiencing. The science and art of homeopathy thus is a medical approach that respects the wisdom of the body.

Sound strange? To better understand this approach, the following are some of the important assumptions that homeopathic medicine holds about health and healing.

Symptoms as Defenses
Homeopaths believe symptoms represent the organism’s best efforts to adapt to and defend against various stresses or diseases. Instead of trying to dry up a runny nose with antihistamines or quiet a cough with a cough suppressor, a homeopath would recommend a remedy that stimulates the body to move in the direction it is already going.

Let’s consider a specific patient example. Charles called his homeopathic healthcare practitioner complaining of flulike symptoms. He said he was weak and had a recurrent fever with chills. He had no appetite and was also experiencing diarrhea. The homeopath gave him China (cinchona) bark to take every four hours until he felt better. China is a homeopathic medicine for weakness and fevers that periodically go up and down at consistent times. Charles called back the next day to say he had more energy, the diarrhea had stopped, and the fever did not last as long the night he started the China. By the second day, all his flu symptoms were markedly better. In this example, the homeopathic remedy “matched” his symptoms and thus supported the body’s own healing process.1

Symptoms are seen as the body’s effort to protect and heal itself. This is a principle that Western medical science accepts and calls an adaptive response of the body. For example, inflammation is a process by which the body seeks to wall off, heat up, and burn out infective agents or foreign matter; diarrhea is an effort by the body to remove pathogens or irritants more quickly from the colon.

Individual Solutions
Mary K. Bartlett, nurse practitioner and homeopath, stresses, “Homeopathic medicine addresses not only the health problem but considers who you are and how you are responding to the symptoms. For example, when people say they have a headache, you should determine how they are experiencing it. Do they hurt in the front or back part of the head? Is it worse when they move or lie down? Does it feel better with heat or cold?” The challenge is to identify a treatment approach that matches the individual’s symptoms to a specific remedy or remedies.

What Are Remedies?
Homeopathic remedies are medicines made by homeopathic pharmacies in accordance with the processes described in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States and are regulated by the FDA. The remedies may be made from plants, minerals, and animals (such as the venom of poisonous snakes) or even from chemical drugs such as penicillin or streptomycin. The substances are then carefully diluted—a process called potentization—until very little of the original remains.

The fact that homeopathic medicines are so dilute raises the question of how they can possibly be effective. Bartlett explains: “In homeopathy, a medicine or remedy is selected for its similarity to the totality of the individual’s symptoms. When a similarity exists, a person is thought to have a hypersensitivity to the substance. Thus the remedy, while it may contain in a practical sense very little of the original material, contains the essence of the substance, or its energy. It’s thought to work by creating a resonance within the body that catalyzes it to begin a healing process.”

Where’s the Proof?
What a homeopathic medicine will cure is discovered through the use of experiments called drug provings. In these experiments, researchers administer continual doses of the substance to a healthy individual until a reaction to the substance is achieved. Once it is known what symptoms a substance causes, it’s then known what symptoms and illnesses it will cure when given. This information is compiled in great detail into encyclopedias of effects called materia medicas.1

What about research evidence exploring homeopathy’s effectiveness? Several systematic reviews of placebo-controlled trials on homeopathy have reported that its effects seem to be more than placebo. One observational study found that patients were very satisfied with homeopathic treatment and that both they and their physicians noted significant improvement.2,3,4,5 In addition, there is evidence from randomized, controlled trials that homeopathy may be effective for the treatment of acute otitis media in children,6 muscle soreness after running,7 and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.8 The positive findings for homeopathic medicine, however, are debated within the medical community with critics pointing to the limited evidence from controlled trials. Indeed, some detractors conclude that homeopathic therapy is not scientifically justifiable.9

A Bit of History
Homeopathy has European roots. Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician who earned his doctorate of medicine degree in 1779, is recognized as the founder of homeopathy. Through experimentation on himself and later with patients, he developed a system of rules and laws of medicine that he codified into a treatise called the “Organon of rational therapeutics,” first published in 1810. The sixth edition, published in 1921, is still used today as a basic homeopathy text.

Homeopathy was brought to the United States in 1825 by several doctors who had studied in Europe. Over the next several decades, a number of homeopathic schools were established and a medical organization was formed so that by the turn of the century there were 22 homeopathic medical colleges, and one out of five doctors used homeopathy in the United States. However, by 1910 only 15 colleges remained. By the late 1940s, no courses in homeopathy were being taught in the United States.

The present-day resurgence of homeopathy in the United States has been supported through the efforts of the National Center for Homeopathy (www.homeopathic.org), which serves as a resource and training center for the practice of homeopathy. In addition, homeopathy continues to be widely practiced in many areas worldwide, including Canada, England, Europe, and India.

Is It Regulated?
The FDA regulates the manufacturing and sale of homeopathic medicines. However, since most homeopathic medicines are available without a prescription, the general public is able to access them for self-care needs. Given the very small doses used, there is general consensus that over-the-counter homeopathic medicines are basically safe. Nonetheless, for serious health problems—whether acute or chronic—a person should seek the advice of a knowledgeable healthcare professional and, if desired, one familiar with homeopathic medicine.

