What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine that uses very small concentrations of organic substances to cure disease. It is a pseudoscience (a belief or practice that is presented as scientific), based on concepts about how diseases work.

It was created in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann, based on the doctrine of “like cures like", in which a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people will cure similar symptoms in sick people. 

Various medical groups have shown that homeopathic remedies are not fully effective at treating disease, but instead, yield results similar to those of a placebo. Some also consider that homeopathy discourages the use of real medicine. The World Health Organisation discourages its use, and the NHS refuses to fund homeopathic medicine.

Why is it done?

Homeopathy is used to relieve ailments. According to the proponents of the therapy, it is indicated for any disease: chronic, acute, infectious, emotional, or psychological. The goal of homeopathy is to achieve the global healing of the patient and not just the disease. For this, homeopaths believe that it must be achieved through the natural stimulation of each patient.

What does homeopathy consist of?

Homeopathy involves diluting a substance in water or alcohol again and again, and then shaking the mixture. Homeopaths believe that this action transfers the healing essence of the substance.

The substance chosen is one that would cause the symptoms of the disease in a healthy person, with the idea being that it triggers the body’s natural defences. For example, red onion may be used to treat allergies, as it makes a healthy person’s eyes water. 

Homeopaths believe that the more dilute the solution, the more powerful it becomes as medicine. Often, the solutions are diluted to the point that no molecule of the original substance remains.

Other examples of substances used in homeopathy include poison ivy, arsenic, and crushed bees.

Does homeopathy work?

There have been many investigations into the efficacy of homeopathy. All, however, have yielded that homeopathy is more similar to a placebo than a treatment. 

Occasionally, clinical trials have been conducted that produced positive results, but these have invariably been discredited by reviews as being the result of reporting bias, flawed research methods, or simple chance.