What is homeopathy and how does it work?

Homeopathy is a medical philosophy and practice based on the idea that the body has the ability to heal itself.

Homeopathic medicine views symptoms of illness as normal responses of the body as it attempts to regain health, and is based on the idea that "like cures like." That is, if a substance causes a symptom in a healthy person, giving the person a very small amount of the same substance may cure the illness. A homeopathic dose enhances the body's normal healing and self-regulatory processes (a process known as hormesis).

Your homeopath will use pills or liquid mixtures (solutions) containing only a little of an active ingredient (usually a plant or mineral) for treatment of disease. These are known as highly diluted or "potentiated" substances. There is evidence to show that homeopathic medicines have helpful effects.

Homeopathy was founded in the late 1700s in Germany and has since been integrated into the national health care systems of other countries including the United Kingdom, Scotland, India, France, Cuba, Tanzania, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and Mexico.