The practice of homeopathy is incorporated into medical care by a broad range of healthcare practitioners. Medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of osteopathy (DOs) may elect to study homeopathy as a postgraduate specialty. A second group of doctors includes naturopathic doctors (NDs), who study homeopathy as part of their naturopathic school training. Both these groups have board certification: the DHt (Diplomat in Homeotherapeutics) for MDs and DOs and the DHANP (Diplomat of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians) for NDs. The CCH (Certified in Classical Homeopathy) is available to homeopaths of all professions.

So what about dietitians and nutrition professionals? Currently, most dietetic programs and internships provide limited course offerings and experiences in complementary and alternative healthcare practices; however, this is beginning to change. A notable education leader is Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash., which offers a focus on natural health sciences and whole foods nutrition in both their didactic program in dietetics and dietetic internship.

Integration Into Dietetic Practice
Back to the question posed by my fellow dietitian: How do you begin to integrate complementary approaches—such as homeopathic medicine—into dietetic practice?

Jennifer Workman, MS, RD, offers this perspective: “One of the reasons I became interested in including complementary approaches in my practice was that I wanted to spend more time with patients and to help them look at their lives and their health in a more complete way.” Her program, called The Balanced Approach, offers patients not only a metabolic profile and evaluation of their digestion and cultural background but also an Ayurveda assessment. (For more information, visit www.thebalancedapproach.com.)

Workman believes it is important to be open to complementary and alternative healthcare practices and that they can complement the strong science and nutrition background that dietetics provides. She recommends finding mentors and training programs in areas of interest to acquire new skills and expertise—advice she has followed herself. To help others follow her path, Workman hopes to provide training in the near future for dietitians and nutrition professionals wanting to incorporate complementary approaches in their own practices.

“I was deeply dissatisfied with the limited influence that I was allowed to have as a dietitian within a hospital setting,” comments Canadian nutritionist Barbara Rhode, MSc(Nutr), NHC. It was this dissatisfaction and strong interest in complementary approaches that led her to complete additional training in a variety of healing modalities, including homeopathic medicine, spiritual psychotherapy, and Chinese medicine. Rhode suggests cultivating an interest in a broad view of health and healing and then studying many different disciplines. She believes that by “addressing the human being on all levels, nutrition is allowed to really take its place in healing.”

Which Path Is for You?
How will you use this information about homeopathic medicine?

You should use it in the way that best fits your interests and professional practice. I find a statement offered by Jonas et al to be useful: “Homeopathy deserves an open-minded opportunity to demonstrate its value by using evidence-based principles, but it should not be substituted for proven therapies.”4 I for one will continue the exploration.

— Mary Kaye Sawyer-Morse, PhD, RD, professional speaker, author, and health coach, is owner and education director of The Center for Success, a Texas-based company that provides keynotes, in-service training, and seminars to diverse industries.

References for this article are available upon request by e-mailing TDeditor@gvpub.com.

What Is a Naturopathic Doctor?
The U.S. Department of Labor defines the naturopathic physician as one who “diagnoses, treats, and cares for patients using a system of practice that bases its treatment of all physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural laws governing the body, utilizes physiological, psychological and mechanical methods, such as air, water, heat, earth, phytotherapy (treatment by use of plants), electrotherapy, physiotherapy, minor or official surgery, mechanotherapy, naturopathic corrections and manipulation, and all natural methods or modalities, together with natural medicines, natural processed foods, herbs, and natural remedies. Excludes major surgery, therapeutic use of x-ray and radium, and use of drugs, except those assimilable substances containing elements or compounds which are compounds of body tissues and are physiologically compatible to body processes for maintenance of life.”

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct profession of primary healthcare that emphasizes prevention and the promotion of optimal health. The scope of practice includes all aspects of family and primary care—from pediatrics to geriatrics—and all natural medicine modalities, including homeopathic medicine.

Naturopathic physicians are licensed as healthcare providers in 13 states with legal provisions allowing the practice of naturopathic medicine in several other states. All states with licensure laws require a resident course of at least four years and 4,100 hours of study from a college or university recognized by the state examining board. To qualify for a license, the applicant must satisfactorily pass the naturopathic physicians licensing examinations and satisfy all licensing requirements for the individual state to which he or she has applied. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians’ provides additional information on its Web site, www.naturopathic.org

— MKSM

Suggested Reading
Bellavite P, Signorini A. The Emerging Science of Homeopathy: Complexity, Biodynamics and Nanopharmacology. 2nd ed. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books; 2002.

Provides a good overview of the art and science of homeopathy and its basic tenets.

Dyer D. A Dietitian’s Cancer Story. 8th ed. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Swan Press; 2002.

Dyer is a three-time cancer survivor (childhood cancer, neuroblastoma, and breast cancer in 1984 and 1995). In her book, she shares both information and inspiration from her personal cancer recovery journey after her most recent diagnosis in 1995, in which she combined conventional cancer therapy with nutritional changes and many complementary medicine therapies—including homeopathic medicine.

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