HOMEOPATHY VS. ALLOPATHIC TREATMENT: Which is the right choice for you?
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07/15/2010

Homeopathy has been used for over 200 years all around the world and was discovered by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German chemist. Homeopathy  uses the basic theory that like cures like (The Law of Similars), which means patients’ symptoms provide clues to indicate what the body needs to rid itself of in the illness. Homeopathic remedies are made from natural sources such as plants, animals and minerals. These remedies  are designed to treat the person as a whole by getting to the root of the illness. In comparison, conventional medicine focuses on the diagnosis of the symptoms rather than the person as a whole.  Allopathic medicine is interested in controlling disease by assuming individuals with the same diseases can be treated in the same way. Therefore, allopathy uses medicine to eliminate symptoms by suppressing them.  It is because of this that homeopathy is becoming increasingly more popular today; it is a lot safer than conventional medicine. Reportedly, prescription drug use is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

Homeopathic medicine  believes in the body’s “Vital Force”. This is our primary operating system and homeopathy triggers the immune system to provide the body with a state of well being by maintaining a healthy balance with nature. Homeopathic Physicians highest and only mission is to restore the sick to health. Practitioners conduct extensive history taking on the patient to obtain a picture of the whole person. They seek to develop an understanding of the patient’s total makeup including their mental, emotional and physical well -being. They believe in providing a specific medicine in extremely small doses for the whole person as a way of stimulating the body to heal itself in a non-toxic way. Homeopathic doctors believe in treating patients with a single remedy at a time, thereby treating the individual and not the disease, as they believe that each individual is unique.  This is designed to restore the patient’s body back to its natural state.  

This method is very different from the Allopathic philosophy which views technology as a means to save us from disease. This involves radioactive testing, surgery and pharmaceutical drugs.  In some cases, multiple drugs are used and when this happens, overmedicating can result in chronic problems as medications are given to counteract reactions. The over prescribing of drugs can result in a creation of new immunities causing a limitation on the effectiveness of antibiotics.  Individuals are unique and allopathic physicians use the same medication on patients that have similar symptoms; as a result of this prescribing method, numerous toxic side effects can take place.  These medications can also be extremely expensive if the patient doesn’t have the proper insurance.

Another way that homeopathy  differs from allopathy is the importance of the immune system.  Homeopathic medicine believes that the body needs to learn to fight infection and develop antibodies on its own, so that it will have the ability to fight against illness.  Homeopathic remedies  speed up the natural process of healing. Allopathic medicine promotes drugs that are designed to masque the symptoms which will sometimes cause more serious side effects in addition to the original illness, for which the patient has been treated. Now the body starts to rely on something from the outside (drugs).  

So, why is there such a difference between homeopathy  and allopathy? My opinion stems from the fact that it is dependent upon the knowledge an individual has received and their trained belief system. Due to the potential toxic side effects that pharmaceutical drugs have, patients like myself are starting to wonder if the risks outweigh the rewards.  Through all of my research, I have learned to seek homeopathic medicine first and foremost as homeopathic remedies provide a less invasive treatment which can be less expensive, more effective and provide little if any side effects.  While conventional medicines are very helpful in dealing with certain situations and illnesses, there are a lot of medical conditions that can be solved with a less toxic treatment.