Description

Homeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine that was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann.

It is based on the belief that the body can cure itself using tiny amounts of natural substances, like plants and minerals, which are believed to stimulate the healing process.

Homeopathic remedies aim to stimulate the body's own healing mechanisms and are often made as sugar pellets, ointments, gels, drops, creams, and tablets.

Some key aspects of homeopathy include:

Like cures like: This is a basic principle behind homeopathy, which means that a substance that causes a symptom in a healthy person can cure the same symptom in a sick person.

Dilution: Homeopaths believe that the more diluted a substance, the more potent its healing powers. Many homeopathic remedies no longer contain any molecules of the original substance.

Mental and emotional components: Homeopaths believe that physical disease often has mental and emotional components, so a homeopathic diagnosis includes information about the person's physical symptoms, current emotional and psychological state, and their constitution.

However, the scientific community is divided on the effectiveness of homeopathy, as some theories behind it do not align with the principles of conventional medicine.

There is no strong evidence supporting homeopathy as an effective treatment for any health condition.

In fact, a 2010 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on homeopathy stated that there is no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is an effective treatment for any condition.

As a result, homeopathy is not widely available on the NHS in the UK.