Homeopathy vs. Allopathy: Two Health Care Systems with Opposite Points of View

Few people are aware that there is another form of healthcare available to them—homeopathy.

            The purpose of this article is to discuss the differences between homeopathy and modern medical care, called allopathy.

M = Medical

H = Homeopathy

As a word of note, to simplify some of the information, only Classical Homeopathy will be discussed as “Homeopathy.”  Some practitioners of homeopathy do not practice healing homeopathy—they only attempt to manage symptoms using homeopathic medicines.  The philosophy and teachings of Classical Homeopathy are to help a person heal, not manage a disease.

Holistic vs. Specialization

M:  The parts of the body and its systems are separate, as are the body, mind and spirit.  “In modern medicine, the general practitioner treats the body, sends the head to a shrink and the soul to a clergyman.” (Panos & Heimlich , 1980).

            Medical science has become specialized, where the Cardiologist will monitor your heart, but an Endocrinologist will monitor the thyroid and adrenal gland.  Each specialist looks at their little part of the body and not at its effect on the whole.

H:  All parts of the body are inter-related, interdependent.  Treatment of the whole person and all body parts and systems are considered.  The mind and emotions impact the physical body just as much as the physical body impacts the mind and emotions.  Many times a change in a person’s emotions or thought processes is seen prior to the physical symptoms presenting themselves.  If the mental processes are not looked at, a person cannot truly heal.

The Meaning of Symptoms

Examples of Symptoms:  pain, nausea, fatigue, hunger, the need to have a bowel movement, yawning, spurts of anger, spurts of irritability, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, etc.

M:  Symptoms are a disease in themselves and need to be medicated or removed in some way, thus suppressing the disease.

H:  Symptoms are the voice of the body telling you that something is wrong.  The Vital Force (the body’s healing ability) is attempting to restore balance and harmony—symptoms are the signs.  For example, a cough is a sign that something has entered the lungs that is causing irritation—coughing is a fast way for the lungs to expel the substance or to keep the substance from going deeper into the lungs.

Although unpleasant to the person, if the symptoms don’t exist, then it would mean the body was beyond the ability to heal, that a healing response was unable to be mustered.

            When symptoms are present, the person consciously becomes aware that he/she can assist the body in its healing efforts by listening to those symptoms.  Stopping or suppressing the symptoms is stopping or suppressing the body’s ability to heal, therefore prolonging healing time or allowing a chronic condition to form.  Using the above example of coughing, if the cough was suppressed, then the irritating substance could move deeper into the lungs and cause troubles deeper, such as pneumonia or bronchitis.

The Meaning of Disease

M:  Symptoms are tabulated to determine a disease name; then a standard plan of treating that disease is implemented.  Often some form of disease suppression such as a cough suppressant or anti-“something” drug (antihistamine, antidepressant).  Everyone with the disease name is treated the same, such as everyone with high blood pressure is prescribed an antihypertensive drug.

H:  Homeopaths treat patients according to their symptoms, not a disease name.  Symptoms tell a homeopath what needs to be done to assist the body with its healing efforts.  Each person is treated individually based on their unique symptoms.  Treatment proceeds without a diagnosis.

Treatment of Symptoms

M:  Symptoms must be suppressed or managed.  No treatment is given until a medical name (diagnosis) can be given to the symptom.

H:  Symptoms guide care and should never be suppressed; for suppression of symptoms most likely lead to the formation of a chronic disease.

Acute vs. Chronic Diseases

M:  Acute diseases are self-limiting symptoms that disappear after treatment is initiated.  Chronic diseases are those symptoms that continue after the person has been treated; or for deep conditions that affect a body system and require medical drug management or surgery to keep symptoms suppressed for a life-time.

H:  All diseases start as acute; how they are managed (or suppressed) determines if a person develops a chronic condition.  If a symptom has been suppressed, the disease condition is driven deeper within where more healing will need to occur to return a person to a state of health and balance.  If there has been too much suppression, a chronic condition will form and be harder to heal.

Personal Identity

M:  People learn to identify themselves as their disease.  “I am a diabetic.”  “I am a breast cancer survivor.”

H:  Homeopathy takes away the need to have a disease as an identity.  People say “I am healthy.”

