Homeopathy for First Aid

Quick Intro to Homeopathy for First Aid

I’m a “lay” homeopath, and am trained to recommend acute homeopathic remedies. That means a couple of things:

1. Homeopathy uses the term “prescribe,” although I’m not a physician, so I don’t prescribe in the usual sense of the word, but recommend remedies. The recommended remedies are available over-the-counter, in health food stores or by mail order from homeopathic pharmacies. (A great one in the US is Homeopathy Overnight, 1-800-ARNICA).

2. An acute condition is one that is usually self-limiting. That means colds, flu, injuries, situations calling for first-aid, etc. It does not include acute flareups of chronic conditions. So if you have a condition that “acts up” periodically, you should not self-prescribe, but should consult a practitioner of Heilkunst, who works with chronic conditions. I recommend the Hahnemann Clinic for Heilkunst.

That said, I can recommend remedies for people, for acute conditions only. This requires more skill than it seems. The indications listed on the remedy bottles are completely useless for practical purposes, and are only there for certain labelling requirements.

For example, a bottle of Bryonia might say “for colds”, but in reality, there are literally dozens of possible remedies to consider for your *unique* pattern of symptoms. Take 5 people with colds, and it’s very likely they would each need a different remedy.

There are self-help books on homeopathy that can help you choose a remedy that matches your particular symptom pattern, but a skilled homeopath can make the best choice.

Oscillococcinum is a great all-purpose flu remedy IF it is taken during the first few hours when symptoms begin to appear. The reason that this one-size-fits-all remedy works, is because at that point the symptoms are fairly undifferentiated. Everyone seems to experience very similar
feelings of malaise at the onset, so this remedy is perfect for that.

If your symptoms progress beyond that stage, or you haven’t taken a remedy at the onset and your symptoms have settled into a certain pattern, then an acute remedy could be chosen that matches that pattern.

Many other characteristics of the person as a whole are also taken into account in chosing the right remedy, so a very detailed description of the person’s condition is elicited by a skilled homeopath in order to choose the appropriate remedy.

Now I’d also add that it may be quite natural and right to have a little cleansing reaction periodically, considering all the toxins we’re exposed to, and the way a lot of us overtax our system with chronic stress. By the time the body starts “coming down with something”, we’re already in the detoxification stage, which is a good thing.

The only reason the symptoms feel awful is because the body is using viruses to clean up the toxic matter. They act as solvents, and are actually very helpful.

So when you feel the symptoms, it’s only because of a previous toxic condition, and you are really sick already by the time you “get sick.”

The symptom can be a helpful message, too, to pay attention to functions we otherwise take for granted. One can learn to be very grateful for just plain breathing! Having a stuffy nose is a great chance to meditate on breathing! So if you’re attracted to using homeopathy, it’s a wonderful tool. But also the mind itself is the most powerful one I know.