The Body, not the Germs

M:  Germs cause disease if a person comes into contact with one.  The germ then has to be identified and then a powerful drug can destroy it.  The belief is that all diseases are caused by a germ if they hadn’t been caused by an accident or trauma of some kind.  Medical science seeks to identify the foreign invader responsible for the cough, cold, cancer, etc., then they prescribe a strong drug to destroy the invader but leave the main “organism” (e.g. your body) still living.

H:  Germs and invading organisms are everywhere.  Homeopathy’s goal is to strengthen the body so it can resist the effects of germs and invaders.

Attitude of the Physician

M:  “The doctor knows best.”  Healing occurs through symptom suppression with strong drugs.  They also believe that there are no other options for any health care except for medical care; they will not tell their patients about other healing methods.

H:  The body heals itself.  Homeopathy can assist the body with its healing.  Healing is assisted with gentle measures.

Time Spent with the Patient

M:  Disease identification in 5 minutes or less, on average, for a general practitioner; about 10 minutes for a specialist.  They see many patients in one day.

            Also, with the bombardment of medical drug ads in all forms of media, doctors today expect the patient to already have diagnosed themselves and know which drug(s) to ask for.

H:  The first visit is an average of 2 hours, as the homeopath needs to know their patient in order to help with their healing.  Follow-up visits are often 45 minutes, on average.  Therefore, they see only a few patients daily.

Cost of Office Visit and Frequency of Visits

M:  Average cost for a general practitioner, for an average of 5 minutes, is $250.  Average cost for a specialist, $500.  Price increases the more time the physician spends with the patient.  Cost for follow-ups is the same.  In 2009, according to the OECD, each person in the United States spent approximately 47% of their income.  Medical expenses is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States (OECD).

Most insurance companies will pay for all or part of an office visit.

            Frequency of visits increase over time as chronic diseases become harder to manage.

H:  Average cost for the initial visit is $300; follow-up visits are an average of $80.  Frequency of visits decrease over time as the person heals, to the point where the person only sees the homeopath for acute events. 

            Medical insurance in the United States deems homeopathy as not medically necessary so they will not pay for homeopathic services.

Homeopathy has been touted as “safe, effective and cost-effective” health care in the European Union, Switzerland, England and India.

Tests

M:  Tests are very important as the physician needs to see what is going on inside the patient to determine the disease name to give the symptoms. 

H:  Tests are not necessary for the homeopath to determine a course of care as the person’s symptoms tell the homeopath all that is needed to choose the right homeopathic medicine to assist with healing.

Drug/Medicine Expenses

M:  In 2009, the average person in the United States filled 12 different prescription drugs annually, having a per capita drug out-of-pocket expenditures of $956. 

H:  Homeopathic medicines are given one-at-a-time, sometimes to be taken daily or weekly depending on the remedy.  The average cost of a vial of a homeopathic remedy is less than $10.

Side Effects & Drug Safety

M:  Every medical drug has side effects and adverse reactions associated with it.  It is estimated that 225,000 deaths occur each year from properly-prescribed and administered medical drugs and medical procedurs (more deaths occur from drug errors and such).  In 2009, 4.6 million visits to the Emergency Room was associated with adverse reactions to properly prescribed and administered medical drugs.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also have concluded that medical care is the third leading cause of death in the United States (Mercola).

H:  There are no side effects to homeopathic medicines.  On occasion, a person with a chronic condition might have an “aggravation,” which is a flare of a chronic condition that is resolved once the medicine is stopped to give the body time to heal.  Number of deaths annually associated with homeopathy:  ZERO.

Focus of Health Care

M:  Disease management for a life-time.

H:  Restoration and preservation of health and vitality…Cure for a life-time.

YOU have a choice for your health care.

Choose to heal…choose life…choose to stop the suffering.

When it’s time to heal, call a Classical Homeopath.

References:

Mercola (2012).  “Medical Care is the Number 1 Cause of Death in the U.S.”at http://healthimpactnews.com/2012/medical-care-is-the-number-1-cause-of-death-in-the-u-s/.

OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development) at http://www.oecd.org/document/16/0,3746,en_2649_37407_2085200_1_1_1_37407,00.html.

Panos, M. B. & Heimlich, J. (1980)  Homeopathic Medicine at Home. New York, NY: Putnam.

Best wishes,

Dr. Ronda

Disclaimer:  The information provided by Dr. Ronda Behnke Theys is for educational purposes only.  It is important that you not make health decisions or stop any medication without first consulting your personal physician or health care provider.